Mank has won more Oscars than Citizen Kane

One word might not be able to sum up a man's life, but in Hollywood, there is one word that means an awful lot...and that's Oscar.

The fact that Citizen Kane lost the Best Picture Oscar to the far more sentimental How Green Was My Valley remains one of the most shocking and frustrating Oscar "upsets" in the eyes of many cinephiles. But now, David Fincher's Mank, which is about how screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz wrote the film, has won more Oscars than its predecessor.

Ultimately, Kane won only one Oscar — fittingly, for Best Original Screenplay, which was shared between Mankiewicz and the film's director-star (and disputed co-writer) Orson Welles. This Oscar victory is one that's even showcased at the conclusion of Mank; Mank's grandson Ben Mankiewicz, who is a film reporter and host of Turner Classic Movies, even did the voice-over as the Oscars announcer in the film.

Mankiewicz was one of the first to point out the fact on Twitter, saying, "My cousin @NickDavisProds has just reminded the family that @MankFilm now has won more Oscars than Citizen Kane."

Thus far, Mank has won two Oscars at the 93rd Academy Awards — for Production Design and Cinematography, celebrating the film's black-and-white photography and the recreation of 1930s and 40s Hollywood and iconic locations like Hearst Castle, aka San Simeon.

As a master of dramatic irony, this is a twist of fate that Mank himself would have relished.

Related content:

• 8 classic films to pair with the 2021 Oscar Best Picture nominees
• Hollywood History: How World War II forced the Academy to rethink the 1942 Oscars
• How Mank cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt paid tribute to Citizen Kane
• 7 films written by Herman J. Mankiewicz to watch after Mank