After watching the
film Citizen Kane, I can understand the
many reasons of why this would be the number one movie of Orson Welles’ career,
or of American film in general. It set precedence
for other films to follow which was a blessing and curse to Orson Welles’
future—his following works did well, but always compared back to Citizen Kane. The trailer (featured on the IMDB page) was
obscure for its time, showing the actors and actresses that were all fresh
faces to the screen goofing around with Orson Welles’ voice over, yet never his
face despite how he had the leading role.
The editing and overall formalistic style of cinematography gave the movie
its initial impact next to the hook and question of “Rosebud,” and developed
characters.
Through the beginning
scenes, the viewer is already getting pulled in through the dissolving gates of
Xanadu, and into Charles Foster Kane’s palace. Then immediately shocked through his quick
death, dying word (or name as we learn later), and shattering snow globe—all set
to confuse and intrigue the question of who was Charles Foster Kane? Why would that be his last word on Earth? Transitions and mise en scene were already
impeccable in this introduction, choosing to prolong the entrance into the established
mansion, showing intricate details that increase anticipation of what is inside
until reaching the indoors. Once inside,
a man’s life ends suddenly as quick as dropped glass that reveals a startled
maid’s reflection, soon transitioning into reporters’ silhouettes pacing back
and forth to verbally ask the questions the audience has just asked
subconsciously by watching.
While the
reporters find people who can describe events and close ties involved in Kane’s
life, the people they interview have a lot of flashbacks that fully embellish
Kane’s unorthodox life, how he came into that life, and why he lived it the way
he did. The part where his mother and
father are debating on sending him away with the man William Parks Thatcher
gave a frame for the rest of the movie, literally and figuratively. During the discussion between his parents and
Mr. Thatcher, a young Charles Kane is seen and heard through the open window,
playing in the snow, building a snowman and obnoxiously vying for attention,
praise, and love but ignored. After Mr.
and Mrs. Kane sign away their son to have a wealthy, fortunate upbringing and
education, Mr. Kane shuts the window on him, while Mrs. Mary Kane opens the
window. This implies the father closing
his son out for good, while the mother sees her actions as opening a window or
opportunity for her boy, whom she loves wholeheartedly, but will only get to
see or hear about through some form of obtrusive frame from this day forward. As for Charles, the frame is a type of metaphor
for how he will always be an entertaining and admirable figure for others that
can watch him, but he will remain alone in his framed box. This scene is also set in the white snow,
showing his innocence, and likewise, his sled getting buried away with his
innocence as he leaves for the urban life.
We find in another
flashback later how Charles defied Mr. Thatcher every chance he got to become
everything Thatcher despised. The
lighting has become much darker, and many scenes will do a low angle on Kane to
reveal his dominance over his own life and those who follow him. I was amused by his request letter to
Thatcher about keeping the New York
Inquirer, because he thought it would be fun—and later how his own fun is
turned on him as an ultimatum between maintaining a clean public image with his
wife, Emily and son, or going against what he believes. He chose the latter and lost family in the
process, but took a second wife, Susan Alexander, only to lose her later as
well.
The marriage
montage in Leland’s flashback was carefully planned out and depicted the
disintegration of Charles and Emily’s love.
Their proximity increased, as they began with both sitting close to one
another in the same shot, then in separate shots, and finally across the table
from one another, reading newspapers—Charles with his Inquirer, and Emily holding The
Chronicle as a big hit on her husband.
Overall, the
question of who or what was Rosebud isn’t answered for the reporters in the
end, but briefly shown to the audience as Rosebud, Charles Foster Kane’s sled
as a boy, is burned in an oven. The
biggest loss in his life wasn’t a person or a thing, but memory of his
childhood, or his childhood in general after being sent away to a life he didn’t
choose. The movie was well done in every
aspect of film—cinematography, story, acting.
It deserves its fame and will probably remain one of the top movies of
all time, if not the very top movie of all time.
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