Citizen Kane Symbolism

For citizen Kane, the most important assets of his life are not the political ambitions, successful newspaper business, nor his relationships with the significant others. Judging by his last word, “Rosebud,” the most important piece of his life is memory from his childhood. Although his life is changed for what appears to be better, from a materialistic viewpoint, it actually leaves him vulnerable and alone. Kane’s life is ultimately destructed by his lust to fulfill the American dream of fame, power and wealth. The inevitable struggle of Kane is reflective of the struggle of many must confront in this materialistic world, as one on his or her quest to find the true meaning of

Orson Welles was undoubtedly one of the most talented filmmakers of his time. Along with the innovative camerawork and advanced cinematic techniques that made Citizen Kane a success, Welles also allowed for viewers to connect with his film by providing them with a real life example of the main character. Citizen Kane owned a massive estate called Xanadu that was based upon Hearst's San Simeon. Kane and Hearst were also newspaper magnates who used very similar techniques to gain readers and also operated their newspapers in a comparable manner. Finally, both individuals had affairs with young women involved in the entertainment industry and both Kane and Hearst

The structure in the film Citizen Kane is non-linear in that it does not follow any planned order. The story is well formulated and presented using flashbacks that pertain different times in the life of Kane (Welles). These flashbacks are unplanned search that they offer the viewer an incomplete glimpse of Kane’s life and essentially adding more suspense. It takes the form of the memory when a person tries to remember an event that took place a long time ago. The use of the non-linear structure helps to portray how complicated the life of Kane was. It is vital to note the film uses several narrators. The mystery of Kane’s life is also being put together like a puzzle (Welles). The audience is with the journalist in the quench to find what the mystery word meant to Kane. The layout of the story is also planned with

Citizen Kane is filled with symbolic imagery. In most of the movie you can pick out scenery, character actions, lighting, camera movement, and the composition within the frame of key shots that help tell the story without the character orally telling the full story. However, because of its new and experimental use of mise-en-scene, the movie did not do well in the box office. In time Orson Welles movie would become one of the best movies of all time and would even come to change filmmaking in

What finally breaks down Charles Foster Kane is having Susan leave him. His need for control, and the inability for Susan or others to continue to comply with that need, send him into a frenzy in which he destroys the room Susan was staying in during their huge vacation in the Florida Everglades. From the room he takes a snow globe, and he is heard saying the words “rose bud” the first time by someone else. He walks into a hallway that has many mirrors, and this symbolizes Citizen Kane as a whole. This scene reflects the fragmented nature of the film. The life of Charles Foster Kane is told through the perspectives of several other people, and, due to this, as no person can be entirely unbiased, truthful, or even knowledgeable of the facts when recalling interactions with another person, we never get a complete picture of who Kane really is. Dozens of figures of Kane can be seen through the mirror, and this relates to how there are many images of Kane that can be derived from listening to the recollections of those who were close to him.

I also like how there are two intertwined plots throughout the film, that of Kane’s life and that of Thompson trying to figure out what rosebud means. I have seen Citizen Kane before and watching it for a second time was much better. I was able to pick up on details that I was confused by before. One of these was the seemingly random screeching cockatoo towards the end of the film. Watching the other students’ reactions made me realize what this cockatoo was for. After it appeared on screen many people shot up as it seemed they were falling asleep or

Why was Citizen Kane so different from the traditional Hollywood Films? Citizen Kane defies the traditional narrative and classic elements of Hollywood cinema by uniquely setting up the story in a different fashion from what the typical storyline would usually follow. It took on an approach of arranging the events of the story as it unfolds in a nonlinear pattern, while using multiple narrators while leaving the suspense of what did the meaning of a dying man’s last word open to the audiences’ interpretation.

Mr. Kane exclaims, “I can fight this all alone…I’m Charles Foster Kane! I’m no cheap crooked politician trying to save himself from the consequences.” (Citizen Kane) Though Mr. Kane was by no means a perfect character, up until this point he could be viewed as the “good”, slightly above average, citizen. But as this scene plays out, he begins to show his darker side to the audience.

Charles Arthur Kane, a man who yearned so desperately to fit into society. Once Kane’s corruption leaks into the public, Kane’s name carries a taste of bitterness. Kane is a man who tried to use his own corruption in order to try to rescue the society from its corruption. Kane wanted to be the man revered by society and a part of society and was willing to do whatever it took. From the moment Kane inherited his fortune he wanted to be liked by the people and be a part of society. In this constant quest for societies approval Kane never stops to discover his own individuality. Through power and greed, Kane believes that he can save the public from corruption. One of the first examples of Arthur Kane using corruption to try to gain power can be found in Kane’s rise

     Citizen Kane is set at a time in American History where the world is changing and money is at the center of that world. For example, during this period of time wealth has become more important in America has more new money arrives. Kane is a part of this new money sweep across America and like everyone else is stretching his power and wealth. He stretches it so much that he loses sight of his objection, which is replaced by his obsession to be in control and make all the decisions, a power which he finds through wealth. But it is because of this obsession that his idealistic world is corrupted. Furthermore, the film revolves most around a newspaper. A newspaper reaches everyone and during this time one of the only few mass media. It is through the newspaper that Kane stretches his wealth and influence. He is corrupted by the power that the newspaper gives him. In addition, Kane is constantly surrounded by beautiful things and people, until the end of the movie when

Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, Americans have idealized the journey towards economic success. One thing people do not realize, however, is that that journey is not the same for every individual. For Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles), the main character of Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles, the path towards riches and a fulfilled life is being well liked. He serves to please others. He strives for that attention. This view cost him his happiness in the end. In this man’s rise and fall through prosperity, Welles shows the futility of striving solely for likeability.

When discussing the greatest films of all time, Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles, usually comes up. It’s influence in American cinema can still be felt today, but at the time the film was not released without controversy. The main character in the movie, Charles Foster Kane, is undeniably based of the real life figure of William Randolph Hearst, a famous American newspaper publisher. Hearst was very aware of this fact and tried to hinder the success of Welles’ picture by denying it any sort of press in his newspapers. Despite the smear campaign Kane’s influence lives on through Welles’ revolutionary filmic techniques and its presence in pop culture.

The absolutely stunning film, Citizen Kane (1941), is one of the world’s most famous and highly renowned films. The film contains many remarkable scenes and cinematic techniques as well as innovations. Within this well-known film, Orson Welles (director) portrays many stylistic features and fundamentals of cinematography. The scene of Charles Foster Kane and his wife, Susan, at Xanadu shows the dominance that Kane bears over people in general as well as Susan specifically. Throughout the film, Orson Welles continues to convey the message of Susan’s inferiority to Mr. Kane. Also, Welles furthers the image of how demanding Kane is of Susan and many others. Mr. Welles conveys the message that Kane has suffered a hard life, and will

Because of the content of this film, Hearst tried to prevent it from being released. Kane, who was based on Hearst, was a very controversial newspaper tycoon. This makes the film more dramatic people there are characters that either love Kane or hate him. When Kane is caught in a love nest with s ainger, many more people disapprove of him.

In Citizen Kane, a wealthy newspaper tycoon named Charles Foster Kane dies a solitary death in his sprawling estate Xanadu. In an attempt to discover just who this legendary yet private individual was, a journalist named Jerry Thompson is tasked with discovering the meaning behind his final words: Rosebud. Although Thompson interviews many of the people who the public considered close to Kane including friends, ex-lovers, and the memoirs of his childhood guardian, he never truly discovers what he was tasked in finding out. In never discovering the meaning of Rosebud, Thompson concludes that you cannot sum up the life of a man with just a single word, saying the meaning of Rosebud was just a missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle. Throughout the