Rosebud Film Analysis

Citizen Kane was groundbreaking in many ways, as it introduced some new techniques and challenged the classical way of shooting film and storytelling. The producer Orson Welles, who also directed and played the character Charles Kane, used nine different narrative sequences to tell the story. Some innovative techniques that he incorporated were the mobile camera, depth of field, lighting/ framing, effects, and the film is done in a non-linear story telling approach, which was different than other films in 1941.

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

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.

One of the first traditional narratives that Welles challenged was the order of events in the movie. Most films present their stories in chronological order, Citizen Kane does not do this. The film opens with narrated scenes of the entire life of Charles Foster Kane, however the series of events goes from the later

Citizen Kane directed and co-written by Orson Welles, who also starred as the main character Charles Foster Kane, is considered the top movie of the top 100 movies. Citizen Kane starts with a newsreel that tells the life of Charles Foster Kane, who had just recently died. A newspaper team sets out to tell the real story of Charles Foster Kane and learn the truth behind Kane’s last words, “Rosebud” (Gottlieb, 1992). The reporter asked several prominent people in Kane’s life to give their story about the man and any information they would have about his last words. Although, no one knew why his last words were “Rosebud” and what “Rosebud” even was. The audience travels through Kane’s life seen through the eyes of other people, giving us details

Citizen Kane is often criticized as one of the best movies of all time. The 1941 classic is Drama, starring Orson Welles and Dorothy Comingore. In the movie we get to see Charles Foster Kane (played by Orson Welles who also co-wrote and directed film) serve to please others through fall appearances and seek attention in order to have a prosperous and wealthy life. Although Charles Foster lived the American Dream by altering his poor childhood into a lavish and affluent one, cinematography, lighting and music show the sadness and misery of Kane and Susan. The movie also takes a good look at the struggling times in the 1940s, especially for women. Some may say the film was ahead

Not one stone is left unturned when it comes to making Citizen Kane like any other blockbuster movie; it embodies all the fundamental pieces that go into making a classic Hollywood film. The setting may not be our current era, but it is considered to be set in present day. It has numerous point-of-view and flash back shots along with a multitude of other unique filmmaking techniques. There are one or more characters on personal journeys that are filled with conflicts along the way to screw everything up, clear and unclear repercussions to specific actions, and it even offers a sort of closure at the end of the film.

     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

Citizen Kane, made in 1941 by Orson Wells, presents a biography of Charles Foster Kane and used an approach to plot order that was radical for its time. It was a pioneer in advanced techniques such as using actors and objects at different distances and keeping them in focus, longer shots without cuts, and non-linear storytelling. Citizen Kane and the techniques used would affect Hollywood cinema for years to come. The movie, Citizen Kane, consisted of nine sequences, five of which are flashbacks. It starts with Kane’s death then is followed up by the major events in his life.

Many have called Citizen Kane the greatest cinematic achievement of all time. It is indeed a true masterpiece of acting, screen writing, and directing. Orson Welles, its young genius director, lead actor, and a co-writer, used the best talents and techniques of the day (Bordwell 103) to tell the story of a newspaper giant, Charles Kane, through the eyes of the people who loved and hated him. However, when it came out, it was scorned by Hollywood and viewed only in the private theaters of RKO, the producer.

Perhaps one of the most famous and highly rated classics Citizen Kane (directed by Orson Welles and premiered in 1941) revolves around the fictional life story of newspaper mogul Charles Kane (inspired by the life of William Randolph Hearst) and the grand search for the meaning of his parting words: “Rosebud.” Despite a very rough beginning and being met with criticism from the likes of renowned French cinema historian and journalist George Sadoul who claimed, “Citizen Kane is just an encyclopedia of old techniques” the film’s ever steady spot as number sixty eight on IMDb’s top two hundred fifty list is a testament to its fame both in the past and the present. Why is that so? Some would say it is the film’s witty and quotable one-liners as

Yes, I believe one can tell the plot from this small excerpt. The scene shows unfinished landscaping, a dilapidated castle and monkey's hanging onto the fence. The last scene is the lips of a man and he is holding a snow globe. The only word that is spoken by the man is "Rosebud", then he drops snow globe, it shatters and he dies. The plot of the movie is who is "Rosebud." This film has a cyclical plot. Kane, the protagonist dies at the beginning of the movie and in the end that doesn't change.

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.

Citizen Kane (1941) by Orson Welles broke the mold for films when it came to classic Hollywood cinema. The film has numerous ground breaking ideas, such as, the order of narration starting from the death of the main character, Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles), and retelling his story in non-chronological order (Barsam & Monahan, 2016). This was accomplished by having newspaper reporter Jerry Thompson (William Alland) interview the other characters who were involved in Mr. Kane’s life. Each interview added more information to the mystery of Kane’s dying last word “rosebud.” Welles uses different camera angles and movements to change the viewers’ perspective of the situation along with numerous light sources to set the atmosphere. Citizen Kane changed how Hollywood films were portrayed by altering traditional narrative, using multiple new camera angles, and perfecting the technique involved with diverse

Citizen Kane is a movie that can be rewritten and implemented into any film created today. In many ways, the storyline tells us more about ourselves than anything else and it relates to each one of us who has ever wished for a better life. From his flamboyant adventures to the blah blah to his political agenda in his later years. Every film that came after Citizen Kane owes a great deal to Orson Welles because of the way he used special effects, music, and shadows and lighting, which without a doubt makes it one of the finest movies ever made. Some even call it the Mona Lisa of its time because Orson Welles was the first to implement all of these techniques, which revolutionize cinema forever.