Citizen Kane

Manangan, Alvin Neil C. FILM THEORY

4CA1 Dr. Cesar Orsal

CITIZEN KANE CRITIQUE PAPER

Citizen Kane is investigative and melodramatic film. The quest for Rosebud and the journey of Charles Foster Kane’s life made the film interesting. It made the audience curious and able to hang until the end of the film. It was done in a flashback sequencing that gave Citizen Kane an exciting and interesting mood for its audience.

. Citizen Kane as I observe, has two different stories in one film. First is the story of the guy who wanted to know who or what is Rosebud, which was the last word the Charlie Kane uttered before he died. And the second one is the life story of Charlie Kane itself. Thus, I can say
that it was presented in 2nd and 3rd person point of view, in which the first story that I mentioned was in the 3rd person point of view and the second story on the 2nd person point of view.

The group of guys was in an investigation on who or what is Rosebud. In this investigation, they were led to these characters with whom Charlie Kane was in touch with when he was still alive. The people that they got to talk to were the ones who have told us the story of Charlie Kane. And the flashback was brought by the story-telling of the guy interviewed of Charlie Kane’s life.

The main goal that I see in this film is to know who or what is Rosebud.
I saw the mixture of the different formalistic elements of a film in Citizen Kane. It was goal-oriented yet when the life story of Kane was told it becomes character oriented. The use of the flashback in this film is to tell us the story of Charlie Kane’s which somehow veered us away from the first goal which was to know who or what is Rosebud. Rosebud has become mysterious to everyone around the world because the public doesn’t know anyone named Rosebud with whom Kane had an affair with. It is their interest to know who or what is Rosebud, what is its importance and why did he utter this before he
died.

The investigators, especially Mr.
Thompson, did not find out what is Rosebud. Rosebud was the name of the sled of Kane from his childhood. We can remember that he was given by her mother to a banker on a snowy day. After the encounter, he was given a sled by the banker which has a name “Rosebud” on it. This might be the symbolism of his longing for his mother. Charlie Kane did not come from a rich family that’s why her mother gave him to a rich man. Charlie grew up rich and he became famous. He has become the owner of the New York Inquirer and acquired many more businesses like radio. He was loved by all of the people surrounding. He married Emily, the niece of the president of America. But life was not good at him. He was accused of having a love nest with a singer named Susan. This was released a day before election that led him to defeat to become the governor. His business and riches slowly deteriorated. He then married Susan and had an opera house. He wanted to show everyone that he is not a mediocre. He wanted to prove to everyone that he is not weak and not giving
up.

In one scene after the election, his friend told him that he wanted love on his own terms which means, he wanted to control everything in his hands. He will love the people so that the people will love him back and even more.

I think Rosebud means love and affection which he always wanted and needed all throughout his life. He had been given love by the people, by his two wives, from his colleagues, but one by one they are all gone. All he had was never permanent. Rosebud may symbolize things that he lost which he had before.

Citizen Kane is very interesting movie. I never knew that such good movies already existed on 1941 which was in the time of the wars. Though black and white in visual, the message is still strong, life is colourful, live life to the fullest until we have it. Everything on earth is temporary so let us make use of them in good way we can.