Citizen Kane Psychology

Citizen Kane is one of those classic films that had tremendous impact on not only the field of cinematography, but on American society in general. Written in 1941 by Orson Welles, who also directed and starred in the film, Citizen Kane cries out to be psychoanalyzed. Loosely based on the real life newspaper mogul, William Randolph Hearst, the film sparked not only controversy, but social dialogue for decades. I will discuss the main character, Charles Foster Kane, with a small sidebar about Kane’s scene mate, Susan Kane. The scene I will analyze is the second to last scene in which Kane and Susan are arguing in a tent about their life together and how empty and meaningless it turned out to be. Using Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, the
If things go well, a person will develop the ability to love and except love from others. In addition, if all goes well, a person will have the ability to work without compulsiveness or dependence (Cervone & Pervin, 2008). It is clear in this scene that Kane has neither; giving credence to the idea that he suffers from intrapsychic conflict. Throughout the film, Kane shows his desire to be loved, but never so much than in this scene. In addition, Kane has been hiding his true feelings by using defense mechanisms to cope with his intrapsychic
He seems only interested in controlling people. In fact, when Susan points that out to Kane, he becomes enraged. Kane has successfully repressed his inability to love and his desire to be loved, or so he thought, until his actions betray him. When he is confronted with the true reality, he suddenly becomes emotionally volatile and he lashes out at Susan. Susan’s betrayal reminds Kane of his mother’s betrayal. As the camera fades away, a tear can be seen in the corner of Kane’s eye. Whether this tear is for his lost love, his broken marriage, or the realization that he won’t ever get what he truly wants is left undetermined. However, what is determined is that this confrontation with Susan acts as the catalyst for Kane’s inevitable emotional collapse. Susan’s intrapsycic conflict is obvious. She falls for Kane because he has the ability to take care of her; almost like a father figure. However, this backfires on Susan because Kane not only wants to take care of her, but he wants to control and isolate her as well. Luckily for Susan, she realizes this and leaves Kane before she too becomes psychologically