Citizen Kane: The Final Judgement

The life story of Charles Foster Kane has been told and the identity of Rosebud has finally been revealed. I have to confess that I knew what Rosebud was before I watched the film just because it has been revealed to me in numerous ways throughout the years. So while watching Citizen Kane I was not constantly looking for clues and following Macguffins Orson Welles may have planted, but was instead looking for technical achievements. By this I mean I was searching for clues in the direction and writing that exemplified the themes of the film. Orson Welles did a masterful job at both directing and starring in Citizen Kane. Practically every shot could be taken apart to show how it related to Kane. The most prevalent theme that was supported by Welles' direction was power, or the lack thereof. There are countless scenes that portray Kane in both a powerful and weak light, and in some cases it just shows how tiny he really is. One example of this is the scene where Kane is sitting in the balcony at his wife's debut performance at the opera. After his semi-talented, but not talented enough wife tanks, the audience breaks into very tame applause, almost like something you'd hear at a golf match. As she comes out to take her bow, the only person left applauding (at least audibly) is Kane, who is standing up trying to get others to do the same (trying to control their thoughts, if you will, as if seeing him do it would make them think it was right). However, nobody follows and Kane is left seeming foolish, and for a moment the light shining on him disappears, covering him in shadow. This shot really shows how powerful Kane THINKS he is, and how insignificant he REALLY is. It was these contradicting scenes that made Citizen Kane engaging.

But not everybody likes to hear about the technical stuff, and I have to make mention of whether or not Citizen Kane is worth a view on an entertainment scale. Unfortunately, since I already knew what Rosebud was, I couldn't get swept up into the mystery of the film. However, I actually feel as though this helped me appreciate the film more. If I had no idea what Rosebud was and watched the entire movie just to find out it was his _______, I would have been livid. Talk about unsatisfying! The revelation of the identity of Rosebud could have annoyed me so much it would destory any good feelings I had toward the film. You get me involved in a story and I'm expecting this brilliant conclusion, and you give me this? But since I already knew the conclusion and knew how disappointing it is, I was able to brace myself and watch the movie without the deflating "surprise". I honestly think that because of this, I was able to appreciate this film as the unfortunate story of a man's life. Kane was a man that wanted money, power, and to be loved by all. When you think about it, who doesn't want those things? Or at least just two of them? (I want the first two, I could care less if people like me). So I guess what I'm trying to say is that although Kane was a man who led a tumultuous life and went through some things not all of us will experience, he is a highly relatable character that we should feel a little more sympathy for than we do.