Title: Citizen Kane
Directed by: Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Dorothy Comingore
Number on the AFI List: 1
Year: 1941
*WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD*
Stylistically stunning, Citizen Kane is a masterwork of storytelling and cinematography from beginning to end. Flashbacks used in the relentless pursuit of the purpose behind Kane's final word, "rosebud," were thought provoking and completely engaged me in the mystery. Why was "rosebud" so important to Kane? Where did it come from? Why do I care about this rich tycoon who is frivolously spending his money and why didn't he care about his spending habits or other people? The simple answer isn't just that he was rich and "rich people don't care about others." He said in his conversation with Thatcher:
Kane: You know... if I hadn't been rich I might have been a really great man.
Thatcher: Don't you think you are?
Kane: I think I did pretty well under the circumstances.
Thatcher: What would you like to have been?
Kane: Everything you hate.
Citizen Kane is a story of a man deprived of a childhood, abandoned by his parents, brought up by people who only tried to convince him what to do with his money, and the after effects of what he does in order to feel fulfilled in his life. All he knows is his wealth, and yet he has the faint memory of home. He collects artwork, builds castles in the air, marries whomever he wants, runs a continually failing newspaper, and yet nothing is satisfactory to him-all is fragile, made of glass, as we see in one of the final moments of the movie. Even the snow globe representing his home is unsubstantial.
I was unsympathetic towards Kane until the very last shot of the movie when we find out what "rosebud" represents. At that moment, everything in the movie clicked, and I did gain sympathy towards this harsh man who only keeps people around so he can feel loved and secure-beautifully explained by Susan as she leaves Xanadu:
Kane: Don't go, Susan. You mustn't go. You can't do this to me.
Susan: I see. So it is YOU who this is being done to. It's not me at all. Not how I feel. Not what it means to me. I can't do this to you? Oh, yes I can.
To me, it is the loss of childhood. No amount of money can replace the warmth and love of family. Kane spent his life looking for that which was lost in money, fame, politics, marriage, but as he died he realized what he had been searching for all along was lost in his youth.
This is my theory that I'm sure will change as I watch the movie again. The boldness in casting and directing of this film earned it the number one spot on the AFI list. While it's not my personal favorite, I can see why this film is so important to film history.
(Also, shout out to William Hearst whom I didn't know this movie was partially based on but totally caught on within the first 10 minutes that it was inspired by him.)
Favorite moment: There are SO MANY COOL SHOTS in this movie that it's hard to choose just one. But the moment of Kane being essentially sold off to the bank stands out in my mind-the contrast between the young boy playing not knowing that his fate is about to change vs. the stoic mother who is resigned to sell off her child:
Will I watch it again: Yes!
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