The film Citizen Kane is about a detective in search of the meaning of Charles Foster Kane’s final words – which were “Rosebud”. During his detective work, he visits various people who knew Charles Kane very well. Each time he visits one of the people, they share a story about Kane. Each story tells the tale of Kane’s life and how he rose to fame and gained his fortune. It also reveals how he was received by other people, and reveals how his closest friends thought of him. Towards the end, we finally find out who/what “Rosebud” actually is. The story of the film was quiet simplistic when you really think about it, and easy to follow viewing the first couple flashbacks.
There were multiple negative and positive moments in the film that I found. I found that the use of deep focus, the news reel and the lighting were positive moments of the film. Also, even though the film was groundbreaking and innovative for its time, I found some negatives moments, such as the flashbacks.
There were quite a few positives I found about this film. For example, I liked the way in which the film used the lighting, considering the fact that the film was in black and white. The film uses lighting in the film to add to the effect. For example, in the scene where the reporters finish watching Kane’s video about his life, the room is very dark, with two key lighting coming through two small windows. This makes it hard to see the characters properly. The director may have done this to hint to the fact that they are trying to uncover a mystery, and the fact that they are “in the dark” suggests that they do not know the answer just yet. Also, the fact that the film is filmed in black and white further makes the scene appear to be very dark. The use of lighting is again used in the scene where Kane is reading a newspaper with Jedediah and Bernstein. The lighting is relatively light for a black and white film. This connotes that they are on path to success and they know what they are doing. It also suggests that all is well and they are on track.
I also found that the use of the news reel was a positive for the film. The use of the news reel acts as a narrative device. The news reel acts like a narrator would do. It acts like a summary of the film, by summarizing his life, and basically tells the story of Charles Foster Kane’s life. The use of the news reel also raises enigmas with the audience, as they will be wondering why it is part of the film, and what they represent to the film.
I also liked the fact that the film used deep focus. Deep focus is where nothing is blurred in the shot. This means that everything can be seen visibly, even if they are far back and nearly out of shot. Deep focus throughout the sequence. For example, when Charles Foster Kane is walking up from the distance, we are able to see him clearly, due to the fact that they have not blurred him out. The use of the deep focus at the point, connotes that Kane is not as relevant to the scene as the other character, but by not blurring him out, suggests he has some importance to what is happening in that particular scene. There was also a significant use of deep focus, when Kane's mother gives him up for money. While the parents are discussing money, Kane is playing in the background. The use of deep focus here makes the audience feel sympathy towards Kane and it even makes the attention focus more on Kane - due to the deep focus.
There were also some negatives I found about Citizen Kane. At first, I thought the flashbacks were clever, but over time, I felt that there was too many in the film, making it for me, a negative for the film. It got to the point, where I was hoping that there would be no more flashbacks. The flashbacks are used as a narrative device. The use of the flashbacks allows the audience to understand Charles Foster Kane’s life one little bit at a time, as it reveals different parts in his life, from the point of view of his friends. By making the views coming from people close to him, makes their views more believable, as they would be personal. It also allows the audience to form their own opinion on Kane and it has ultimately used to see if the audience can work out what or who “Rosebud” represents.
There were multiple characters in the film. The main ones were Charles Foster Kane, Jedediah Leland, Mary Kane, Susan Alexander Kane and Mr. Berstein. Firstly, I liked the way Orson Welles portrayed his character Kane. I thought the way he made Kane seem popular and likeable at the start, contrasted with the ending, where we find out that he did not really have anyone, and just wanted to be loved by everyone. I also liked the way he played the character so well, it was as if he had been in a similar situation to Kane. Also Kane's mother, Mary Kane played by Anges Moorehead was also portrayed very effectively, as she was represented as cold-hearted and evil, as she sold her son for money. The wasy Moorehead revealed no emotions during this time made it clear that she is not a nice person. Also Susan Alexander Kane played by Dorothy Comingore was played very well, as she came across quiet dumb, and she also made me feel sympathy for her when she was forced to keep singing. I did not really like the way Joseph Cotton played Jedediah Leland played the character, as I felt no connection towards the character. Finally, I liked the way Everett Sloane portrayed Mr. Bernstein as he came across as the busy and slightly dumb character which makes him a likeable and come across as slightly humorous.
Ultimately, I do not think Citizen Kane is the greatest film ever made. The reason for this decision is that, even though it was an excellent film for its time, there are more films that are coming out now, that are truly and have far superior plots and much more advanced technology, that should not be shunned out because Citizen Kane did not have this kind of technology. Also, just because Citizen Kane was good for its time, does not make it better than the films coming out now. Nevertheless, I unexpectedly enjoyed the film, as I normally tend to hate black and white films and, sometimes find them unbearable due to being used to films coming out nowadays, but I would most definitely recommend for people to watch the film, and maybe even watch it again.
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