Charles Foster Kane is a wealthy newspaper tycoon. He was able to buy his own newspaper because his mother inherited a gold mine. At a very young age his parents sent him to live with his personal banker in many different cities. Being taken from his family at such a young age made him hate his guardian and made him very rebellious. This lead him to buy the New York Inquirer instead of investing in other things like his banker told him to. His first wife was the president’s niece, which gets him
In the film, Citizen Kane, Charles Foster Kane’s immaturity, wealth, power, stubbornness and lack of love turn him into an corrupted figure. Kane grew up with Mr. Thatcher but takes no advice from him, and purposefully go against his will. Kane lives his own way of life, and unaware of what is "normal" and what is not. Kane’s wealth and power makes him think that he can get whatever he wants just by using the two. His stubbornness does not allow him to admit mistakes, and makes him more and more
Isolation of Charles Foster Kane Citizen Kane came out in 1941 and now remains an iconic film due to reasons like it’s ahead of the time cinematography which can fool individuals easily into thinking it was made way after the initial date, as well as theatrical elements that layer the masterpiece. The Orson Welles-directed masterpiece Citizen Kane is a nuanced labyrinth of cinematic techniques and theatrical elements and among the most interesting to consider is the palace scene between Kane, played
the case in the film Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles. Charles Foster Kane is a man who would appear to the general public as having it all. A very popular man, Kane owns a successful newspaper company for which he is known worldwide. He builds a gigantic mansion for his second wife and himself, surrounded by intricate and expensive statues. Kane seems to be perfect in every single way, and one may think that he is the happiest man alive. However, Charles never had the things that
Citizen Kane, released in 1941, is one of America’s greatest films. The film is widely considered a cautionary tale for the late 1930’s and the early 1940’s. The main character, Charles Foster Kane is portrayed as a character that is similar to the totalitarian dictators that came about during this time period, such as Adolf Hitler. Totalitarian dictatorships have the goals of creating unity among the masses and obtaining control over individuals and society. There are three key characteristics
Citizen Kane (1941) and The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) are two great films that say a very similar statement, but the two films could not be more different. Director Orson Welles’s film, Citizen Kane and Joe Coen’s The Hudsucker Proxy both follow a man’s rise to fame and how they fall because of it. It is very easy to see how Citizen Kane, a film that has influenced countless movies, has influenced The Hudsucker Proxy as well. Citizen Kane retells the life of Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) in
Citizen Kane is a personal story about a news tycoon from the early 1900’s ‘Charles Foster Kane’s’ last word “Rosebud”. This word sparks an investigation by reporters who interview people from Kane’s past putting the pieces together to uncover the mystery of the word and its importance. Bordwell goes in detail about the difference of subjective vision and objective realism and the part they play in Citizen Kane. Orson Welles borrows elements from both forms and balances them which Bordwell calls
After viewing the film Citizen Kane, it is clear the director, Orson Welles, created a picture unlike any other during this era on its release in 1941. The film is about the dying last words of Charles Foster Kane, a man who rose to fame from nothing. A journalist is on a mission to find what these words mean, and through stories from main characters, the audience is taken on Kane’s journey. Whether it’s the use of shadows and lighting, camera angles, or sound, Welles creates a picture comparable
Reader-Response Question: Citizen Kane as a “Failure Story” What I believe Orson Welles means by Citizen Kane being a “failure story” is, despite Charles Foster Kane’s immense amount of wealth and status due to his career as a newspaper tycoon, he is a man who is very unhappy in life. The story shows how prosperity and power is ultimately useless in the absence of genuine love from others. Being put under the guardianship of New York City banker Walter Parks Thatcher by his mother in order to live
Extract analysis of cinematography within Citizen Kane [12:30-24:30] This essay is an analysis of a key sequence in Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941). The sequence begins in a projector room where Mr. Thompson is introduced, it then follows onto introduce Susan Alexander Kane. Lastly, the scene goes into a flashback from a journal written by Thatcher. Arguably “Citizen Kane upsets our usual sense of hierarchy in story-telling” (Mulvey, L. f23) the way Orson Welles constructed these introductory scenes
Citizen Kane is a valued text because it explores the challenging ideas of power and vulnerability. Texts are valued beyond the constraints of time when universal ideas are explored. Orson Welles’ psychodrama film Citizen Kane (1941) examines the omnipresent idea of the corruptive and impactful nature of abuse of power as paralleled with human vulnerability. Through the enigma of Kane and his relationship with society and Susan Alexander, we observe her profound influence that leads to the exposure
Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941) challenged the traditional narrative and technical elements of classic Hollywood cinema through the successful use of mise-en-scene. According to (Wikipedia) traditional narrative focuses on chronological order of history it is event driven and tends to center upon individuals, actions and intentions. Additionally (Wikipedia) also states that the title “Classic Hollywood cinema” were terms used in film history which designates both a visual and sound style for making
1. In the movie Citizen Kane, there are so many important facts to remember such as, when Charles Kane was eight years old, his own mother signed custody of him over to a banker named, Walter Thatcher. Because his mother signed custody over, Kane did not have a normal childhood and he built up a sense of animosity towards Mr. Thatcher and as a result everything Charles did was an attempt to antagonize Mr. Thatcher. At a young age Charles Became extremely wealthy; when he was twenty-five years old
The film “Citizen Kane” used many different types of media aesthetics to portray the scenes and characters in certain ways. The movie used varying music choices to help show what emotion the viewer should be getting from each individual scene. “Citizen Kane” had the characters dress and modify their outfits in certain ways to show the differences in how their lives were being portrayed. These visual elements in the film help the audience contextualize how the characters are supposed to be viewed
Citizen Kane seemed to bear nothing in common. The former is a coming-of-age and scandalous tale of Benjamin Braddock, the awkward and confused college graduate seeking an escape from the expectations held of him; the latter, a darker and more morbid exploration of a man’s grand life spent pursuing superficial items and unattainable standards of perfection. Though these films debuted nearly three decades apart, and each touched their audiences in unprecedented ways. The Graduate and Citizen Kane are
Citizen Kane, directed and produced by Orson Welles, defies the conventional style of classic Hollywood films. The film introduced a variety of radical techniques and cinematography way ahead of its time such as shadowing and deep focus. Told through the memories of his associates in a flashback form, Citizen Kane follows an idealistic man with principles Charles Foster Kane, played by Orson Welles, who becomes changed and misguided by wealth and what accompanies wealth. Through the story telling
Citizen Kane is an extraordinary movie, and it is full of complex filming techniques. Orson Welles produced the film Citizen Kane, and it is considered by some to be one of the greatest films of our time. Orson Welles shows the fragments of the life of Charles Foster Kane, attempting to explain a complex character. During the film, Kane hides his true feeling and emotions behind an impenetrable wall. Even at the end of the film, the audience still does not really get to understand who Charles Kane was
Welles’ cinematic classic, Citizen Kane, is a film that centers on a group of reporter’s investigation into the meaning of Charles Foster Kane’s last word, “Rosebud.” Through their investigation of his last words, the team of reporters, is presented with an almost, but not quite, complete picture of “Citizen” Kane’s life. By assuming that the man’s last word was as grandiose as his life, the reporters miss out on the bigger, more holistic picture, which is Charles Foster Kane’s life. The reporters’ emphasis
Orson Welles' Citizen Kane Having success the first time around is very uncommon. Orson Welles's first feature film richly realizes the full potential of excellent craftsmanship. Citizen Kane is almost indisputably the greatest achievement in the history of filming. In 1941, this film was considered by many as the best film ever made. This film is about the enormous conflict between two twentieth-century icons, publisher William Randolph Hearst and the prodigy of his time, Orson Welles
Citizen Kane is a mystery beginning in Xanadu, Florida, with Charles Foster Kane on his deathbed. Holding a snow globe, he utters “Rosebud” before dying. Reporter Jerry Thompson sets out to tell Kane’s story, as well as discover the meaning of Rosebud. Thompson begins to interview all of Kane’s known friends and associates. First, Kane’s second wife, Susan Alexander Kane, is interviewed, but refuses to speak about her late husband. The story then moves to Charles Kane’s childhood. Mary Kane, his mother