Overflowing with symbolism

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2003)

Citizen Kane , though not the most entertaining film, it is a remarkable landmark in the film industry. All for its first time usage of more advanced camera angles and many other filming techniques. Though Citizen Kane lacked what is now by audiences perceived as entertainment, it actually overflowed with metaphors and symbolic meanings in every scene. On example is in the way the first scene begins, which is at the end of Kane's life (Orson Welles) the entire movie plot is centered on his last word `Rosebud' Thus commencing the search for the meaning of this word. Rosebud has an incredible meaning to Kane's life. The Audience later on discovers it is the name of his childhood sled. By making that word his last it set an enormous symbolic meaning of what his wished his life would not have become. Also during the same death scene Kane is holding a globe in his hand which drops and brakes as he dies, symbolizing the messy and scattered life style that was ending then. As far as film techniques go, Citizen Kane is also full of meaning behind the technique used for different and specific scenes. During some scenes in order to create a mindset on the audience Kane is placed by camera angles above the rest of the actors, immediately making him the scenes dominant subject. This is only one example of the very well thought out techniques used in this film. It is believed that Citizen Kane is a representation of William R. Hearst's life. For Kane (Hearst) buys a major newspaper and his life very well portrays Hearst's life. Kane is a person seen and described very differently by those around him. His ex-wife and his closest `friends' were interviewed to discover the meaning of his last word and about his rich and happy life. Even though that is what his life was thought out to be full of Kane was a poor and miserable man, who failed at two marriages and didn't own anything that brought full satisfaction to him. Citizen Kane possesses so many hidden things throughout the entire film that it is necessary to watch many times just to catch small and detailed symbolic events , and even objects. This film is sure to make one think and become an observer of what is very easily overlooked. A downward spiral of a miserable man's life is how Citizen Kane can be best described as.