Citizen Kane

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2010)

Citizen Kane is a millionaire newspaper owner and one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. On his dying lips, his only words were "Rosebud". The film opens with his death, and the audience is then brought on a journey through Kane's life. A reporter is assigned to figure out who or what Rosebud is. Kane is an individual that is willing to give up relationships to gain wealth, yet also seems caring and wanting to do what is right for people.
Right from the opening scene, I thought lighting, use of shadows, camera angles and cinematography played a huge role in the movie. The dramatic building of the opening where the cameras pan slowly up the chain link fence, to the next fence area, to the wrought iron fencing, to see a glimpse of Xanadu, Kane's castle, to his lips speaking "Rosebud", the tumbling and smashing of the snow globe, was an interesting sequence. I thought the ending shots were symbolic of the Thompson's (the reporter) statement, "Rosebud is like the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle." The camera panned an aerial view from what almost looked like a cityscape, it slowly brings the audience down to an item which is thrown into the incinerator. Finally, the camera pans down the chain link fence from the beginning of the movie going full circle. The use of lighting and shadows as Kane is arguing with Susan makes him appear vulnerable, almost in desperate.