ET16- CITIZEN KANE

When I first heard of this movie, supposedly the best American film in history, my interest was piqued. To be fair, I was also a little skeptical. However, having watched the film twice, I'm now convinced it is indeed one of the best American films in history. Sadly, it is known to many, but perhaps, watched by too few.

Basically, this story is about Charles Foster Kane, a character based upon the American newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst. Although for all purposes, Kane and Hearst are one and the same, we have to remember, this film is about Kane and no one else. No matter how alike Kane is to Hearst, the titular figure of the film is Kane, not Hearst or anyone else.

In this film, we witness the entire life of Kane, from his childhood to his death, from his meteoric rise to his downfall in the vast confines of his tomb-like Xanadu. But, it isn't just about his life. That would be an autobiography. It's his life, as viewed from another's point of view. There's a particularly striking scene near the end of the film. Susan Alexander is sprawled on a floor, completing a jigsaw puzzle. A jigsaw puzzle, that's what Kane's life basically is. This film is about picking up the pieces of his life, to get a fragmented picture of the man once known as Charles Foster Kane, The word "rosebud" is, in my opinion, just another piece in the puzzle that is Kane's life.

By watching this film, we, the audience are essentially becoming him. By reliving his memories, we find out more of the man. And that, is essentially how the movie is about him. We are finding out more of Kane's past, by being Kane himself, but even though it is Kane's memories that we're seeing, these memories are viewed through the eyes of others, making it that much more authentic and unbiased. And through these flashbacks, we find out more and more facets of the mysterious media baron once known as Charles Foster Kane. A man who has built a vast newspaper empire only to see it crumble. A man who collects anything and everything from the four corners of the globe without being in the slightest interested in anything be collects. A man who deserts his wife and child only to be deserted in the end by the woman for whom he deserted.

There are important scenes that chronicle Kane's rise and demise. In the earlier scenes, we find the last remaining vestiges of his childhood being taken away from him, as his mother wants him taken away so that he might have a better life away from his abusive father. In one scene, we see a metal triangle in the background, whilst Kane is talking to his mother, with his father and Thatcher both present. In my opinion, the metal triangle is a metaphor for the Holy Trinity - Father, Mother, Son. Yet, the trinity is now incomplete with the presence of Thatcher. The family is broken. At this point of the story, a part of Kane is gone forever. The little boy in him.

In an incredible montage that spanned 10 years in film time, but only 2 minutes of real time. We see Kane grow from a young boy into a man. At the age of 25, Kane is a rich heir, with a world of promise ahead of him. Kane decides to enter the newspapers business with sensationalized yellow journalism. Although the papers are losing money every year, Kane refuses to throw in the towel, believing he is the champion for the "working" man. In an interesting dialog, we hear Thatcher berating Kane for hemorrhaging a million dollars a year through his "philanthropic" endeavors, at which point Kane zings him by saying he might have to close shop in 60 years at this rate. Now a personal fortune of 60 million in 1941, adjusted for inflation now, amounts to a fortune on par with the Bill Gates of our era. At this point of the film, we now know that Kane is incredibly rich, as well as being insanely generous. He also fancies himself a bit as a champion of the people, going so far as to write a Declaration Of Principles, a code that he shall live by as a person and as a publisher.

In short order, we see him turning around his newspaper business, marrying the President's daughter, and running for Governor of New York. In the meantime, we see a record of his marriage, from early bliss to the famous montage of increasingly chilly breakfasts. We also see how he adopts a mistress, Susan Alexander. In the scene, where Kane is giving a candidate's speech, with a bigger-than-life poster hanging behind him, we see Kane at the absolute pinnacle of his life. He has a child he adores, a mistress he loves and above all, he is adored by millions. For a moment, Charles Foster Kane is truly . . . happy.

In an instant, however, that all crumbles. Gettys, his rival, has somehow found out about Susan Alexander and threatens to expose him, unless Kane pulls out of the race for governor. In a rather famous scene, when Susan urges Kane to reconsider his decision to go ahead with the race, he uttered steadfastly " Only one person is going to make this decision, and that person is Charles Foster Kane". Through his words, we now see another facet (again!) of Kane, previously unseen. A selfish, self-centered man, who is impulsive and does not care about the consequences of his actions as long as he gets what he wants.

Having ended his political career the same night he ended his marriage, Kane marries his mistress and forces her into a career in opera in which she has absolutely zero talent. In a shocking twist of events, Kane fires Leland after Leland writes a bad review of Susan in her opening night. Yet, after Leland is fired, Kane writes him a check for 25 grand. Again, adjusted for inflation, that is a pretty large sum of money. In a rather touching scene, we see Kane receiving a torn-up check and the original piece of paper upon which Kane first wrote the Declaration Of Principles. Again, we see a man with ideals, but without enough character to live up to them.

Soon after, his wife leaves him after a span of time spent in boredom on Xanadu. Kane then spends his last years building his vast estate and lives alone, interacting only with his staff. In the end, he dies alone, uttering the words " Rosebud" just as the snow globe slips from his lifeless fingers. The story in the film has come full circle. What is left is closure. Of course, who among us can forget the amazing tracking shot that showed us "Rosebud" being the sled he played with in his childhood years?

In the end, how this film is about Kane, isn't just a detailed rundown of his life, much less a single word. A direct quote from the film " No single word can explain a man's life" holds true. It is how we choose to interpret Kane's behavior after we view the many facets and sides to Kane's flawed personality. Why did he do what he did? I think, is the 64 thousand dollar question. There is one more unanswered question though. What is "Rosebud"? According to Welles, it is just a dollar-book Freudian gag. Yet I think it is so much more than that. I quote Roger Ebert in saying, "Rosebud" is the emblem of the security, hope and innocence of childhood, which a man can spend his life seeking to regain. I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. One thing I can say for sure, this film isn't so simple as to be able to be deciphered after merely 2 viewings !