Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film directed by and starring Orson Welles, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. The film presents the life and legacy of Charles Foster Kane, a wealthy newspaper magnate, through the fragmented recollections of those who knew him, opening with his enigmatic last word: "Rosebud." Produced, co-written, and directed by Welles in his feature film debut at age 25, Citizen Kane revolutionized American cinema with its innovative narrative structure, deep-focus cinematography, and non-linear storytelling, and remains a landmark in film history for its technical and thematic complexity.

Background and Production

Citizen Kane was conceived by Orson Welles, who, after gaining fame on radio and stage (notably for his 1938 "War of the Worlds" broadcast), was given an unprecedented contract by RKO Pictures granting him complete artistic control over his first film. Welles co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz, based loosely on the life of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who vigorously attempted to suppress the film's release. The production employed innovative techniques including deep-focus cinematography (credited to Gregg Toland), low-angle shots, elaborate sets (including the vast Xanadu estate built on a soundstage), and a complex sound design that layered dialogue, music, and effects. The film was shot in 1940–1941 on a budget of approximately $839,000 (equivalent to about $17 million today).

Plot Summary

The story opens with the death of Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) in his colossal Florida mansion, Xanadu, as he utters the single word "Rosebud." A newsreel obituary summarizing Kane's public life as a scandal-ridden newspaper publisher, failed politician, and isolated collector prompts a reporter, Jerry Thompson, to investigate the meaning of "Rosebud." Thompson interviews Kane's former associates: his second wife Susan Alexander (who now runs a nightclub), his former business partner Jedediah Leland, and his trusted butler. Each interview reveals a different aspect of Kane's life—his youthful idealism, his ruthless ambition, his failed marriage to the president's niece Emily Norton, and his decadent isolation. Thompson never finds the literal meaning of "Rosebud," but the audience sees in the final scene that it was the name of the sled Kane cherished as a child before being taken from his mother, symbolizing the lost innocence and human connection he spent his life trying to reclaim.

Cast and Characters

• Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane, from youth to old age (aged 25 to 70)
• Joseph Cotten as Jedediah Leland, Kane's friend and later critic
• Dorothy Comingore as Susan Alexander Kane, Kane's second wife, an aspiring singer
• Agnes Moorehead as Mary Kane, Charles's mother
• Ruth Warrick as Emily Norton Kane, his first wife
• Ray Collins as James W. Gettys, Kane's political opponent
• Erskine Sanford as Herbert Carter, Kane's editorial writer
• Everett Sloane as Mr. Bernstein, Kane's business manager
• William Alland as Jerry Thompson, the reporter
• Paul Stewart as Raymond, the butler

Technical Innovations

Citizen Kane introduced or popularized several filmmaking techniques:

• Deep-focus cinematography (photographed by Gregg Toland) kept both foreground and background in sharp focus, allowing complex compositions and symbolic depth.
• Non-linear narrative presented through a series of flashbacks (the "Rashomon" structure), challenging conventional chronological storytelling.
• Low-angle shots (looking up at ceilings) were used to convey power dynamics and the imposing scale of Kane's world.
• Innovative editing by Robert Wise, including rapid montages (e.g., the "breakfast table" sequence showing the deterioration of Kane's marriage) and dissolves that emphasized time passing.
• Realistic sound design (the first film to use the "post-sync" looping for dialogue) and layered audio, such as overlapping conversations and the famous "News on the March" parody.
• Elaborate lighting that created chiaroscuro effects to indicate mood and character psychology.

Themes and Interpretations

The film explores themes of ambition, power, wealth, and the impossibility of truly knowing another person. "Rosebud" is often interpreted as a symbol of lost innocence and the unattainable desire for a simple, happy childhood, contrasting with the hollow pursuit of material success. Citizen Kane also critiques the American Dream, the corrupting influence of mass media, and the isolation of the ultra-wealthy. Additionally, it is a study of memory and perspective, as each narrator's account is subjective, incomplete, and colored by personal bias, questioning the reliability of storytelling.

Reception and Critical Response

Upon its release in 1941, Citizen Kane received mostly positive reviews (Time magazine called it "one of the most brilliant, arresting, and controversial films") but was a commercial failure, earning only about $1.6 million at the box office against its cost. The film was hampered by Hearst's attempts to suppress it—the Hearst press refused to advertise it, and some theaters were pressured not to screen it. Nevertheless, it was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning Best Original Screenplay (Mankiewicz and Welles). Over time, its reputation grew: in 1958, the Brussels World's Fair named it the best film in history. Since 1962, it has topped the British Film Institute's Sight & Sound critics' poll every decade except 2012, when it was surpassed by Vertigo but later regained the top spot in 2022. The American Film Institute ranks it as the greatest American film.

Legacy and Influence

Citizen Kane's influence is pervasive in cinema and popular culture. Its narrative structure and visual techniques inspired generations of filmmakers, including Akira Kurosawa (who credited it for Rashomon's multiple-perspective storytelling), Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, and Stanley Kubrick. The film's use of deep focus, expressionistic lighting, and creative editing became standard tools in film grammar. The mysterious "Rosebud" trope has been parodied in countless works, from The Simpsons to Animal House. The film is also studied extensively in film schools for its craft and thematic depth. In 1989, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Citizen Kane remains a benchmark for cinematic achievement and a touchstone for debates about the nature of art and storytelling.

Awards and Honors

• Academy Awards (1942): Best Original Screenplay (Welles and Mankiewicz); nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Welles), Best Director, and others.
• New York Film Critics Circle Award: Best Film (1941).
• National Film Registry (1989): Inducted.
• Sight & Sound (British Film Institute) Greatest Films of All Time: number one in 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002, and 2022; number two in 2012.
• American Film Institute: 100 Greatest American Films (1998, 2007): number one.
• Academy Film Archive: premiered a restoration in 1989.