Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane

Charles Foster Kane is shown as a very famous business tycoon who invests in media. He is a publisher of a media house. But the movie begins with his deathbed scene in his deserted state where he was uttering the enigmatic word “Rose Bud” holding snow gloves in his hand. The movie moves ahead to explore the meaning the behind that enigma. In course of reporting we come to know that Kane has a different story. The young Charles Foster had a delightful past with his mother playing with snow with sled in such a remarkable period in his life which remains as an unreasonable blue print throughout the life. The young Kane was send away to the Thatcher when he was just 8 years old. Since that time he lost his emotional attachment and behavior of pre adolescent. Rather he becomes aggressive and develops revenge attitude. He rejects Thatcher’s attempt to impose discipline and guidance. As in order Kane earns power and money both but no emotional security. He begins to hate the authority strongly and grows up as an arrogant and callous man. He runs his newspaper to manipulate the political environment to revenge with an against the established authority and to take control over it. He is always guided by the search of power which made him charismatic but lonely. The early separation from his mother and unnatural up bringing with the money minded banker turns him a rebellious stone hearted but tragically it failed into fill an empty place inside him. Separated from his mother in his tender age, left by two wives, deserted by companions, Kane ultimately becomes powerless and missed that past life badly. He took his final breath pronouncing rose bud which reflects his nostalgia for the past.

Filmic elements in Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane follows much aspect of cinematic elements. The most important technique used in this movie is deep focus. Deep focus refers to having something in the frame even the background in focused at the same time. While doing such a cinematographer combines lighting, composition and a type of camera lens to produce the desire of effects. With deep focus a director can show overlapping actions that is mis-en –scene, the physical environment in which a film take place and becomes more critical. Citizen Kane employee’s creative story telling technique as a tool. Citizen Kane portrays a long period of time realistically. Instead of begin told in liner or chronological way, Kane’s story unfolds seen in overlapping segments that add more information as each narrator’s ads his/her story. Telling Kane’s life story and flashback is another new approach to storytelling. Many other films have also used flashback technique but Citizen Kane has used it effectively. The movie presents unreliable narrators which views are not accurate. The story telling techniques succeed in depicting Charles Foster Kane as an enigma, a complicated man devote of love. Many critics have claim that Citizen Kane has employed innovative technique presenting visual symbolism by showing fence, no trespassing sign; sign in defense, Welles tries to apply new filmic elements.

Symbols in Citizen Kane

The major symbols presented in the movie Citizen Kane are two sleds. Rose Bud and crusader are the symbols which represent young Kane’s two different psychological conditions. Kane loves rose bud as he plays in it when he was with his mother. It is the most important emblem of Kane’s childhood. It represents his childhood comfort, innocence and motherly love he was receiving. It was the last object he touched before being taken from his home. When Kane meets Thatcher who has come to take him from his mother, Kane uses his sled to resists Thatcher by shoving it into Thatcher’s body. In this sense the sleds act as a barrier between his carefree youth and responsibilities of his adulthood. Moreover Thatcher gives him another sleds and Kane named it as a crusader. In his sub conscious mind he takes it as a weapon against the man he sees as an oppressive force. Crusader carries no meaning of innocence on like rose bud.

Snow gloves are the final object dying Kane foster carries during his final breath. He drops the gloves which rolls onto the floor and shatters. Along with the destruction of the snow gloves which was an emblem of his childhood. He goes into the everlasting slumber. Hence, snow gloves is a symbol of his carefree childhood and romantic that of that time. The snow gloves were the object through which he was soothing himself bringing his childhood days in his mind. It seems that it was keeping him alive. Refilling his childhood memories and power as a synergy. Kane has seen the snow gloves first at home of Susan. Susan eventually abandoned it as his mother did previously. After the rejection of love and care from dear one’s he is accustomed to live in memory. He badly misses his harmonious and peaceful past. To keep that memory intact. He keeps his childhood toys and tools safely. Snow gloves, the sleds are some of the object which has symbolic association with his difference dimension of his life. Through this object his aims to make it deserted life calmer and comfortable. Kane collects many statues in his life. Especially when he travels to Europe he brought many. Kane’s office and house were full of statues. His passion to collect non-living but identical human being symbolizes his hatred towards non-living statues. He finds the statues are harmless than human beings. The statues replaced living people in the sense that it can also give him physical company, standing firmly around him. Kane was not receiving the desire love from his near ones. His mother kept him away from her. This turned Kane a stone hearted and it grew his obsession towards non human company. So being surrounded by statues till he dies symbolically suggest his detachment from human company, emotions and supports. It reflects his physical and emotional dearth. Thus, these are the significant symbols in the Citizen Kane which carries the meaningful value in the life of Charles Foster Kane.

Reference-

Silverman, M. (2013). New York: Oxford University Press.