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CITIZEN KANE FILM ANALYSIS

Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” is widely considered to be the greatest film to ever come out of Hollywood. Made in 1941, this classic is probably the world’s most famous and highly rated film, with many great scenes and performances and narrative techniques. Its director, star, and producer were all the same person Orson Welles who made his film debut at the age of 25 (Conrad).
The storyline begins with Charles Foster Kane’s(Orson Welles)death and his dying word “Rosebud”. He was a one-time newspaper magnate and the paper he owned, the New York Inquire, is desperate to unearth the meaning of his last word. A reporter named Jerry Thompson, will dig into Kane’s life to find out. He interviews Kane’s acquaintances and researches his life. The story is told through the flashbacks of the interviewees. We learn about Kane’s rise to riches, his battles with his guardian, Walter Thatcher and his friendships with and alienation from Jedediah Leland. He marries a president’s niece and eventually moves into the political world, but his chance for the governor’s office crashes when his rival exposes Kane’s affair with Susan Alexander. Kane divorces his first wife, marries Susan and builds an opera house for her. Eventually, his business crumbles around him, his second wife leaves him,his friends and hangers-on desert him until he dies in his palace Xanadu(Koch).

The major conflict is Kane tries to control press coverage of his political career and suppress his affair with Susan Alexander. The rising action is when Kane’s political rival, Jim “Boss” Gettys, forces a showdown between Kane, Kane’s wife, and Susan Alexander in an attempt to force Kane from the governor’s race. The climax is when Kane chooses to stay with Susan and sends his...