Directed by Orson Welles, the 1941 motion picture “Citizen Kane” is the story of the rise and fall of a great, influential man. The opening scenes of “Citizen Kane” are quite different from what follows during the rest of the film. Fading in and out of different landscapes instilled mystery. This mysterious vibe was carried on during Charles Foster Kane’s death through the use of shadows, quiet music, and close up shots. Isolated in his vast empire of a home, Kane uttered only one word before he passed: “rosebud.” The whole country knows about this news publisher’s life, but for some, his life story is not enough. For the duration of the film, a reporter called Thompson (William Alland) tries to debunk what this last word, “rosebud,” could have meant. Could it be a person? A place? Maybe an item he held close? The mood of the movie at this point shifts from dark and solemn to alive and talkative. The active dialogue and intonation used by the actors made the storyline interesting. For example, the news reporters exemplified the very image of a news reporter back in the day: curious, chatty, and amusing. Their somewhat boisterous nature is countered by unconventional lighting, as the audience hears their conversation but sees mostly shadows or just glimpses of their faces. In Thompson’s quest to uncover the mystery of “rosebud,” he meets the people that were involved in Kane’s life and the effect he had on them. First of all comes …show more content…
With controversial subject matter, spectacular acting, and a timeless and relevant plot, audiences truly will get hooked to this film and not want to remove their eyes from the screen. People will either be touched by the ending or they will be left hanging, all depending on perspective, but either way it is something that will affect them and leave them thinking. Maybe the audience will even wonder what their personal “rosebud” is and what it means to