Citizen Cane
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On his deathbed, Charles Foster Kane says a word in his last breath: Rosebud. The death of one of the great American newspaper icons has shocked the world, but what did he mean by his last word? A news agency sends reporter Jerry Thompson to investigate through Kanes life any trace of the meaning of that word. As Thompson plunges into the life of Kane, so do we, as we start from his beginnings as a kid when after discovering a gold mine, his parents literally abandon him by hiring a guardian and master financier Walter Parkes Thatcher. Kane and Thatcher both will bump heads when Kane reaches the age of 25 and decides to run a newspaper for fun, along with his school buddy Jedediah Leland. Kane gains popularity through his newspaper but at the same time starts losing
his soul as he indulges in several disastrous adventures including his relationship with “singer” Susan Alexander which pretty much ruins his marriage and his political career, his promoting of Susan, and the building of his high-priced castle Xanadu. In the end, he lost everything.
Welles uses every single trick in the book when it comes to lighting, set designs, cinematography and editing and does it all one better. He uses light and shadows to prelude and point out several points of the film (Declaration of principles scene, the marriage montage). The set designs are impressive, with each set carefully lighted and designed to set the tone and mood of every scene and Kanes state of mind. The lighting and set innovations would go on to be an integral part of film-noir. Welles of action both in the foreground and in the background in one take rather than several scenes. It also enables the film to deliver a sort of ironic meaning.
There are several other things too many to mention, like the use of make up in order to age the actors and the dark, gloomy music of the legendary maestro Bernard Herrmann.. In the end, as