Citizen Kane 1941

Charles Foster Kane was a very rich man. He was raised by a rich banker, Walter Thatcher, who Kane’s mother let look after him until he was 25 and old enough to be on his own. He starts getting into the newspaper business and owns many newspapers and takes over the Inquirer. On his death bed he utters one word, “Rosebud” while dropping a mini snow globe as it crashed to the floor. A reporter by the name of Thompson goes out to interview people who were close to Kane and try to find the meaning of “Rosebud.” He dies alone after he divorced his first wife and his second wife left him. He becomes a big political leader and tries to win the election but loses and builds an Opera House for his wife, Susan Alexander who doesn’t even have a desire to sing, and apparently isn’t very good anyways. Kane is a man of fame and fortune and he never knows the meaning of love, only money. He collected statues and many things and bought so much pointless stuff that in the end just became trash.
I don’t think this movie was the greatest film of all time. It was interesting and Orson Welles played Charlie Kane very well in his own film, however, it’s not on my top favorite movie list. It was a good movie overall because in the end it makes you think about what Rosebud really was. It was the name of his sled, which he remembers as a kid, which must have been why he was holding the snow globe because it is relevant to sledding. It all comes together in the end once you see the sled burning and the word “Rosebud” melting away on the wooden sled. Kane even said so himself that he probably would be a very good man if he wasn’t rich. I think he was raised by money and not love. If his real parents raised him or maybe if he stayed with his mother he would have known how to love and what it really meant. Being successful and rich isn’t everything and I think Kane realizes that once Susan left him.
The film was well made and I enjoyed noticed the shots and different angles that were used. One of the beginning shots of the snow globe falling into pieces on the floor was an interesting shot. I also thought it was interesting how we never really saw Thompson’s face in full light, he was always just finding out information and what he looked like didn’t seem important to the audience. I also enjoyed experiencing a newsreel in the beginning of the movie showing all the information about Kane’s death. I guess for the 1940s this was a very well made classic film. It’s unique shots and cinematography really created a spectacular movie. I liked how it was similar to that true story, even though it got the real man who was suppose to resemble Kane was mad that this movie was made, the overall aspect of the film was good.