Citizen Kane

Undoubtedly One of The Films of All Time

August 17, 2024

This was my first time watching this classic. Often touted as “The Greatest Film of All Time,” and being a “filmmaker” myself, I figured I ought to watch it.

The film depicts the life of Charles Foster Kane through the eyes of his many acquaintances as they recount their memories with Kane. His family, particularly his mother, sent him away at a very young age when they stumbled upon a great sum of fortune on the property she owns. Kane, still a child, did not understand his mother’s intentions nor did he want to leave his life and family behind, but his mother insisted that it was the best for his future. This is where the theme of free will is first introduced in the film, Kane is living his life in the shadow and will of his parents and later his guardian, Thatcher.

After reaching the age of 25, Kane was finally able to assume the great fortune his family’s property generated over the years. For his very first venture, Kane made the unexpected and rebellious decision to takeover the operations of a small newspaper publisher instead of making investments to retain and increase his fortune. It is also mentioned that he was kicked out of every single college he attended, further displaying his rebellious tendencies. When confronted with his newspaper venture being a failing business, Kane simply responded, “You're right, I did lose a million dollars last year. I expect to lose a million dollars this year. I expect to lose a million dollars next year. You know, Mr. Thatcher, at the rate of a million dollars a year, I'll have to close this place in... 60 years.”

Another theme of the film was control. Since Kane was brought up in the shadow of others, he never felt like he had any control over his own life. This is something he tries very hard to attain in his adult life. First with the newspaper, which finally gave him a sense of control over something in his life. He wanted to control his own future, and also other people’s future, with one headline at a time.

The newspaper also plays a role in exposing Kane’s insecurities. Instead of reporting actual news with concrete evidence, Kane commanded his journalists to write about events that have yet to happen and topics that are gossipy in nature. He also used the paper as an extension of himself, echoing his own views and beliefs on the state of the world and politics through the headlines on every paper. Just like himself, he wants to avoid reality by focusing on all the things that don’t actually matter or have any real meaning. His authoritarian rule over the contents of the newspaper is a reflection of his insecurities of himself and fear of losing control.

Kane’s first marriage was another test of his nature. By the end of it, it only showed how immature and self centered he is. Everything was always about him. He said he loved her but never made any efforts to show it, only through materialistic things like a ring or a necklace. His second wife, Susan Alexander, suffered even more from his antics. Kane fell in love with her simply because she showed genuine interest in him as a person and didn’t know or care to know about his social status or material possessions. Things quickly spiraled out of control when Kane forced her to pursue her hobby of singing. Being an amateur at best, Susan wasn't the most talented singer. However, Kane had great expectations and ambitions for her, even building a new opera house in Chicago for her to perform in. To no one’s surprise, she eventually reached a breaking point. Exhausted and embarrassed, she drugged herself sick and quit.

Susan:
You're awful funny, aren't you? I'll tell you one thing you're not going to be funny about, and that's my singin'. I'm through. I never wanted to do it in the first place.

Charles:
You will continue with your singing, Susan. I don't propose to have myself made ridiculous.

Susan:
You don't propose to have yourself made ridiculous?! What about me? I'm the one who's got to do the singin'. I'm the one who gets the razzberries. Why don't you let me alone?

Love, or the lack of love is another theme of the film. Kane never learned how to truly love someone or even what love really meant. His conscience is clouded by all the wealth and materialistic things. This is the embodiment of the phrase “money can’t buy love” and “money can’t buy happiness.”

Susan:
Oh sure, you give me things. But that don't mean anything to you.

…

Susan:
What's the difference between giving me a bracelet or giving somebody else a hundred thousand dollars for a statue you're gonna keep crated up and never even look at? It's just money, it doesn't mean anything! You never really give me anything that belongs to you, that you care about!

…

Susan:
You never gave me anything in your whole life. You just tried to bribe me into giving you something.

To Kane, love means giving people what they want and doing what they want. He never experienced unconditional love, from his parents or anyone else in his life. Every interaction was a means to an end. This skewed understanding of love, coupled with his need for ultimate control, is what eventually destroyed his life.

Charles:
...Whatever I do, I do because I love you.

Susan:
You don't love me. You want me to love you. [She mimics him] 'Sure, I'm Charles Foster Kane. Whatever you want, just name it and it's yours. But you've gotta love me!'

[Kane slaps her.]

Susan:
Don't tell me you're sorry.

Charles:
I'm not sorry.

[Susan is leaving Kane]

Susan:
Goodbye Charlie.

Charles:
Susan. Please don't go. No. Please, Susan. From now on, everything will be exactly the way you want it to be, not the way I think you want it, but - your way. You mustn't go. You can't do this to me!

Susan:
I see. So it's you that this is being done to. It's not me at all. Not what it means to me. [laughs] I can't do this to you? [smiles] Oh, yes I can.

Rosebud. Kane’s last word. It is what was printed on the snow sled that Kane was playing with the day he was separated from his parents. It is a representation of Kane’s true self, who he really is. It is literally and figuratively the thing that he lost when his parents sent him away with Thatcher on that dreadful snowy day, and it is the only thing that he has been searching for his entire life. No amount of earthly pleasures and materialistic possessions can even come close to replace what he has lost. Love, free will and ultimately, his true self.

This is one of those movies that has many layers of meaning. On the surface, it’s a story about the sad life of a spoiled, egotistical, and controlling maniac. On a deeper lever, it’s an observation of the implications of a robbed childhood devoid of love and care, and a life lived for someone else other oneself.

Was Charles Foster Kane a bad person? To the majority of people, absolutely. To me, he was just a lost soul trying to find meaning and love in his life. He tried his hardest to find what he was looking for, but how can you find something if you don’t even know what it is that you are looking for?

Is this the greatest film of all time? It depends on who you ask. Nothing is absolute. Is it a great film? Absolutely! This is what a great film should be, it should inspire self reflection and self examination. It certainly made me realize that I myself was like Charles Kane in some aspects. One’s act of love could be interpreted in various ways, often much differently than how it was intended. If you ask a thousand people what love means to them, you will no doubt get a thousand different answers.

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August 18, 2024