citizen kane

Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane begins with a long shot of Xanadu –the private estate of one of the world’s richest men, Charles Foster Kane. In the middle of the estate is a castle. Kane is seen examining a winter scene within a crystal ball. As he drops it, it smashes, and one word is heard - "Rosebud". What follows are pieces of newsreel footage detailing how Kane amassed his fortune, and how this fortune affected his life and character. Kane is taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of Thatcher, a rich industrialist. The result is that every significant or self-destructive move he had made during his life ultimately appears to be a reaction to that deeply wounding event . For example, Kane manipulates the life of his second wife, Susan, over-estimat...