Citizen Kane–Vast Collection of Emptiness

In between getting my taxes ready before Monday, I managed to see for the 3rd time in my life, “Citizen Kane.” Each time you watch this movie you learn something new. I still can’t get over the lighting and photography done in this movie by genius Orson Welles. This actor, director, and writer was ahead of his time. Much to my surprise the movie when first released did not do well, I guess America wasn’t ready for something such as this… However, today it has been hailed as the greatest movie to ever come out of Hollywood! And rightly so, the movie, humorous, moving, and political, still resonates today.

Charles Foster Kane played movingly and perfectly by Orson Welles, is a 75-year-old newspaper tycoon who dies in his palatial Florida Home, alone, but surrounded by many, many things. Things that add up to millions of dollars, but his life was an empty one. The last words Kane utters before he dies is “Rosebud.” Kane was well known by the public due his newspaper, politics, and scandals. Was he really??

A curious reporter Jerry Thompson sets out to find out what “Rosebud” meant. He sets out to find out the heart of Kane. He figures “Rosebud” is the spirit of Kane, it covers what Kane was really all about. He questions Kane’s second wife, Susan Alexander, a failed singer who is now an alcoholic. Susan is just one of the many Kane casualties of pain. After many questions by Thompson, and many tears from Susan, Rosebud is still a mystery in the wind. She doesn’t know what it means. Thompson reads the unpublished memoirs of Wall Street financier Walter Parks Thatcher, Kane’s guardian and trustee of the mining fortune left to Kane by his mother.

The memoirs start in 1871, when Kane was just a little boy. Kane’s mother owns a boarding house in Colorado. Kane’s mother played by Agnes Moorehead, learns she is now a wealthy woman from mining shares left her by a former boarder. She decides that it will be best for Kane to be reared in the East where he will get a good education and have a better life. It is hinted somewhat that Kane is being physically abused by his father who doesn’t want him to leave. But Kane’s mom calls the shots; since it is only to her the money has been assigned. He reluctantly, but plainly gives in. A small, and venerable Kane is outside playing with his sled. He is told he will be going with Thatcher to a better life. He starts to protest; he doesn’t want to leave his mother. Despite his protest, he is taken away. His sled left behind in the cold snow.

Thompson questions newspaper partner, Bernstein. Bernstein begins the story when Kane turns 25 and inherits all the money and decides to run a struggling newspaper. Kane turns it into a dynamic, muckraking, and a controversial publication. He attacks the sharks of society, slumlords, swindlers and big business. He vows to report the truth, and make his paper a defender of its readers’ rights as citizens and as human beings. He writes sort of a declaration of this and prints it on the front page of his paper. The paper’s circulation increases. But that increase was not enough for Kane. Years later he hires his rival’s top reporters and his circulation surpasses the rival. He is on top of the world. It is at this time that Kane begins to collect all kinds of things from all over the world. These things are expensive things like statues, and paintings. On one of his trips to Europe he meets and marries Emily Monroe Norton, the president’s niece. But still Bernstein has no real explanation of “Rosebud.” He thought it may be a woman, a lost love, but couldn’t say for sure.

Thompson moves on to another partner, Leland (Joseph Cotton) who is now in a nursing home. Leland tells Thompson that Kane believed in nothing but himself. Leland believed that Kane was a loveless man. Kane could give love to no one. He explains how unhappy his marriage was with Emily. Kane now seeks solace and love in a young woman he meets on a rainy night, Susan Alexander. Susan is a struggling, ahh, wannabe singer. He has an affair with her. He now wants to run for governor. His campaign is a successful one. He attacks his rival, and vows to put him in prison for stealing from “the people.” The rival finds out of Kane’s affair with Susan, and threatens to reveal it, unless he withdraws from running. Despite the hurt and scandal this will bring to his family, he does not withdraw, and loses his race for governor. He felt the people loved him, no matter the scandal. He was wrong. He loses his wife, and best partner, Leland. He marries Susan Alexander. He builds an Opera House for her. He gets her the best voice teachers. But she can’t sing at all. He pushes her to keep singing, even with the awful and embarrassing reviews. One of which Leland started, and Kane finished.

Susan’s life with Kane was no picnic. Kane orchestrated her life for the sake of his reputation. He tried to buy her love and affection with things. After much pleading, he lets her stop her singing career. They retire to the palatial home in Florida, Xanadu. The days and nights are long. The deep rooted problems between them are ever magnified. Susan leaves the immense and lonesome house.

Thompson goes to Xanadu to try to get answers. In Xandu all of Kane’s possessions are being inventoried and crated. Thompson gives up trying to figure out the meaning of “Rosebud.” He figures “Rosebud” will not really explain the man Kane. How wrong he was. Among the many things being crated is an old child’s sled. A man casually throws the sled into a fiery furnace, the word “Rosebud” is painted across the top, is consumed by flames. All that was left of the man Kane was a vast collection of emptiness.