English 299B: Film as Narrative Art Mr. Kelley

Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)

Point to Consider: Citizen Kane makes use of multiple narrators. How many versions of Charles Foster Kane’s story are portrayed? Which version of the story is true? How does this narrative ambiguity reflect the film’s theme?

What kind of person is Charles Foster Kane? What is important to him? What does he want? How do you know?

Kane’s last word, “Rosebud,” remains a mystery to the characters in the film, although the allusion is made clear to the audience at the film’s end. What do you think Kane means by this cryptic utterance? How does this connect with the film’s thematic concerns?

Kane lives out a version of the “American Dream,” and yet he dies an empty man. Does the film seem to offer a critique of the values of 20th century American society? Does it compare with Chaplin’s Modern Times?

How is journalism portrayed in Citizen Kane? Are there significant differences or modifications in the portrayal journalism between this film and Hawks’ His Girl Friday?

What is the visual style of the film? Is it appropriate for the themes of the film? Welles makes use of light and shadow in interesting ways. Note some examples. How is this lighting style related to the film’s themes?

Consider Welles’ use of sound effects, including music, and camera angles to help underscore and, indeed, make his points. Consider the ways in which Welles uses editing to make his points (the breakfast scene being one famous example).

Selected Filmography of Orson Welles The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) The Stranger (1947) The Lady from Shanghai (1948) Macbeth (1948) Touch of Evil (1958) The Trial (1963) Chimes at Midnight (1967)