Beginning where he ends, the last moments of Charles’ Foster Kane’s life, Orson Orwell takes us through the process of piecing together the puzzle of a man’s significance in life. As a debuting director, he does this in a way that is in no way mediocre, and if anything- brilliant. Basing the film off of a real life mogul, William Randolph Hearst, Orwell immerses himself into the work, by acting as the lead – Charles Kane. The dedication and importance he placed in this film is shown through his attempt to master the character and his experimentation with fresh and inimitable film techniques.
Orwell first introduces Kane, as a nameless and faceless death. “Rosebud” is our only clue as to this man’s existence. Cutting to a newsreel we enter the …show more content…
From his guardian’s, Walter Thatcher, archives we begin to understand the childhood of Kane. Moving the audience into the narrative, we are dropped into a long take, which exquisitely paints the abrupt change Charles faced. Also, through the framing of a window we are shown the young Kane playing, while other people decide his fate. It is almost as if his fate was already predetermined to be removed from intimate family relations, and thus destined to be alone. Could this longing for closeness be our “Rosebud”? Before we can indulge into this idea, we are thrown through more narrations and point of …show more content…
Bernstein, Leland, Susan, and the butler act as the main motivators of the plot; they weave the many facades of Mr. Kane. Bernstein, Everett Sloane, perceives Kane through a sense of comradery and one that is completely loyal to the uplifting of Kane’s image. Whereas Leland, Joseph Cotten, shows a vastly different persona. Overtime, Leland and Kane became polar opposites. Drowning in a whirlpool of self-entitlement, Kane lost his morality and compassion to those close to him. This is seen through his choice to choose his mistress over his attempt at a political career, his first wife, and his son. We continue to get this picture through the mistress and eventually second wife- Susan, Dorothy Comingore. This greed motif continues through his coercion to have her develop an opera career. This career move was for him, not her. Kane became power hungry and wanted to prove that he could “have it all”. These thee interviews act as a progression into his characterization. Kane becomes
Orwell first introduces Kane, as a nameless and faceless death. “Rosebud” is our only clue as to this man’s existence. Cutting to a newsreel we enter the …show more content…
From his guardian’s, Walter Thatcher, archives we begin to understand the childhood of Kane. Moving the audience into the narrative, we are dropped into a long take, which exquisitely paints the abrupt change Charles faced. Also, through the framing of a window we are shown the young Kane playing, while other people decide his fate. It is almost as if his fate was already predetermined to be removed from intimate family relations, and thus destined to be alone. Could this longing for closeness be our “Rosebud”? Before we can indulge into this idea, we are thrown through more narrations and point of …show more content…
Bernstein, Leland, Susan, and the butler act as the main motivators of the plot; they weave the many facades of Mr. Kane. Bernstein, Everett Sloane, perceives Kane through a sense of comradery and one that is completely loyal to the uplifting of Kane’s image. Whereas Leland, Joseph Cotten, shows a vastly different persona. Overtime, Leland and Kane became polar opposites. Drowning in a whirlpool of self-entitlement, Kane lost his morality and compassion to those close to him. This is seen through his choice to choose his mistress over his attempt at a political career, his first wife, and his son. We continue to get this picture through the mistress and eventually second wife- Susan, Dorothy Comingore. This greed motif continues through his coercion to have her develop an opera career. This career move was for him, not her. Kane became power hungry and wanted to prove that he could “have it all”. These thee interviews act as a progression into his characterization. Kane becomes