by Elliot Fogarty

Created on: August 11, 2008

Citizen Kane is a film widely considered to be beyond insult. Indeed, upon attempting to find detractors of the film, there are rather vague criticisms. For example, in Robert Garis' The films of Orson Welles', there is a complaint that A character can't even walk down a hall in his own housewithout being reflected in a hundred mirrors.' However, Garis merely speculates that detractors might well have complained' about this. This scene, following Charles Kane's final argument to his wife Susan, is rather a fine example of the film's great depth. Andrew Sarris' Citizen Kane: The American Baroque' states that the reflections indicate mere repetitions of his ego without magnification.' Certainly it appears the mirrors symbolise the fragmented personality of what ultimately proves to be a tortured enigma, an individual who can't locate the happiness and innocence that deserted him upon leaving his sled Rosebud as a child.

The use of deep focus in the film occurs frequently and is a key attribute as to why Citizen Kane can be watched repeatedly. The film's depth ensures that there are subtleties missed first time round, ensuring certain scenes in the background often hold equal and at times greater significance as to what is occurring in the foreground. For example, Kane's takeover of The Inquirer sees the foreground scene of Jedediah Leland attempting to raise ethical issues with Kane's manager Bernstein, however it is the background that provides the distinguishing memory, watching the singing showgirls dancing with Charles. As Andre Bazin states, this leads to The whole set and all the actorsin the totality of the image, offered up equally to our eyes.' Furthermore, this particular scene echoes Kane's and the audiences' belief that what Leland is saying is insignificant admit the scenes of victory and celebration.

A further technique of the movie aided by Welles and his photographer Gregg Toland involves characters constantly featured in a dark setting featuring a stark, obtrusive use of light. In Kane's sense, this can symbolise him not feeling complete within himself (as the audience literally cannot see Kane in a complete sense) and can lead to the film arguably being cited as cinema's first true Film Noir. It is perhaps ironic that the opening shot featuring a sign stating No Trespassing' to Kane's home also applies to Kane himself: Despite being consistently surrounded by people, no-one in the film realises what Rosebud meant to Kane, ensuring no-one could get that close and personal to the man to find out what he ultimately yearned for.

The film's series of flashbacks also feature some noticeably original usage of cutting from Welles. As Bazin stated, certain scenes occur twice, though are featured via two different points of view, such as Susan's departure, which is initially told by Susan, but resumed at the exact same point upon the butler discussing his memories. The film's finale is satisfactory for the viewer in the form of the discovery of what Rosebud is. It ensures closure to the audience, but also the occurrence of the audience knowing significantly more than the characters at the film's finale. We ultimately know that the characters in the film will never discover the answer to the question that had lead to a story of unique quality and depth, both on and off camera.

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