Citizen Kane

Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is an epic tale that focuses on the relationship of the yellow journalist/mogul, Charles Kane, and those seemingly prominent characters he encountered throughout his life. What was most interesting to me was the movie’s implied relationship between the role of “The People” in conjunction with the higher class, as is represented through the character of Kane.  Beginning with the interviews, the viewers are steadily introduced to characters as they “appear” in Kane’s life, however, as the viewer witnesses the encounters these people have with Kane, one may begin to notice a sort of progression or change as Kane grows older—specifically in relationship to his perspective. 

Though Kane seemingly favors the public throughout his life, he begins this relationship as part of the working class, or “The People”.  The separation between “The People” and Kane happens when he moves in with Mr. Thatcher, which is represented in the newer, clearly higher class, sled that is given to him for Christmas which outweighs his own sled that he had owned while living with his mother.  Though Kane stands apart from the working class as he gets older, he never quite fits in.  Having been thrown out of several colleges and choosing to pursue a career in running a tabloid, Kane seeks to re-establish a relationship between him and the average citizens, which he claims deserves the truth and someone to fight for them.  His declaration of principles establishes his intentions with the public and acts as a sort of foreshadowing as Mr. Leland chooses to keep it and mentions its possible importance in the future. 

The biggest insight into Kane’s own character and motivations, in my opinion, happen during his time with Susan.  While married, Kane pushes his second wife Susan into a career she clearly has no interest in or credibility to maintain.  Kane himself is aware of the contradictory opinions of others that his wife is no good at singing, though it would seem Kane shows a determined interest in having his wife perform.  As is represented in her first show, Kane never takes his eyes off of his wife, and does not really notice when the opera ends, only to realize that others are clapping.  As he begins to join the clapping, he sits up in his seat and with an intense glare at the stage, his clapping begins to get louder and more prolonged until he stands and becomes the last person clapping, and the only person standing in ovation.  This would argue that once again Kane stands with his peers yet apart from them.  At this point, it is becoming clearer to the viewer that Kane enjoys, and some would argue lives for, the adoration of the public “on his own terms.” 

Again, before she performs, it is said that Kane spends hundreds of dollars for his wife to take singing lessons, and it is clear there is no hope for her, yet Kane is adamant about her learning and at the end of their argument says to her instructor, “I thought you’d see it my way.”  Even when Susan refuses to sing again, Kane dauntingly hovers above her and tells her she will continue to sing—a clear inferring of his power over her and his determination for her to continue.  When Susan chooses to attempt suicide instead of tell her husband again how she feels about singing, Kane decidedly chooses that they will no longer fight with the public and so builds his “city” of Xanadu where Kane cuts himself out of society.  This statement says to the audience that if he cannot have their love, or have their love on his terms, then he will not be a part of society.  At this point in his life, Kane no longer has a relationship between himself and “The People”, but he instead finds comfort in the control he still has over his wife until she leaves him.  His relationship between the public and himself is collectively defined at the end of the film, when one of the reporters notes Kane’s enjoyment/infatuation with collecting things that he considered valuable. 

Specifically with the telling of Citizen Kane, the structure itself is a commentary on the perspective(s) of Kane himself and those that were influenced by him.  Though the reporters decided Kane’s story was not interesting from the angle they were focused on, it turns out there were several angles that told a story of Kane all by themselves as told by the interviewees.