A Paradox Of Multidimensional Meanings And Fragmented Interpretations Of Reality In Citizen Kane

1. Citizen Kane resembles a paradox of multidimensional meanings and fragmented interpretations of reality. According to (Cite: Rosebud, Dead or Alive pp 187), the glass globe is the film’s central symbol. The film begins to capture the perspective shot through the shattered glass globe that has fallen out of Charles Foster Kane’s hand when he uttered his final word, ‘rosebud’ prior in taking his last breath. The broken pieces represent the fragments of what used to be Kane. It introduced a metaphorical architecture that will run throughout the course of the film. It sets up the activity of grasping the various different pieces give, to build and cultivate our own meaning of Citizen Kane. For instance, the film was set up exactly that way when even the newsreel biography of Kane is filled with fragments and pieces compiled to produce a caricature of the public figure. Although (Cite: James Naramore) argues that ‘rosebud’ is the main constructive source of plot in Kane, due to the set up of the film in beginning with a mystery to solve on the basis of the final word. Even if ‘rosebud’ is an important figure in the entirety of the film, it only serves as an object to develop further a concrete plot, by emitting complications. The final word of Kane had spurred an investigation into the meaning behind his life. The film does not permit us to settle on just one aspect of Kane, it challenges us to continue to mold the parts that we have received and construct our own interpretation.

Through the reflections and refractions one would see through the pieces, we begin our pursuit in search of the meaning of Citizen Kane, by attempting to restore the glass globe to satisfy the wholesome vision that is the film. Experiencing it through Thompson, the reporter was tasked to uncover and piece this tangled mystery, that had led to five people who knew Kane well in his prime. In this aspect, the meaning of the film could potentially be viewed through the characters as focal points. The concept of ‘focalizations’ is defined as (Definition). These characters, the people in Kane’s life, proceed to narrate their stories, although often biased and unreliable, it opens up a portal into their state of mind and provided insights to them as an individual. We revel in the idea of seemingly getting to know more about the lives of these characters than Kane himself. From Leland’s point of view, we can concur that Kane was ( ) and Leland’s mental state was also revealed. He was ( ). As for Susan, Kane’s second wife, she recollected her life with Kane as a series of whirlwind romances that ended. While she had painted herself as a victim in her stories, she promoted her heroism when she decided in leaving Kane.

It’s evident that the film’s structure thrived in a highly fragmented state with individual stories and moments. Similar to Thompson’s tasks, the viewers are to judge and piece together what is true with the bits and pieces presented.

2. Citizen Kane prioritize the use of narrative to influence the meaning of the film. The concept of narration is defined as the process of structuring the story to produce a certain qualified effect on the viewer. (Cite: Emotion and the Structure of Narrative Film pp 6). The depths of narration are beyond the simplification of order and structure, it constitutes highly concrete although abstract motions, to manipulate, alter and twist each part of the film to convey obscure meanings and produce specific effects. The narrative represents a description of the film in an abstracted perspective to allow the viewers to process the information and insights accordingly. Film technology such as acting and camera work, serves to support in ways that the production will impart the intended effect on the viewer.

The cinematography in Kane is particularly interesting in the use of reflecting movements. For example, in the scene when Kane realised that Susan has left him, he attempted to control his emotions. However, the build-up of emotions caused him to break, which led him to wreck her bedroom. In a tense frenzy, stripped of music and dialogues except for the shrieking sounds of fallen objects, the scene instilled a slight peek behind the curtain into Kane’s true personality as a character. In an appearance with a low angle camera, Kane looked monumental in what seems to look like an unproportioned size bedroom. He evokes a certain power by being tall and strong in that room, often seen that way in his relationship with Susan. While expressing his frustrations through brutal force, he was rendered immobile upon seeing a glass globe and we were gifted with another mention of a whispered ‘rosebud’ offscreen. This brings the film back to one of the meanings of the film. That particular glass globe, especially what it represents had the ability to move Kane, both emotionally and physically. It had and will always hold power over him, stabilizing a connection. (Cite: “Throw That Junk!” The Art of the Movie in Citizen Kane pg 110-142) Upon his rampage, this single object allowed the story and Kane to move forward, but at the same time enforce a depth of visual forms. The mise en scène plays a crucial role in this scene. Props are served as demonstrations of genre, plot and meaning, driving and advancing the narrative into new territory as it contributes to the pacing of the overarching story. (Cite: Film Form and Narrative pp 10).

In silence, he exits the room, passing by his employees, walking through a hall of full-length mirrors. The image of Kane is multiplied, an immaculate representation of Citizen’s Kane main character. The visual representation of Kane in the mirrors forces us to examine the film’s meaning even more intimately. The film does so well in implicating the viewers in their own interpretation of the meaning in Kane. What does the multiple reflections of Kane mean? What does it show and tell us about the Kane we knew ever since the start of the film? The representation here clouds the judgements of the viewers who as of now, might not even have a clear sense of who Kane really was. Through the layers of reflections, one can infer that there are many layers to Kane, and it forces us to perform and assume a role in the film, to identify the pieces that fit and those that do not, just like Thompson. For instance, when he, also signifying us, the viewers, is reading the manuscript by Thatcher to start off his investigation, the camera work allowed us a first perspective viewing of the written word. (Cite: Reading Kane pg 11) The viewers somehow has first-hand knowledge of the clues and it remains part of our viewing experience. However, the shifting point of view that instilled specific expectations, stalled our ability to create a conclusion about Kane.

Our cognition processes and tracks the images that moves on-screen, we are indefinitely linked to the action and expected to respond to the visual cues. When Kane slumped through the hall of mirrors, the scene adjusted our point of focus towards the interpretation of things displayed, representing different layers of meaning for an individual. It is believed that while watching a film, we are expected to have a story to follow, however when the film is as fragmented as Citizen Kane and shifts ever so often through the different characters point of views, our cognitive senses has to be put to work to make visual sense of the obscure plot, to construct the pieces and craft our own interpretation of the story instead. (Cite: Prime Time: Visual Cognition in the Prelude to Citizen Kane pg 494-511) This is present especially in this scene, since it showcases mirrors and has reflected a multiple vision of Kane’s, therefore, it must also reflect a reason, a concept or something entirely, enabling the viewers to fill in the blanks. (Cite: Reading Kane pg 10) Through every layer, form, surface and point of views of Kane, viewers are forced to assemble their own reading of the film.

3. Visually, the art of editing has affected the way the film is interpreted. Kane’s ‘death’ sequence at the beginning of the film has set up the film as a mystery. A simple reorder of the sequence would affect the meaning of the film and later the story. The plot shapes how a story is told, the rhythms in the cutting of sequences and scenes can influence mood. In the case of Kane, the structure has embodied in creation of intrigue. Viewers responses to the film are shaped by the plot’s attempts at manipulation. Since Citizen Kane is not accurately structured chronologically, viewers are required to piece together the order in which the events occur. (Cite: Film Form and Narrative pg 4).

Another notion to think about is the assumption that the death of the man is indeed Charles Foster Kane. We are only gifted with an obscure vision of his face and his shapely silhouette in the shadows. It seems that viewers are constantly in the shadows, and are only provided with relevant parts that has been brought into the light. The presumably dead Kane’s entity was somehow brought to life through characters’ recollection. In the breakfast scene of Kane and his first wife, Emily, spatial reasoning, light and shadows came to play. Some of the elements of cinematic expressions were used to support and emphasize the scene. With multiple jump cuts and swipes motions transitions, we are bolted through time and space, witnessing the gradual distancing in the relationship and the development of their marriage. Upon the final shot of them at breakfast, we see them sitting on opposite ends, in silence, reading their papers separately. As this happens, the light and shadows cast on the scene strongly suggested the visuals of prison bars. Hence, we can interpret as the couple are trapped in an unloving relationship with no means to escape, as the dynamics are so familiar at this point and almost routine for them.