I. Look at the following headlines from Citizen Kane and work out what they mean, then say what each story may be about.
Citizen Kane
Before watching
I. Look at the following headlines from Citizen Kane and work out what they mean, then say what each story may be about.
1. Entrapped by Wife as Love Pirate Kane Refuses to Quit the Race.
2. Traction Trust Bleeds Public White.
3. Profit from Tenement Dwellings Outweighs Plans to Assist Poor.
4. Fraud at Polls!
5. Applause Lavished on Susan Alexander for Rendition.
6. Detroit Has “Sell Out” for Susan Alexander.
II. Find the examples of the following stylistic devices in the words/phrases given on the next page:
a) antonomasia e) epithet
b) euphemism f) irony
c) meiosis g) metaphor
d) metonymy h) simile
lay somebody to rest
America’s Kublai Khan
like the pharaoh
ramshackle building
as loved, and hated, and talked about as any other man
In politics – always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
“It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” – Henry Thoreau
an emperor of newsprint
hated his guts
the underprivileged
gagged on that silver spoon (from be born with a silver spoon in your mouth)
he never had a nickel
like a kid in a candy store
a stuffed shirt
my name would be dragged through the mud
caught in love nest with “singer”
He was disappointed with the world, so he built one of his own – an absolute monarchy.
behave like a swine
sacred cause of reforms
While watching
III. What are the key elements of Charles Foster Kane’s life as seen at the beginning of the film in the newsreel News on the March? Complete the table.
Xanadu (his home)
Career in journalism
Wealth
Childhood
Relationship with his guardian, Walter P. Thatcher
Marriage and family
Career in politics
Death
“It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” – Henry Thoreau
Unscramble the words in brackets and use them to fill in the gaps (all the sentences have been taken from Citizen Kane). Then use these words in your own sentences.
To forty-four million US news buyers, more ___________ (sonewrthwy) than the names in his own headlines, was Kane himself, greatest newspaper ____________ (otyocn) of this or any other generation.
Kane’s empire in its glory held over 37 newspapers, 2 _____________ (syciadtesn) and a radio network.
Less than one week before election defeat. Shameful. ______________ (siogminniou).
With respect to the said newspapers, the said Charles Foster Kane hereby ____________ (rlheinuisqes) all control thereof, and all the syndicates ___________ (geratipnin) thereto, and any and all other newspaper press and publishing properties of any kind whatsoever.
I have a _____________ (hcuhn) it may turn out to be pretty important.
Am I a New England _____________ (mmchosolar)?
I’m _____________ (wniglgig) both my ears at the same time.
The working man and the __________ (lmsu) child know they can expect my best effort in their interests.
My first official act as a governor of this state will be to appoint a special district attorney to arrange for the __________ (tidncmeitn), prosecution and the conviction of Boss Jim W. Gettys.
I will be the laughing ___________ (ksoct) of the musical world.
V. Answer the following questions as you watch the film:
Feature films before Citizen Kane tended to be very straight-forward in their treatment of time. Flashbacks and Flash-forwards were extremely rare. A typical film of the time would have started with a very young Kane and progressed through his life, period by period, until his death. Instead, Citizen Kane opens with the death of its hero. Why do you think this was done, and what was to be gained by this narrative structure?
Montage sequences, in which a quick succession of related shots are used to indicate the passage of time, are an effective means of compressing time and of showing the effects of the passage of time on characters. The most celebrated example of this effect is the "breakfast sequence," which shows the deterioration of Charles Kane's first marriage; another would be the sequence showing the "progress" of Susan's opera career. Analyze these sequences. Do you think they are an effective way to compress time while keeping units coherent?
Another noted device in Citizen Kane is Gregg Toland's use of deep-focus cinematography for expressive purposes. Most Hollywood films of the 1920s and 1930s used shallow-focus cinematography; one plane of the image would be in focus (usually the plane in which the leading actors stood), and the rest of the image would be blurred. Deep-focus technique allows foreground, midground, and background to remain in sharp focus, thereby allowing for expressive conflict between the planes of action--there may well be conflict between what is going on in the foreground and what is going on in the background. One famous example of this expressive use of deep-focus is the scene at the Kane boarding house in which Mrs. Kane "signs away" her son to the banker. Mention a few other scenes that make noteworthy use of deep-focus.
“It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” – Henry Thoreau
Discuss the use of lighting in the film. How does it contribute to the overall mood and impact of the film? Does the lighting change as the film goes on? Examples?
Discuss the use of music in the film. Does the mood created by the music change over the course of the film? Do any segments stand out to you?
After watching
VI. Discuss:
Thematically, what does the film suggest about materialism, love, power, fidelity, family, or friendship?
How is suspense maintained throughout the movie?
The plot of Citizen Kane is held together by the search for Rosebud. In the end do we know what Rosebud really was? Does Rosebud symbolize anything, and if so, what?
“The truth about any man can only be calculated by the sum of everything that has been said about him”, Orson Welles. Discuss how Welles portrays this idea in his film Citizen Kane. Through whose eyes is the story told? Think about which aspect of Kane's life is told by each narrator, and why the narratives are assigned and ordered as they are.
5. Would you say that Charles Kane is a complex character? How does his character develop or change throughout his life?
How does Charles Kane's love of power result in the alienation of his friends, family, and close acquaintances? How does it lead to his demise?
7. Charles Kane often talks about his power over what people think (“People will think what I tell them to think”, “I am something of an authority in what people will think.”) To what extend does press have an impact on what people think nowadays?
8. Charles Kane says, “If I hadn’t been very rich, I would have been a great man”. What did he mean? Who are the victims of money in the film? How is money used for good in it?
What do you think Charles Kane wanted out of life?
Do you sense a change in the "mood" of the film as it progresses? Explain.
How do the movie's opening and closing scenes differ from the story of Charles Kane’s life?
After viewing the movie how do you feel about the main character(s): sympathy, disgust, sorrow, pity, respect, fondness, envy?
13. In what ways could the film be considered a commentary on American life?
14. Within a decade of its release, Kane was already on most critics' list of greatest films of all time, and it has had a tremendous influence on filmmakers everywhere. However, many theatre chains refused to screen the film and some newspapers refused to run advertisements for Citizen Kane. Why do you think this film was so controversial?
“It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” – Henry Thoreau
