Citizen Kane: Charles Foster Kane - Who Was He? :: essays research papers

Citizen Kane Charles Foster Kane - Who Was He?     The story of Citizen Kane drew many mint to the theatres since theywanted to find out who this Kane fellow is or was. It is unarguably one of thebest films ever produced. Orson Wells portrays Kane as mysterious person but alike a sad person. The different casts are shown throughout the movie throughthe reporter wanting to find out who or what Rosebud is. Rosebud was Kaneslast dying words.     The primary person the reporter Jerry Thompson sees is the owner of WalterParks Thatchers estate and holdings. Thatcher is long dead and who? visits hislibrary and is allowed to inspect the financiers memoirs in manuscript. ThroughThatchers words we see Kane as a boy playing with his sled on a snow-sweptColorado farm. Through his mother, the boy has just inherited a great fortune.Unable to settle his bill, a prospector who boarded with the Kanes left behindstock certificates that make Mrs. Kane the sol e owner of one of the worldsgreat silver mines. She then makes her son the ward of the bank that administersher estate, and Thatcher, whom the angry unripe Kane bashes with a sled, takesthe boy East to be raised. The movie then shows Kane growing up, making lifemiserable for Thatcher. The mature Kane decides to take direct control of asmall, struggling newspaper, and immediately begins using it to attack Thatcherand others among Americas financial elite. This displays the mystery with Kaneas he wants to expand on something small into something big, but we dont knowwhat.     The next account was given by Bernstein, Kanes devoted assistant. Heexplains the beginnings as a newspaper czar and his takeover of the New YorkEnquirer, in which he fired its editor, hired an expensive, top-notch staff, andenlisted his college shoplifter Jedediah Leland as the drama critic. Kane is atfirst a crusader for the understanding, opening his first editorial with a"declaration of principles." He becomes a champion of the small person, hypinghis circulation with juicy scandals, crime exposes, etc. In a surprise move Kanemarries Emily Norton, the presidents niece. For the first time here we seeKane starting a love story. until now this wasnt to last and it paved the wayfor the second-love.     The reporter then visits a half-drunk Susan Alexander in a nightclub.She recalls her meeting and eventual affair with the married Kane and theirdiscovery by Leland, who is led to their love nest by Kanes political rival,"Big Jim" Gettys. Until that point, Kane is heavily favored to defeat Gettys in