power, corruption of money, greed, materialism, need for love, abandonment, ambiguity

of Kane’s self, stolen childhood, and lost innocence. Orson Welles is able to bring out

these themes through use of extreme low angle/high angle shots, transitions from one

scene to the next, lighting techniques, symbolism, such as the snow globe, etc.

Two themes that are important in this movie are corruption of power and lost

childhood. The theme of Kane’s corruption of power helps develop another theme, that

is, Kane’s lost childhood. Throughout the movie, Thompson, a reporter, is trying to find

out what “rosebud” means. “Rosebud” is what Kane says right before his death. He

thinks by finding this out, it will reveal the missing piece of Kane’s life. Unfortunately,

he is unable to find out and the movie ends without an answer to what “rosebud,” the

The first theme is developed when young Charles Foster Kane is taken away from

his family by Thatcher, he has no idea the world he is about to enter is a world of

is soon the number one best seller. As if that’s not enough, he hires everyone from the

His first marriage is to the president’s niece, Emily, which fails because he lets his

know about. At the very end of the movie, Thompson, the reporter, says, “Mr. Kane was

Some topics in this essay:
Susan Alexander, Thatcher Christmas, Maybe Rosebud, Orson Welles, Tribune Kane, Citizen Kane, Foster Kane, lost childhood, corruption power, susan alexander, snow globe, kane’s life, Charles Foster, missing piece kane’s, shot low angle, movie thompson, jigsaw puzzle, people love, corruption power lost, theme kane’s, kane power, lost childhood theme, power lost childhood,