Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane's story is distinctive in that it follows a nonlinear structure, which means
that events do not occur in chronological sequence. Instead, the tale is told through a sequence of
flashbacks to different periods in Charles Kane's life. These flashbacks do not appear to be in
chronological order and sometimes overlap, offering the spectator irregular and partial glances
into Mr. Kane's life. This appears to imitate how memory works when individuals attempt to
recollect a tale. As a result of this nonlinear storyline, Charles Kane's persona develops into a
complicated conundrum.

Furthermore, the film employs many narrators. This allows viewers to observe Mr. Kane
from various viewpoints, creating the sense of a puzzle being carefully pieced together. The
audience, like the journalist in the film, is anxious to discover any clues that would reveal Kane's
life and the significance behind his final remarks. Another intriguing aspect of the storytelling
was how the film structured its beginning, middle, and finale. The first and last things the viewer
sees are a "No Trespassing" sign and a pane on Mr. Kane's frightening home. This sign appears
to be informing viewers that Kane's life is a dark secret that should not be revealed.

Furthermore, it was an odd decision to depict Mr. Kane's death at the opening. His
utterance of the phrase "rosebud" is the first spark that ignites the mystery surrounding his life
and death, which is not resolved until the end of the film. Even still, the riddle is never answered
by the people in the film, but only by the audience, as if the viewer is granted a rare privilege. In
my opinion, the phrase "rosebud" engraved on Mr. Kane's old sled depicts his long-forgotten
youth. Perhaps Mr. Kane would have preferred to continue living his old life without all his
money, as long as it meant being happy. I am particularly interested in Kane's relationship with
his mother. When the fortune was discovered, she just whisked Charles off to be "educated" and
acted unsympathetic to a young him. Charles's life looked to reflect the lack of affection he
received from his mother. Charles, who was constantly obsessed with himself, never appeared to
comprehend how to love others. Even seemingly nice actions were Charles' attempts to get
affection for himself. If Charles had grown up with a mother who genuinely loved him, he could
have learnt to love others. "Rosebud" is a dying man's last lament for a life that never existed.
Finally, Welles' use of montage greatly improved the film's narrative qualities. One such instance
occurs when the film shows Kane's first marriage. The montage included a sequence of
photographs that showed how the marriage progressed over time. At first sight, you might see a
young Charles Kane who appeared happy in his marriage but was dedicated to his job at the
newspaper. As the montage develops, we see Kane's marriage crumble as he continues to neglect
his wife, who becomes increasingly unsatisfied. Finally, the two are shown reading newspapers
without recognizing each other. Despite being only a few minutes long, the montage effectively
represented the tension that had been developing between the individuals.