Citizen Kane
Half sheet reissue vintage movie poster for the 1941 cinematic masterpiece
Citizen Kane, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, it is celebrated for its groundbreaking technical innovations and complex narrative structure.
Plot Summary
The film centers on the rise and fall of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane. Following his death, a reporter is tasked with uncovering the meaning of his enigmatic final word: "Rosebud".
Narrative Structure: The story is told through a series of non-chronological flashbacks as the reporter interviews Kane's former associates, including his best friend Jedediah Leland and his second wife Susan Alexander.
The "Rosebud" Mystery: At the film's conclusion, it is revealed to the audience (but not the characters) that "Rosebud" was the name of the childhood sled Kane was playing with the day he was taken from his family. It symbolizes the innocence and happiness he lost in his pursuit of wealth and power.
Why It Is Important
Technical Innovation: The film revolutionized cinema with its use of deep focus (keeping both foreground and background in sharp focus), low-angle shots, innovative lighting, and complex sound design.
Cinematic Legacy: It topped the American Film Institute's "100 Years... 100 Movies" list in both 1998 and 2007 and was ranked number one in the British Film Institute's Sight and Sound critics' poll for 40 years.
Controversy: The character of Kane was famously a composite based on real-life media barons, most notably William Randolph Hearst, who was so offended by the depiction that he attempted to suppress the film's release.
Key Cast Members
The poster lists "The Mercury Actors," many of whom made their film debuts in this production:
Joseph Cotten as Jedediah Leland
Dorothy Comingore as Susan Alexander
Everett Sloane as Mr. Bernstein
Agnes Moorehead as Mary Kane
Citizen Kane, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, it is celebrated for its groundbreaking technical innovations and complex narrative structure.
Plot Summary
The film centers on the rise and fall of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane. Following his death, a reporter is tasked with uncovering the meaning of his enigmatic final word: "Rosebud".
Narrative Structure: The story is told through a series of non-chronological flashbacks as the reporter interviews Kane's former associates, including his best friend Jedediah Leland and his second wife Susan Alexander.
The "Rosebud" Mystery: At the film's conclusion, it is revealed to the audience (but not the characters) that "Rosebud" was the name of the childhood sled Kane was playing with the day he was taken from his family. It symbolizes the innocence and happiness he lost in his pursuit of wealth and power.
Why It Is Important
Technical Innovation: The film revolutionized cinema with its use of deep focus (keeping both foreground and background in sharp focus), low-angle shots, innovative lighting, and complex sound design.
Cinematic Legacy: It topped the American Film Institute's "100 Years... 100 Movies" list in both 1998 and 2007 and was ranked number one in the British Film Institute's Sight and Sound critics' poll for 40 years.
Controversy: The character of Kane was famously a composite based on real-life media barons, most notably William Randolph Hearst, who was so offended by the depiction that he attempted to suppress the film's release.
Key Cast Members
The poster lists "The Mercury Actors," many of whom made their film debuts in this production:
Joseph Cotten as Jedediah Leland
Dorothy Comingore as Susan Alexander
Everett Sloane as Mr. Bernstein
Agnes Moorehead as Mary Kane
After
Mounted
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