Brief
Summary of Citizen Kane
Dramatic
Structure of the Film
Notes on the Opening Segment
1. Charles Foster Kane dies at Xanadu
2. News on
the March
3. Discussion
of the Newsreel by the reporters.
4. Thompson's
first visit to Susan Alexander at the El Rancho nightclub
5. Thompson
visits the Thatcher Library to read Thatcher's account of his first meeting
with Kane and his family.
6. Flashback
to time Thatcher visiting the Kane family at their home in Colorado; based on
an agreement with Kane's mother, Thatcher takes the child Kane away from his
parents.
7. Thatcher
in control as Kane grows up; but that changes when Kane takes over the
newspaper. Montage that shows an
outraged Thatcher as Kane's newspaper prints anti big business
news.
8. First
appearance of Kane. Thatcher confronts
him and loses the round.
9. Kane gives
up control of newspapers.
10. Thompson
leaves the Thatcher library.
11. Thompson
visits Bernstein, who tells him about the mystery woman. Bernstein recommends Thompson visit Leland.
12. Kane,
Leland, and Bernstein start newspaper.
Out with the old editor, Mr. Carter, and in with the new regime.
13. A lesson in
Yellow Journalism poor old Carter quits when Kane insists on pushing
unfounded stories about murders because that will boost circulation.
14. Declaration
of principles scene. Kane, Bernstein,
and Leland in the office late at night.
15. Kane
decides to buy the Chronicle's editorial staff (his rival newspaper).
16. Big party
scene with the new editorial staff.
Dancing girls scene begins.
17. Dancing
scene continues; but Leland questions the values at work here.
18. Kane
returns from Paris engaged to Emily Norton; celebration. Kane dressed in white, nervous.
19. End of Bernstein visit.
20. Thompson visits Leland in the nursing
home.
21. Leland responds to the
"Rosebud" mystery then mentions Emily Norton.
22. The dissolution of Kane's marriage to
Emily Norton.
23. End of the Thompson Leland
interview.
24. Kane meets Susan Alexander after
he gets mud on his clothes.
25. Upstairs in Susan's apartment, Kane and
Susan share the importance of a mother and then Susan entertains him.
26. Kane runs for governor of the state.
27. Outside a rally, his wife spirits him
away in a coach and tells him they are going to visit an important address.
28. Kane and his wife at the apartment where
Kane keeps Susan Alexander. Boss Gettys
is there to greet them.
29. Kane and Gettys argue. Kane's wife leaves and Kane stays; he rages
at Gettys as the latter leaves.
30. Expose Kane and Susan's
affair is revealed in the newspapers.
Then at the campaign headquarters after the loss.
31. Kane and Bernstein alone at the
headquarters; Leland asks to be transferred to Chicago.
32. Kane and Susan marry.
33. Opening night of Susan's big opera at the
new opera house Kane built in Chicago.
We see her backstage; then we see the opinion of two workmen high above
the stage.
34. At the newspaper office, where the last
review is being written (by Leland).
Kane comes in to Bernstein who tells him Leland hasn't finished the
review.
35. Kane finds Leland in a drunken stupor
over his typewriter. Kane starts the
review himself. Bernstein tells Leland
(after he wakes up) that Kane is finishing his review and making
it negative, just as Leland had started it.
36. Bernstein comes in on Kane at work on the
review. Kane tells him he is fired.
37. Thompson says farewell to Leland.
38. Thompson revisits Susan Alexander at the
El Rancho.
39. She recalls, and we see a flashback, of a
piano lesson with Susan Alexander and her teacher Matisti. The latter is convinced she has no
talent. But Kane convinces Matisti to continue
teaching this "impossible" student.
40. Second time we see opera scene (opening
night). This time the focus is on Kane
in the audience. Bernstein and Leland
are shown in the audience.
41. Susan rages at the bad reviews she
received. Kane stands over her and then
opens a letter just delivered to him it contains the declaration
of principles sheet (see earlier scene) and the shredded remains of the check
Kane sent Leland to "buy him off."
42. Montage of Susan on tour ends
with blinking light that goes out.
43. Susan after taking poison; Kane breaks in
the room to save her.
44. Kane says goodbye to doctor; then we see
him sitting next to her bedside for a long time; they have an intimate
conversation. He promises her he won't
force her to sing anymore.
45. At Xanadu, with Susan apart from Kane;
she is putting together puzzles.
46. More puzzles Susan and Kane
alone again in the big mansion.
47. Kane and Susan on the way to a picnic; at
the picnic the festivities go on outside a large tent.
48. Inside the tent Kane and Susan argue. He slaps her.
49. Kane at Xanadu; Susan meets him at the
door of her room and tells him she is going to leave him. She walks off into the distance as Kane
watches her.
50. Thompson interviews Raymond, the
butler. Here we see Kane's rampage in
Susan's room after she leaves. Then
Kane alone in the hall of mirrors.
51. Thompson with Raymond again in the
present. Raymond doesn't know what
"Rosebud" meant.
52. Thompson in the basement of Xanadu,
surrounded by statues and other junk accumulated by Kane. The reporters discuss "Rosebud."
53. Tracking shot takes us to the furnace,
where workmen are throwing in various artifacts; they hurl in a sled. Closeup of the sled in the fire; we see
"Rosebud" written on the sled.
54. Camera takes us back to the fence and
"No Trespassing" sign that we saw in the first scene.
Dramatic Structure
of Citizen Kane
ACT ONE: Prelude
1. Scenes 1 3:
Death of Charles Foster Kane and the newsreel (end of life, all of life)
ACT TWO: Bernstein's
Story
2. Scenes 4 6:
Thompson on the trail: Susan Alexander, Thatcher Library, Kane's childhood
3. Scenes 7 10:
Kane's baby, the newspaper, Thatcher's frustration, Kane loses newspaper
4. Scenes 11 14:
Thompson on the trail: Bernstein's story of happier days
5. Scenes 15 19:
Bernstein's story: darker days as Kane buys Chronicle and marries a rich girl
ACT THREE: Leland's
story
6. Scenes 20 25:
Thompson on the trail: Leland's story of breakdown of Kane's marriage and then
his meeting Susan Alexander
7. Scenes 26 31:
Leland's story: darker days as Kane's campaign is ruined by Boss Gettys and
then Leland asks to be transferred
8. Scenes 32 37:
Leland's story, Part three, ends when Kane marries Susan Alexander, forces her
to sing, and then fires Leland
ACT FOUR: Susan's
Story
9. Scenes 38 44:
Thompson on the trail: Susan's version of Kane's attempt to make her a star and
her eventual suicide attempt
10. Scenes 45 50:
Kane and Alexander at Xanadu, finally she
walks out on him
ACT FIVE: The final
mystery
11. Scenes 51 54:
The final mystery
The
"NEWS ON THE MARCH" Documentary
1. Parody of "The March of Time"
theatrical newsreels from the 1930s.
2. "Public" version of complex
private life.
3. Functions as
exposition: introduces us to main character and surveys life events.
4. Upbeat, pro-Kane editorializing.
5. Fascination for "Lifestyles of the Rich
and Famous" for Depression-era audiences.
6. Mythology: Kane lived the "American
Dream."
7. Appeals to Patriotism--"I'm an
American!"
8. An attempt to sum up an entire life, to
answer all riddles.
9. Documentary realism: Thatcher testifying
before Senate committee and Kane in wheelchair at Xanadu.
10. Pompous narrator (voice of
"truth") and predictable music.
------------------------------
Shortcomings
of this segment--
The documentary DOES
NOT REVEAL THE TRUTH ABOUT KANE.
-- Bernstein and Leland are not
featured.
-- Susan Alexander portrayed only as a
"showgirl"
-- His marriage to Emily Norton, then
divorce, is not
explained.
-- No information about his childhood,
his work experience,
his relationship to Thatcher,
his political ambitions,
his relationship to Susan,
reasons for their divorce,
his old age, life in Xanadu.
. . .
SO: Who is Charles
Foster Kane? What are his values? What were his strengths? What was his vision? What were his shortcomings? his failings?
Why didn't he find his
"bliss"?
Brief Summary/ Notes/
Analysis written by Robert E. Yahnke
Professor, General College, Univ. of
Minnesota
Copyright by Robert E. Yahnke, ©
2001
Permission granted for reprinting for
educational use only