Surface Division in Citizen Kane
“Throw that junk in.” This is the last line of Citizen Kane and a summary of his life. Citizen Kane depicts the life of Charles “Charlie” Foster Kane. His story is told through a series of flashbacks presented by his friends and ex-family members; whom are being interviewed by a reporter Jerry Thompson. Thompson is trying to figure out what Kane’s last word “Rosebud” means in hopes that it will be the key to unlocking what his life meant. The movie ends with Thompson giving up and supposing (quite accurately) that a single word can’t describe a man’s life. As the various characters describe Kane’s life surface division is used to show how they saw him as an isolated man.
In the first third of the film as Thompson reads Kane’s diary, we see a flashback of Charlie Kane as a child just before he is sent away by his mother and father. The surface division used visualizes how Thomson regards him as a lonely child. The scene is shot in two oners both containing interior and exterior shots. We start watching Charlie as a boy play outside in the snow. He is alone and playing by himself. Then we pull back through a window into the home of his parents, as they talk to a banker who is soon going to take custody of Charlie. Charlie is left boxed into his small frame in the window with everything in focus. Almost like he is an afterthought in the scene. This visual separation also reaffirms the decision his mother is making to send him away as she feels no particular closeness to him.
Later on in the film reflections are used to externalize characters perceptions of Charlie. Towards the midpoint of the film Kane throws a party to celebrate the success of his newspaper - The Inquirer. Charlie dances with a parade of women while his friends sit and chat. Their conversation is a two shot with Kane’s dancing reflection framed in the window. Leland and Bernstein (Kane’s friends) talk of Kane’s future and the future of The Inquirer but they are aware of that they don’t really know Kane. Seeing him everyday isn’t the same thing as knowing him. They and the audience see this reflection of him. A version of him the characters in the story recount but it isn't Charlie.
A theme throughout the film is making Kane appear to be close to his companions only to in the next shot subvert that with illusions. This reflects Kane’s unwillingness to be close to anyone, not even his numerous wives. A damaging factor in Kane's relationships in the film is his need for love but lack of it for anyone other than himself or his newspaper which could be seen as a manifestation of himself.
In the final moments of the film are introduced with a deep hallway shot. In which Charles is framed by at least 4 different arches. This takes place moments after his second wife leaves him - her exit being similarly framed. Just like in the previous shot this shows how separated Charles and his second wife have become. It highlights what as always been Charles and his wife’s problem. He buys her things and expects to receive her love but those things are empty. Just like his house and the dead space in the frame. Charles is most certainly what would be described today as a hoarder; he seems to have kept everything he’s ever touched or laid eyes on. Storing it all in the massive fortress he's build around himself - Xanadu the mansion he built for himself and his wife. But none of it matters, not to him anyway. It's just stuff and the people around him have plenty of it, they want his actual affection, which in the movie he proves incapable of giving.
The final time we see Charles Foster Kane he walks in front of two mirrors creating an infinite mirror effect. The result being that Charlie is surrounded by nothing but himself; something he’s been running from since the start of the film. He creates a newspaper for the people, he starts collecting great art and statues, he get married twice, all in hopes that it will bring meaning and fill his life with something other than the junk that fills Xanadu. But he fails and walks off camera. The last line of the film is “Throw that junk in” delivered by Raymond, Kane’s butler to the staff who are working to burn all of Kane’s useless possessions including the presumably beloved Rosebud that he called for on his deathbed.
“Throw that junk in.” This is the last line of Citizen Kane and a summary of his life. Citizen Kane depicts the life of Charles “Charlie” Foster Kane. His story is told through a series of flashbacks presented by his friends and ex-family members; whom are being interviewed by a reporter Jerry Thompson. Thompson is trying to figure out what Kane’s last word “Rosebud” means in hopes that it will be the key to unlocking what his life meant. The movie ends with Thompson giving up and supposing (quite accurately) that a single word can’t describe a man’s life. As the various characters describe Kane’s life surface division is used to show how they saw him as an isolated man.
In the first third of the film as Thompson reads Kane’s diary, we see a flashback of Charlie Kane as a child just before he is sent away by his mother and father. The surface division used visualizes how Thomson regards him as a lonely child. The scene is shot in two oners both containing interior and exterior shots. We start watching Charlie as a boy play outside in the snow. He is alone and playing by himself. Then we pull back through a window into the home of his parents, as they talk to a banker who is soon going to take custody of Charlie. Charlie is left boxed into his small frame in the window with everything in focus. Almost like he is an afterthought in the scene. This visual separation also reaffirms the decision his mother is making to send him away as she feels no particular closeness to him.Later on in the film reflections are used to externalize characters perceptions of Charlie. Towards the midpoint of the film Kane throws a party to celebrate the success of his newspaper - The Inquirer. Charlie dances with a parade of women while his friends sit and chat. Their conversation is a two shot with Kane’s dancing reflection framed in the window. Leland and Bernstein (Kane’s friends) talk of Kane’s future and the future of The Inquirer but they are aware of that they don’t really know Kane. Seeing him everyday isn’t the same thing as knowing him. They and the audience see this reflection of him. A version of him the characters in the story recount but it isn't Charlie.A theme throughout the film is making Kane appear to be close to his companions only to in the next shot subvert that with illusions. This reflects Kane’s unwillingness to be close to anyone, not even his numerous wives. A damaging factor in Kane's relationships in the film is his need for love but lack of it for anyone other than himself or his newspaper which could be seen as a manifestation of himself.
The final time we see Charles Foster Kane he walks in front of two mirrors creating an infinite mirror effect. The result being that Charlie is surrounded by nothing but himself; something he’s been running from since the start of the film. He creates a newspaper for the people, he starts collecting great art and statues, he get married twice, all in hopes that it will bring meaning and fill his life with something other than the junk that fills Xanadu. But he fails and walks off camera. The last line of the film is “Throw that junk in” delivered by Raymond, Kane’s butler to the staff who are working to burn all of Kane’s useless possessions including the presumably beloved Rosebud that he called for on his deathbed.
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