Director : Orson Welles

Stars :
Joseph Cotten .... Jedediah Leland
Everett Sloane .... Mr. Bernstein
Orson Welles .... Charles Foster Kane
Dorothy Comingore .... Susan Alexander Kane
George Coulouris .... Walter Parks Thatcher

Preparation :
Read the movie reviews by Approaches to Film, Roger Ebert and the New York Times and the William Randolph Hearst article.

Historical/Social Significance :
Citizen Kane was a fictionalized account of the life of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst.

Used ground breaking cinematic techniques including quick cuts and imaginative dissolves.

Combined a non-linear narrative, composite storytelling from multiple points of view, varying narrative forms, including fake newsreels, interviews and flashbacks.

"..along with the personal story is the history of the period. Citizen Kane covers the rise of the penny press, the Hearst-supported Spanish-American war, the birth of the radio, the power of the political machines, the rise of fascism, the growth of celebrity journalism."¹

Synopsis :
The tragic epic story man who rises to the top of the newspaper and political world only to see his life self destuct because of ambition, greed and the American Dream.

Guided Questions for Viewing :
Assessment questions will be based on the following :

• What was the significance of the word 'Rosebud' in the movie?
• What does the movie have to say about materialism and capitalism?
• "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" Comment on this statement with reference to Citizen Kane
• Why do you think Kane pursues the Presidency, an opera career for his wife, the treasures of the old world, the building of a castle..
• What do you think was the theme of Citizen Kane