Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)

Discussion Questions

North Seattle College, HUM 110: Introduction to American Film, JC Clapp

Come to class prepared to answer the below questions. Have notes ready, with specific examples, for each question. You will not be asked to turn in your notes, but you may be called on or asked to give your response. You may want to use these questions as a viewing guide, so that as you watch the film you have a sense of what you might look for.

  1. The film opens with a series of shots that dissolve into each other and overlap. Look closely at how light is used. What do you notice about the lighting in this opening scene? How is the lighting approach used in this scene then repeated throughout the film?
  2. The “News On the March” newsreel covers all of Kane’s life (scene 1.2 on the DVD). Look at both the content of the reel, as well as how it is put together. What makes the reel seem authentic? How does the content of the reel set up the entire film?
  3. Notice the scene where Kane is being signed over to Thatcher (scene 1.6). Look at where the characters are placed in the scene, how the sound and dialogue is used, and how the entire scene is filmed with only a few cuts. Also, deep focus is used – where everything in the scene (from close-up to deep in the background) is in focus. How does the construction of the scene, from a filmmaking perspective, reflect what’s happening in the scene? How does form reflect content?
  4. The film is made up of various sections and in each we see flashbacks and overlaps so that we see an event from different character’s viewpoints. Select one of these events, such as Susan’s opera debut or her leaving of Kane – and identify how we are presented with the various views and what effect it has on your knowledge of Kane and the other characters.
  5. Scene 1.18 employs some unique camera angles. During the conversation between Kane and Jedidiah, the camera is very low – sometimes actually on the floor. What does this camera angle allow the audience to see that we wouldn’t if the shot was done from a higher angle? What effect does the low camera angle have on the audience?
  6. Throughout the film, Welles uses strong vertical and horizontal lines to frame his characters. Notice how the blinds on the windows, the door frames, window frames, pillars, and picture frames all create very strong frames within frames. Why might these horizontal and vertical lines (and boxes) be significant? What might they represent? Find one scene that you feel really shows his use of framing and explain how the frames are used in that particular scene.
  7. Choose a scene that you found to be pivotal. Now, identify a few key aspects of that scene's mise-en-scene(like the staging, props, costumes, use of space, and the like). Then, offer analysis of what is significant about how the mise-en-scene was constructed.
  8. Choose a scene in the film you think is important and then listen to it with the sound turned off. How does the mood of the scene change with and without the sound? How does the music and other sounds influence your understanding or interpretation of the scene? How would this scene be different if there was no music? (This question is asking you to look at diegetic (diegetic means, basically, that the characters can hear the music/sound) and non-diegetic elements, as well!)
  9. What elements do you repeated over and over throughout the film? (One example is mirrors/reflections.) Identify the repeated elements (motifs) and explain why you think they are significant, or what they might mean.
  10. Does the revelation that Rosebud is Kane’s sled help you to empathize with Kane’s character? Where, throughout the film, is Rosebud’s identity hinted at? Are you satisfied with the conclusion of the film? How do the introduction/opening of the film and the ending connect?