Screenplay Analysis of Citizen Kane with Shadmehr Rastin

According to CinemaDrame News Agency, renowned Iranian screenwriter Shadmehr Rastin, in an exclusive presentation of Orson Welles’s film Citizen Kane, wrote: The screenplay of Citizen Kane opens with a precise and poetic description of its opening sequence, one that paints a mysterious and almost gothic atmosphere.
The first act—or opening—begins with a shot of a “No Trespassing” sign on the iron gates of Xanadu. This sign instantly conveys a sense of isolation and secrecy.

The screenplay describes Xanadu as a “world unto itself,” with an abandoned zoo, decaying boats, and strange statues. Next, Charles Foster Kane is shown lying in bed, holding a snow globe in his hand. He whispers the word “Rosebud,” the globe slips from his grasp and shatters, and then he dies. This moment in the screenplay is rendered with rich visual and auditory detail: Kane’s whispered voice, the sound of the globe breaking, and the fractured light reflected in a mirror. The screenplay employs visual techniques such as dissolves to transition between shots, enhancing the sense of time passing and deepening the air of mystery. The descriptions emphasize expressionistic lighting, with heavy shadows and stark contrasts that create a noir and tragic mood.

After Kane’s death, the screenplay quickly shifts to a fictional newsreel titled News on the March, which provides a brief account of Kane’s life. In the screenplay, this section serves as a narrative device to acquaint the audience with the grandeur and complexity of Kane’s life, while at the same time hinting that this account is superficial and does not reveal Kane’s true secret—“Rosebud.”

Key Features of the Opening Sequence

  • Introduction of Themes:
    The sequence immediately presents the film’s central themes—loneliness, power, loss of innocence, and the search for meaning. The word “Rosebud” is positioned as a mystery at the heart of the story.
  • Nonlinear Structure:
    The screenplay begins with Kane’s death and then moves back into his past—an innovative approach for its time.
  • Characterization of Kane:
    Without lengthy dialogue, the screenplay uses imagery and symbols—such as the snow globe and Xanadu—to establish Kane as a solitary and enigmatic figure.
  • Creation of Mystery:
    The word “Rosebud” functions as a MacGuffin, subtly yet powerfully introduced in the screenplay, driving the entire narrative forward.

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