Citizen Kane begins with the death of its subject. Charles Foster Kane, a newspaper tycoon based in part on William Randolph Hearst, dies at his opulent estate, Xanadu. His last word, as reported in the papers, is “Rosebud”. A newspaper reporter is tasked by his editor with discovering who or what “Rosebud” is. Through the reporter’s interviews with colleagues and an ex-wife, Kane’s life is revealed.

Charles Kane’s mother owns a boarding house in a mining town. A tenant, unable to pay, gives her what he believes to be a worthless deed as payment. Gold is then found, and the family is suddenly quite wealthy. Mrs. Kane makes the extraordinary decision to give her son over to the custody of a banker so that he can be educated.

At the end of the film, it is revealed that “Rosebud” is the name of the sled Charles Kane was playing with as a boy on that day that his mother told him she would be sending him away. It would seem, then, that Charles Kane’s unhappiness – and I believe the film reveals him to be a fundamentally unhappy person – stems from his mother’s abandonment. While she believed she was acting in his best interest, Charles’ mother denied him a normal childhood and parental love. In his adult life, he goes on to have a string of broken relationships: two failed marriages, and a falling out with his best friend which results in the end of the relationship.

It seems then, that Charles Kane’s choice of last words – “Rosebud” – is expressing a desire for things to have gone differently. If only his mother had not sent him away, his life could have been very different. Yet, it was Charles Kane who was responsible for the misery in his life, and for misery in others’ lives.

Charles’ second wife, Susan Alexander, expresses to him most explicitly that he doesn’t really love her, or anyone. He gives to others to make himself feel better, or more in control, or to manipulate their opinions of him. He wants to be loved without loving in return. Charles Kane is selfish. He does not, and seemingly cannot, consider the needs of others, and place them before his own.

The crux of the film is thus a simple question: Could Charles Kane have been any different than he was? If his mother had not sent him away, would he have grown up to be a happier man? Or, could he have learned to respect the needs and desires of those around him, and held onto his friends and family? Was what happened to Charles Kane inevitable? Or could it have gone another way. The consideration of these questions makes “Citizen Kane” an interesting film, and an excellent one.