Rosebud is perhaps the most famous symbol in movie history. What is the significance of the name "rosebud?" What is the significance of the sled? Is it the key to understanding Kane's life or just one missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle that does not explain much at all? A meaningful symbol or a MacGuffin? Are there other symbols in the film that are more meaningful or complement you reading of the sled (such as statues, jigsaw puzzles, Xanadu, etc)?
In my opinion, Rosebud itself has very little significance, and functions as a MacGuffin for the plot. When analyzing the green light symbol in The Great Gatsby, it is evident that the light serves as a microcosm of the plot (Nick longing for Daisy via the light he can barely see). However, in Citizen Kane, Rosebud is merely an anecdote and has virtually no correlation to the plot. Arguably, the plot of the film is a multi-faceted recap of Kane's life. The tell-tale sign that Rosebud is a MacGuffin is that the characters of the film formulate perfectly wholesome perceptions of Kane (although they are all very different ex: Susan Alexander vs. Bernstein) without knowledge of Rosebud's significance. The interesting aspect of an alternating narrative demonstrates different perceptions, which speak to the subjectivity of the viewer's interpretation. Another side line of the plot is one reporter trying to find out what Rosebud is/means. This aspect however is not a principal plot of the film; the plot carries on without ever fully giving closure as to what Rosebud is, since the final close-up of the burning sled it up to viewer's interpretation. As seen in the deep focus shot early in the film when Thatcher is negotiating with Mr. and Mrs. Kane and Charles is playing outside with Rosebud, the sled merely represents his youth and start with Thatcher. This sled does not in fact tell us anything about Kane's personality. Rosebud is solely an artifact. I believe Xanadu and the statues are excellent symbols for both Kane and the plot. In contrast to a MacGuffin, the opening and closing shallow focus shots of the castle have a story that unfold between them, unlike the opening and closing scenes with Rosebud. These luxuries show the attempt at living the American Dream, and Kane's inability to be fully happy in life. Viewers see that money can buy you things, but not happiness, and Kane is living with those consequences based on his possessive relationship with Susan Alexander. In the scenes where Kane explains to Susan Alexander why he continues to buy statues instead to talk and spend time with her, he is using his statues and Xanadu to highlight his personality, character, and the plot. When he rummages through her room after she leaves him, his violent and hot-headed personality are put on a pedestal due to his willingness to waste money as part of the failed American Dream. In contrast, Xanadu and the statues emulate aspects of both Kane and the plot of Citizen Kane, while Rosebud is merely a symbol without true meaning in the plot or characterization of Charles Kane.
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ReplyDeleteThe significance of Rosebud has two primary schools of thought. In the popular TV show The Office, the debate on the true meaning of the infamous term comes in to the light as they reference Andy's fathers' overall disapproval, leading to Andy attempting to impress his father. Then as Oscar says, he found Andy's Rosebud; His explanation of the term is that it is, "Why a person became the way they are." On the opposition, Daryl believes that Rosebud "just represented what was important to him as a child that he missed." As they agree to disagree on the symbol, it brings into question the true meaning of the term—both are significant schools of thought in what is considered the most famous symbol in movie history. In my opinion, Rosebud did remind Kane of his childhood, but more importantly, it served as an energizer that fueled the rest of his life, shaping him, whether it be for the better or, the worse. The sled was not only brought back the memory of the good times of his childhood, but it represented what Kane wanted his life to be like. I think such a debated over symbol such as Rosebud was placed into the film so people would have those conversations. It isn't explicitly stated anywhere, and that is why it is such an important and controversial topic. If the viewers were told Rosebud's meaning, it would play no part in the film, but the uncertainty that comes with Rosebud keeps the viewers wondering. Throughout the film, many objects such as jigsaw puzzles and statues could've served as some sort of an overarching symbol, but they are very simple in the fact of their own meaning. However, they all stem from Rosebud. In the case of the statues, they are used to show his success and wealth, and the puzzle is referenced to show the missing piece in Kane's life, but I think that multiple parts(explanations) can fill that last mystery spot in the puzzle.
The use of Kane's sled "Rosebud", in Citizen Kane, is used as a representation and reasoning for Kane's qualities and eventual downfall. The actual name of the sled, "Rosebud", could imply that Kane's clear attachment to this childhood object never allowed him to sprout, or mature into a rose. To Kane, the sled may represent the last time his entire family was together. Once he realized that nothing could be the same as when he had his childhood innocence, he held on to the memories of his past and was unable to move on. This link is also symbolized by the snow globe that Kane drops when he dies. The snow globe represents a snapshot in time and location. The reason you buy a snow globe is to remember something that happened, that may never happen again. This symbolic gesture of Kane dropping the snow globe when he dies is representative of him holding onto his childhood right until his death. This mindset proves that the sled "rosebud", was more than just a MacGuffin. The sled was more than a representation. It was a memory that he actually held onto for his entire life. Unfortunately, this memory was less of a learning experience and more of a devastating factor in his character during his later life. There are many symbols in Citizen Kane that are used as Macguffins. These symbols only serve as a representation of the stature of something in the movie. However, it is more powerful objects that have an actual impact on the outcome of the plot. Given the outcome of the movie, and Kane's childish behavior throughout, it is proven that "Rosebud" is not a Macguffin.
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ReplyDelete“Rosebud” is heavily significant to Citizen Kane because its personification serves as the base for most of Kane’s life decisions. In his mind, Kane subconsciously correlates his sled with the simplicity and comfort of his childhood. Although he is stripped of his parents’ love for him, Kane sees Rosebud as a symbol that their love is always by his side. After the scene where Kane is introduced to Mr. Thatcher, the scene fades out of his home and fades into the city. During that fade, there is a split second where the sled is presented on the screen, indicating that his transition to the city represents a displacement of everything Rosebud represents. Aside from its supposed positive connotations, Rosebud also acts as a reminder of the neglect Kane experiences due to his parents’ greed. The lack of love he receives throughout his life is the driving force behind his egocentric decisions with respect to both his friends and loved ones. The absence of emotional security in his life causes Kane to force Susan Alexander to revolve her life around him. He forces Susan into this identity centered on fame, driving her all the way to attempted suicide. Kane believes that if she fits this powerful narrative, she will match better with him as his wife; he not only forces Susan into this idea, but he also pushes the media to perceive her as that persona. His subconscious decision to control Susan is derived from everything Rosebud represents, precisely his parents’ neglect. When Susan is about to leave Kane, she hesitates for a moment when she thinks he has finally realized the harm of his controlling nature, but once she hears the phrase, “Don’t do this to me,” Susan follows through with her decision to leave him. To clarify, Rosebud represents Kane’s childhood negligence, which in turn pushed him towards a controlling nature that resulted in the loss of those who once loved him. Therefore, Rosebud has a vital role in Citizen Kane as the plot’s underlying cause.
ReplyDelete“Rosebud” may be understood as a sovereign film symbol, but its meaning lies far beyond a simple plot device. Dollar-store Freud, perhaps, but not hollow. In Citizen Kane, Rosebud represents the loss of innocence, the fact that Kane never truly reaches manhood. It represents, simplicity, comfort, and a child’s life without responsibility. It signifies Kane has not bloomed, not grown past the moment he parted with the sled. Quite fitting then that on his deathbed he utters its name, despite having long forgotten the sled.
ReplyDeleteDespite being a rather unassuming object, it is the snow globe that stops Kane’s rampage in Susan’s room. Why? It functions as a contained moment of Kane’s stolen childhood. Kane grew up with a bank and a sixty million dollar inheritance instead of parents. Incidentally, his goals in life are not to make money like Thatcher, but rather to exercise the power that his means grant him. There are heavy psychological implications into why Kane chooses newspapers as his career. As he famously quotes, “People think what I want them to think.” Kane essentially projects his own insecurities onto the entire country, coaxing them to love him and bend to his will. His friend Leland sums it up perfectly, “Charlie Kane never cared about anything but Charlie Kane.” His yearning for maternal love is manifested outward, where he seeks the love of others and the world to fill the role of a real mother. Rosebud signifies his unsatisfied need to be loved, borne from his childhood, and growing to the reality that Kane never becomes a man. He is the one trapped in the snow globe, preserved in that moment of ice and snow, screaming to stay at home with his parents and sled.
The esoteric implications of the statues and Kane’s home of Xanadu cannot be understanded. After he fails to buy the love of people and democracy, he retreats to the place of creation: the womb. This is the symbolic important of the castle, an empty, unfinished prison to contain his crushed ego and crumbling mind. What does he decide to fill it with? Statues. They are Kane’s way of fabricating the great man fantasy that he always imagined for himself. He fills the holes in his own manhood with whatever security that money can buy. By being in the presence of great men, Kane himself feels like the man he never got to grow into. Perhaps he wants the same love and admiration as those he fills his house with. In the end, that’s all he has left: these objects that symbolize the conviction he never had.
The meaning of “Rosebud” lies in that snow globe that has so precariously preserved Kane’s childhood. Inside we discover that what he is really referring to is his lost maternal love and failure to ever mature into a man. As a result, at the end of his life he returns to the womb of Xanadu to find and fill his missing childhood. Alas, all the statues of great men in the world can’t fill one’s own holes.
Charles Foster Kane, the main character of Orson Welles 1941, Citizen Kane, lived a perfect life as far as anyone could tell. At least that is what he made people believe. The documentary style film follows a reporter attempting to uncover the real meaning of Kane’s final words, “rosebud”, by interviewing his old friends and family. The movie ends without clearly stating a definitive answer to what it meant, however flashbacks of key points in his life guide viewers to be able to figure out what this key symbol means.Charles starts out as a young, poor boy, who doesn’t have much besides his family and his sled, “rosebud”. His family comes across a lot of wealth, and his mother decides to send Kane away with their banker, Thatcher, in order to be able to live to the fullest. From this point on, his career takes off and so does his wealth. He spends every second of his existence trying to improve his image. He gets married twice and gets them everything they would possibly want. His business is so successful that he buys out the rival newspaper. He became a symbol for wealth, perfection, and was a true tycoon. However,as soon as he gets everything he could ever wish for, it all slowly disappears. His woman, Susan Alexander leaves him and all his belongings begin to slowly mean nothing to him. All the excitement and people that his past was filled with are gone. He started out with nothing when he was young just like a rosebud. He gets it all and blossoms just like a rose becomes beautiful with its colorful pedals. He slowly becomes miserable, he hates his life, the same way a rose begins to die and becomes droopy and sad. His final words, “rosebud”, was the name of his beloved sled as a child, so by saying this he returns to being the same kid he was on that sad day that he was taken from his family. He has no more friends or family, just loneliness. He wilted and died, just like a rose, and became that same “rosebud” he was.
ReplyDeleteRosebud is a device used the carry the plot of the film and provide closure to the viewer. In his final breaths, Kane extends his arms and drops his snow globe as he slowly yet clearly states the single word “rosebud”. The opening scene entices the viewer and sets them on a mission to decipher the hidden meaning behind his final word. In a typical Hollywood-esc fashion, Orson Welles gives the audience the closure that they desire as he directs the viewers towards the sled. However, should the audience have not seen that final moment of the film, their perception of Kane would remain the same. In truth, Rosebud and the sled it was ingrained on symbolize something that the viewer had already understood from the onset of the film, that Kane was originally a man of simplicity who found comfort in his mother’s love, but the wealth that was forced upon him slowly corrupted his mind making him lose sight of his original intent of “gag[ing] on the silver spoon”. In other words, our understanding of Kane as critiques of the film does not come from any singular object such as statutes nor Xanadu but rather the meticulously woven narrative. For this reason, Rosebud does play a significant role in the film as the centerpiece of the jigsaw framing. Overall, it allows Orson to create a narrative the incorporates the varying perspectives of different people who knew Kane with the central purpose of discovering the meaning of Rosebud. Similarly as earlier though, had Kane dropped a banana and mentioned the words “sea turtle” before he had passed, the film would have progressed in the same fashion.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the film, Citizen Kane, “rosebud” is the word of mystery throughout the plot. It is first identified as Charles Foster Kane, the famous politician, newspaperman, and millionaire’s last words before taking his last breath. During the entire length of the film rosebud remains an unsolved mystery and there are no hints as to what it means as we see Charles Foster Kane live his life. In the end of the film, we learn that is was the name of his old sled when he was a child living with his parents when we see it preparing to burn in a fire. When learning what rosebud was, the mystery is solved to the audience, but what does rosebud represent? There are many ideas as to how it can be interpreted, but in my opinion, I believe it represents the last time Kane was actually happy in his entire life. His last moments with his family was with his sled in the snow, where he was visibly happy. After his parents gave him to Thatcher, Kane is never actually happy again. He lives a busy life with multiple wives and a son but nothing ever worked out in favor of his happiness. He held on to his rosebud sled because it was the only thing that reminded him of home where he was happy with his parents. This is the key to understanding Kane’s life. He never asked to be away from his family and his home where he was last truly happy.
ReplyDeleteIn “Citizen Kane,” Rosebud is a significant plot point that is the key to understanding the life of Charles Foster Kane. Throughout the film, Kane’s lack of satisfaction with his extravagant life of extreme wealth and fame is clear. A few of many examples include Kane cheating on his first wife, buying countless statues, and, most of all, Xanadu. When Kane was young, living a simple life, he was far from wealthy. However, what he did have was happiness and a loving family. When Kane’s parents give him away after becoming exceedingly rich, he leaves behind that happiness and love. The final scene before cutting away from his childhood is a shot of “Rosebud,” his toboggan, being covered with snow, seeming to be frozen in time. Like the sled, Kane is frozen in the perpetual state of neediness and petulance of a pre-adolescent child. This leaves him with a void in his heart that he constantly attempts to fill with grandiose belongings, the most extreme of which is Xanadu, Kane’s estate. The sheer immensity of Xanadu is shown throughout the opening scene where many angles depict the enormous castlesque structure that sits atop a hill. However, the loneliness inside Xanadu’s walls is only truly demonstrated when Kane walks in on Susan Alexander working on a jigsaw puzzle while sitting on the floor near the fireplace. Other than her, the only presences in the room are a chair and a couch, with Kane beginning to occupy the former. The distance between Susan Alexander and Kane is only amplified by the alternation of low to high angles when switching from Kane to Susan Alexander respectively. When pointed at Kane, the camera catches the great expanse that is the living room behind him. This area is, in today’s society is called a family room which is normally thought of as quite warm and cozy. In contrast, Kane’s ‘family room’ seems to be cold and rigid, due to the surroundings of large stone statues and cool grey walls. To further this effect, Susan is sitting directly next to an enormous fireplace, but no fire is there to provide warmth. This symbolizes the lack of love in his life, demonstrating that, despite his incredible wealth, he was unable to buy happiness. Furthermore, Rosebud’s significance is extended by Charles Foster Kane’s last word. When he says “Rosebud” he is freeing himself of his sadness that he carried with him throughout his childhood. This release is alluded to when, in the final scene, Rosebud is being burned along with Kane’s other belongings. The fire that Rosebud is thrown into warms the permafrost that had covered it since the last time Kane was truly happy, and in some ways, ever since he is taken from his home as a child, like Rosebud, his only salvation is the fire.
ReplyDeleteZach Reitman
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ReplyDeleteThroughout Oroson Welles’ film “Citizen Kane”, rosebud is used as a device that is integral to understanding both the plot and psychology of Chalres Foster Kane, and convey sentiments of Kane suffering from a fear of abandonment and loneliness. During the beginning of the film, a young Kane is seen to be sledding in the background of a conversation between Mr. Thatcher and his parents. Kane is then eventually ordered by his mother to leave his beloved sled named Rosebud, and is informed that he is to move with Mr. Thatcher immediately. As Kane is forced to abandon rosebud, a montage of rosebud being progressively covered by a ceaseless amount of snow. Kane’s abandonment of rosebud results in him never truly never experiencing a sense of carelessness and love because of the lack of his parents presence during his developing teenage years, and is constantly frozen in a state of irrational and self-obsessed actions to cope with the loss of his childhood. Kane’s experience with Thatcher eventually makes him childish and irresponsible despite his appearance, and is mainly attributed to Thatcher’s cold and somber approach in Kane's upbringing, and thereby represents the polar opposite of Thatcher as a result. Similar to rosebud, Xanadu is a symbol that embodies the void that lies within Kane’s heart, and attempts to fill the void's vastness with statues and various objects. Xanadu is initially presented with an extreme low long shot during the beginning of the film, and is described as a resplendent estate with exotic pets, minerals, and objects to supplement its marvelous nature. However, towards the end of the film, the true nature of Xanadu is unveiled, a limitless abode that serves as a prison for all of those that reside within it. Susan Alexander Kane openly conveys this sentiment when solving a jigsaw puzzle in Kane’s grandiose living room, and proceeds to complain about how they rarely leave the home, and in turn never see people besides the various butlers and maids roaming throughout the mansion. In response to Susan’s criticisms, Kane goes into great detail about how everything they need lies within the walls of their home, and truly do not need to leave their home because of it. Not only does this disturb Susan, but eventually lead her to leave Kane because of his inability to communicate why he is so obsessed with collecting antiques and being beloved by the public.
In Orson Welles’s 1941 movie “Citizen Kane”, the name Rosebud plays an interesting role; on one hand, the plot of the movie would more or less be the same if the viewer did not find out what Rosebud meant, but on the other hand, the name carries too much symbolic value to be cast aside as a mere MacGuffin.
ReplyDeleteFor the majority of the film, the name Rosebud is used in a fashion not unlike that of a MacGuffin; the reporter Jerry Thompson interviews various people who knew the newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane during his life to figure out the meaning of Kane’s last words. Using this jigsaw narrative, the film essentially provides a detailed story of Kane’s life. However, in this long and detailed story, the object to which the word Rosebud refers to is used very sparingly; the only time that Kane’s sled named Rosebud is shown in the movie is in the beginning when he is playing in the snow and the very end when it is tossed in the fire. In comparison, other objects are given much more emphasis as symbols, such as Kane’s palatial Xanadu. The Xanadu represents two contrasting ideas regarding Kane; on one hand, its massive size and splendor represents Kane’s incredible financial success, but its interior represents a different story. Empty and unfinished, the Xanadu represents Kane’s inability to find fulfillment and happiness in his wealth. The scene where Kane’s second wife Susan Alexander sits by the fireplace solving a jigsaw puzzle is especially telling of this, as she draws attention to her loneliness and dissatisfaction with the estate while Kane stands far away from her and dismisses her concerns. This is significant, as Kane keeps on trying to buy his own happiness and Susan’s love for him, and when it eventually fails when Susan tries to leave him, Kane becomes enraged and destroys Susan’s room, only stopping when he finds a snow globe that reminded him of his childhood sled Rosebud.
While the majority of the film progresses without any knowledge as to who or what Rosebud is, this scene of Kane finding Rosebud is symbolic, and is what prevents the name Rosebud from being relegated to the role of a MacGuffin. In the Xanadu and by showering all sorts of gifts upon Susan Alexander, Kane kept on trying to buy the happiness and love that he desperately wanted to experience. His memory of the Rosebud is a representation of the innocence and natural childish happiness that he experienced while playing on the sled at the beginning of the movie. However, after he was taken away from his parents by Thatcher, the parental love and childhood innocence that Kane experienced were replaced by futile attempts by Thatcher to purchase Kane’s happiness using Thatcher’s wealth. Kane’s reaction once he sees the snow globe represents his nostalgia for the feeling that he was trying to experience again through all of the money that he had accumulated. Thus, while Rosebud serves the role of a MacGuffin for much of the film, it still holds symbolic value so as to not relegate it to that position.
In Orson Welles’ classic film Citizen Kane, Charles Foster Kane's childhood sled “Rosebud” is used as both a symbol for who Kane once was and a reason for who he becomes. Near the beginning of the film, Kane is shown as a young boy, powerless over the events of his life. He lacks agency, wealth, and any semblance of control. His one piece of ownership is his little wooden sled, which he calls “Rosebud”. In this scene, we see Kane get adopted by the man who will later give him a great deal of his wealth. As the papers are signed, Kane plays in the snow behind his house, blissfully oblivious to what is occurring inside. Kane utters the phrase “Rosebud” in only two instances that we know of in the film. The first is after his second wife has left him. After she storms out, Kane rampages and destroys many priceless belongings in one of the rooms of Xanadu. He is poised to smash a small snow globe when something catches him off guard, and he stares at it and mutters Rosebud. I believe that this is because the snow in the globe reminds him of that fateful day in his childhood. The other time he speaks the name is when he is on his deathbed. This is the basis for the entire film, as a journalist tries to figure out this word’s significance. While he is unable, we as the audience can see that Rosebud represents the simple life that Kane once had. It's a parable of sorts, as the only time Kane was truly happy was when he had all but nothing. When he spent his life chasing material possessions, power, fame, love, and money, he ended up mired in misery and woe. In this way, Rosebud represents the happiness and simplicity he once had and can never reclaim. However, it also shows the ownership that he has spent all his life chasing. In trying to control the uncontrollable, Kane lost his youth and his “Rosebud”.
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