Power and Control in Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles, tells the tale of a man and his struggle with power. From grandeur to isolation, Charles Foster Kane is constantly surrounded by money and power. Up until his later years, he’s surrounded himself with people that admire and adore him. Everything in the film gives emphasis to a man overflowing with prestige and influence, from sound to narration, all the way to the types of shots used. This essay will examine the components of the film that contribute to the feeling of this kind of overwhelming power and it’s inevitable destruction, as communicated by Orson Welles, as well as why the narrative ultimately takes precedent over the style of the film.

The mise-en-scene presented in Citizen Kane intends to provoke a sense of realism; Charles Foster Kane could, in all likeliness, be a real man in our world. Not only that, but everything in the mise-en-scene seeks to bring power to Kane over others in the film. The lighting of the film is a powerful tool in presenting Kane exactly as Orson Welles intended. For example, Barsam and Monahan point out that in the scene where Kane creates his declaration of principles, he is backlit in order to create a sense of integrity and superiority over his companions Leland and Bernstein. 

In another scene with Susan Alexander, Barsam and Monahan again point out the lighting difference between Kane and his scene partner. The low-key lighting used for Kane is a way to accentuate his sophistication and integrity, whereas the high-key lighting used for Susan emphasizes her youthful spirit and bright personality. In both of these scenes, lighting is always used to place Kane apart from his companions because, at the end of the day, Charles Foster Kane will always hold the power in a scene.

The cinematography of Citizen Kane directly plays into the movie’s overall theme of power and control. Quite often, when Kane is in frame, a low-angle shot is used. Low angle shots are typically used to imply a sense of superiority to the characters in the frame, which exactly the type of feeling Orson Welles wanted to provoke in his audience towards Kane. By consistently positioning Kane in a low-angle shot, it allows the audience to literally look up at him; this helps to give the impression that Kane has the control and should be thought of as an important, respected individual. 

To contrast this, a high-angle shot is used for characters that completely lack any power whatsoever; these characters are those who are in one way or another inferior to Kane. An example of this would be the scene when Kane and Susan Alexander are having an argument about whether or not she would continue singing. Kane, as usual, is viewed from a low-angle shot to match Susan’s point of view, while Susan is viewed from a high-angle to match Kane’s point of view. In this argument, Kane prevails and intimidates Susan into continuing her singing.

The discussion of the narration of Citizen Kane is tricky. The narration is omniscient, as evidenced by the camera zooming in on Rosebud and imparting sought after knowledge to the audience, yet it is also restricted in its biased retellings of Kane’s life from those who knew him. This is yet another way Orson Welles implements a strong sense of power inside of Kane. Within the restricted narration, Kane himself was too important a figure for the audience to witness his life firsthand. 

Because of this, it must be retold from those who were fortunate enough to be in his life, even if they may not see it that way. It was also a way to bring about the idea that Kane is a man who will be talked about for years to come as his powerful legacy leaves an impact on the growing society around him. Within the omniscient narration, however, this gives the upper hand to Kane over the characters in the story rather than the audience. Despite their best efforts, no one will never know what Rosebud was, or what it meant to Kane. In its own fashion, it will remain a way that Kane will always have power over those around him, even in death.