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All articles by Ben Warner -
The search to find one’s identity is at the heart of Orson Welles’
film, Citizen Kane. The film’s main protagonist, Charles Foster
Kane, is in a life-long search for his true self. The sequence of
Kane’s first marriage to Emily Norton is a representation of Kane’s
search; his life in microcosm. Understanding the construction of
the marriage sequence is therefore important in understanding it as
a microcosm of Kane’s life. The unique application of
cinematography, mis-en-scène, editing and soundtrack come together
to construct a sequence of six segments, each of which highlights
the changes in Kane as he becomes disillusioned with a search that
he is unable to complete. An analysis of the marriage sequence will
be essential in understanding how Citizen Kane explores Kane’s
search for his elusive identity, but also give meaning to the
film’s most intriguing mystery: “What is Rosebud?”
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