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)?
'Citizen Kane', directed by Orson Welles and released in 1941, is a drama that depicts the complexities of power, wealth and human nature. At the heart of the story is an interesting theme called 'Rosebud'. The film opens with wealthy journalist Charles Foster Kane taking a breather and uttering the key word "Rosebud." This is the setting for a reporter's journey to find the meaning of Kane's last words. "Rosebud" becomes a symbol of Kane's past, capturing his childhood innocence and unfulfilled hopes. As the story progresses through flashbacks and interviews, the audience sees Kane's rise to power as well as his isolation and decline. The theme of "Rosebud" turns the painting into an exploration of the consequences of unsatisfied ambition and the emptiness of achievement. In the end, it turns out that 'Rosebud' is the name of the Sled Kane rode on as a child, representing the happiest times when he was free from the clutches of money. The garter shows the innocence and true happiness that Kane has sacrificed for his desire for wealth and power. This theme highlights the film's important message about human nature, encouraging viewers to consider the importance of a meaningful life and the short life of money. "Citizen Kane" is a timeless exploration of the complexities of the human spirit, exploring the devastating impact of one man's unrequited desire for a forgotten and innocent past symbolized by the phrase "Rosebud.".
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ReplyDeleteAs shown in the movie, the significance of rosebud relies on the movie’s representation of Kane’s childhood happiness through his childhood sled as a direct comparison to Kane’s extreme unhappiness and discontent with his adult life. The movie opens with a collection of scenes where Kane is sledding down a hill next to his childhood home having the time of his life. However, this is quickly abrupted by the estate lawyers. Here, we first see the significance of the rosebud sled. When Kane is dragged away to his new, materialistic life, he drops the sled and attempts to escape the lawyers while terrified. This single scene ends with the clear focus of an abandoned rosebud sled slowly becoming buried in the mounting snow. Now absent from his rosebud sled, we are given a montage of Kane’s early life and his experiences. All of which are clearly absent from the true joy and happiness of his childhood. In the coming scenes, we follow Kane throughout the majority of his life. Sometimes he can be seen smiling or happy even, but all of those experiences are short lived. The vast majority of his adult life is spent in sorrow. Towards the end of the movie, two more scenes and added information stick out in regards to the significance of Rosebud. One of which was the scene immediately after his singer wife left him, where he grabs a snowglobe. One can only imagine that the snowy landscape surrounding a small cabin rapidly reminded Kane of his early childhood happiness, which is an extreme contrast to his immense discomfort of the previous scenes. Ending this sequence, he is seen running out of the room while saying the word “rosebud.” This can be interpreted as Kane attempting to search for anything in resemblance to his childhood happiness. After this sequence, it is known that Kane’s last words were also “Rosebud.” This could be interpreted as Kane’s final attempt and mental hope for a resemblance of his childhood hope in the face of his inevitable end. Ending the movie, we are shown one last scene of the rosebud sled being burnt. As this occurred after Kane’s death, and as the movie regularly used the sled to resemble Kane’s childhood happiness, it could be determined that the burning of the sled was the idea that a chance at Kane’s true happiness died along with him.
“Citizen Kane” was released in 1941 and directed by Orson Welles, the beginning of the movie displayed the young Charles Foster Kane as a kid still living with his parents in a rural town. But as the scene continues we see that he is going to be quickly going to be taking away from his real family and forced to live in a different environment and forced to have a different identity his earlier was almost completely forgotten about, but as the scene comes to an end it shows “Rosebud” which was a sled that he left behind. This essentially is one of the first and last times we get to see Charles Foster Kane in an environment where he is able to be carefree and is able to have fun. The sled represents his childhood and his relationship with his family. But as he grows up and is taken away from this place his life changes and he is forced to be a different person. I think that because there were so many things that were taken from him as a child, like his friends, family, and his childhood, he makes up for it by buying and amassing many materialistic things. But at the end of his life, his last words are “Rosebud” which is obviously a direct reference to his childhood and the sled. His longing to have a childhood reminded him of his sled, and this ultimately represents his resentment towards not being able to have a regular childhood.
ReplyDeleteIn Orson Welle’s film Citizen Kane, Charles Kane's snow globe and sled named Rosebud represent how the pursuit of tangible wealth and success will eventually lead to the loss of true happiness in life. A core theme of the film is uncovering the meaning behind Kane’s last words, Rosebud. Rosebud is the name of Kane’s childhood sled, which he is reminded of before his death while looking at a snow globe, a symbol complimentary to Rosebud. At that moment, Kane reminisces about the last time in his life when he was truly happy: playing outside in the snow with his sled, Rosebud. It is ironic how, when surrounded by the massive palace he built, Xanadu, which is filled with all of his tangible successes, Kane can only associate happiness with a small snow globe.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the snow globe emphasizes how Kane is looking back into his past happiness, a feeling that he will never be able to feel again due to his greedy decisions. Kane will never be able to return to the bliss within the snow globe. The name “Rosebud” demonstrates how Kane never lived a full life. He was eternally stuck in his childhood, never seeing his “rose bud” blossom into a fulfilling life. Kane spent all his adulthood attempting to accumulate as much wealth as possible, leaving him unable to enjoy an authentic, happy adulthood. Similarly, Rosebud being the name of his childhood sled and a device used for going down steep slopes, represents how Kane continuously barreled downhill all his life in the pursuit of wealth. Charles Kane lived with only monetary goals in mind and realized too late how he threw away a life of happiness for a life of physical success.
Orson Welles’ 1941 film Citizen Kane, through the idea of the sled, “Rose Bud,” explores the innocence and beauty of childhood and how it becomes tarnished in the pursuit of extreme success. Kane’s snowglobe and Rose Bud sled represent his fondest memories, a simpler time when his success or wealth did not define him, but instead, he could roam carefree and explore the wonders of life– playing outside. In this sense, Kane’s story mimics that of the viewers; as we grow older, we become increasingly more caught up in the intricacies of day-to-day life, rarely able to explore and play in the snow. At some point in our lives, we no longer find the time to pursue backyard adventures or jump into puddles on rainy days; in fact, these simple joys and experiences that we used to hold dear now sound “childish, boring, and uncool.” Like Kane, as we grow older, we (the viewers) begin to disassociate ourselves from childhood whims. However, something we neglect to realize is that those times we spent outside in our backyards as children, making snow angels or playing hopscotch, were some of the few times when we were truly happy; unstressed, and unaware of the conflicts around us. Though Kane amassed prominence and a generous fortune, both him and his halls feel empty. For instance, Kane owns numerous statues which quite literally act as a prop for his successful facade. While Kane could buy virtually whatever he liked, the only real item that brought him joy was his snowglobe, a reminder of simpler times, sledding and playing outside. Kane’s “success” is superficial and while on paper it appears a boon in reality his life was bleak.
ReplyDeleteI think that in Citizen Kane there is a significant role of rosebud from the start to the end of the movie. In the first scene of the movie we are left wondering what will happen after Mr. Kane speaks his final words being rosebud and then promptly passes. As a viewer we are now left wondering what the purpose of him saying that was and why he needed to utter those words. Throughout to film 2 scenes help describe to us what the purpose of rosebud is. First there is a flash back scene of him playing out in the snow on his sled, rosebud. Then near the end of the film we go back to the same place where we first meet rosebud and it shows his mother talking with two men about a younger Kane's future and then she starts crying as they are going to take Kane away. Kane doesn't want to go either as he loves his mom as well as likes all the fun and enjoyment he's having in the snow. This can also help explain to the view why he had a snow globe in his hands while he passed. It is his way of finding that happy place. I think rosebud is so important because that was the last time he was truly happy. He has been in this harsh business his whole entire life and then he realizes he has never been truly happy. Sure he has money and fame and a huge palace but there is no amount of money in this world that can buy you happiness.
ReplyDeleteThe importance of "Rosebud" in the film "Citizen Kane" is far beyond a name; it also symbolizes a fundamental question that every human is trying to answer. At the beginning, the last word of Kane before his end uttered, the Rosebud which meaning is the symbol of his lost innocence and unrealized desire, becomes a powerful symbol. Contrary to its extravagant house Xanadu where the sled is first seen, the sled's symbolism doesn't show its material value but rather it represents Kane's longing for a simpler past when he was still in Colorado as just a child. The sled, decorated by the word "Rosebud," emerges as a symbolical reminder of Kane's floundering quest for happiness and his indefatigable striving for purpose amidst the strong currents of dominance and aloneness. On the top of all that, the sled works as a key in discriminating Kane's perplexing psyche, which gives viewers access to the confused mind of Kane and his unresolved past. Although some others might understand it as a mere MacGuffin, a shallow storyline element detached from the main plot, the significance of it is far from superficial, but rather it echoes through the story, foreshadowing the inner turmoil of Kane and his existential angst. With the camera following the motion across the huge and deserted Xanadu, where statues and jigsaw puzzles lay strewn, each of the symbol becomes significant as it shows the context of Kane’s existential problem and the meaningless character of his opulent life. To add to this, the statues carved and exhibited in Xanadu's expansive corridors are the symbols of Kane's desperate and fruitless attempt to immortalize himself through material possessions and grandeur but at the same time, the puzzles that remained unfinished reflect the fake and incomplete nature of his identity and the impossible search for fullness. In this sense, Rosebud may be the centerpiece of Kane's own existential journey, but this symbol is intricately intertwined with a myriad of others that together allow us to have an abundant interpretation of his tragic trajectory. Hence, the sled serves as an iconic signifier of paradoxical multi-layeredness which is characteristic of "Citizen Kane. "
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