Citizen Kane; a classic piece of cinema still studied in film schools throughout the world today. Written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles, it was directed by Orson Welles, who also took the starring role. The 2020 Netflix movieMankeven tells the remarkable story of how the film was created back in 1941. It’s the ending though, in particular, that stands out as one of the most iconic and cited examples of great storytelling in cinema history. But why? What makes it an ending people still discuss today? Well, in this article we take a look at what is so good about the Citizen Kane ending scene and ending overall.
What is “Rosebud”? The long search is finally over, or so it seems!
A reporter embarks on a journey to discover the meaning of protagonist Charles Foster Kane’s dying word, “Rosebud”. The story is depicted through flashbacks told by the significant people throughout Kane’s life.
Each story reveals more about Kane as a person. However, it brings us no closer to the pivotal question asked. The truth is nobody in Kane’s life knows the significance of “Rosebud”.
But, in the final scene, everything finally comes together.
The plants are paid off, and the character flaws reinforced throughout the film culminate in a natural but dramatic manner.
Most exciting is the big reveal. At the very last moment, the film appears to have reached its end. But just as the credits are expected to appear, there it is! The riddle is solved and we have an answer to what “Rosebud” means.
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