Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)

 1. The film is about the life and death of newspaper tycoon and politician Charles Foster Kane and a reporters search for something called "Rosebud", which held significance as Kane's last words.

2. The first scene is Kane's death scene, where he drops a snow globe and says "rosebud".

3. The next scene is the news report on Kane's life, and more specifically Xanadu, Kane's monumental Florida home.

4. The structure is very non-linear as the scenes aren't chronological.

5. The film is mostly presented through a series of flashbacks and memoirs, with the chronology of the film jumping back and forth as the source of information changes when Thompson visits a different interviewee, or in one case reading Thatchers memoir.

6. 

 Charles Foster Kane - An old man and former newspaper tycoon and politician, around his late 70's at his time of death. Kane is the focal point of the narrative and his motivation through the film is to try and gain control and a strong relationship, which he hasn't felt since he left home with Rosebud. His role is the princess's father, with the princess being Rosebud, his closely guarded treasure, however in the past segments he is the hero trying to reclaim control and relationship.

 Jerry Thompson - A youngish male reporter, most likely in his 20's-30's. The majority of the story is told through accounts being told to him, and his motivation is to find out the meaning behind "Rosebud", Kane's final words, ultimately failing. He is the hero of the story, tasked with finding the princess (Rosebud).

 Mr. Bernstein - The closest advisor of Kane throughout most of his life, is around his 70's and his role is one of many informants on Thompsons quest to find the meaning of Rosebud, while in the past segments is motivated to assist Kane through his life. His role is that of the helper to Kane and a donor to Thompson.

Walter Parks Thatcher - Kanes guardian, who at his last appearance would have been nearing his 80's or possibly 90's. His motivation is to give Kane a future in return for his parents gold mine, and later on its to stop Kane in his conquest against the industrialists and retake his assets from him. He is the dispatcher and donor for Kane, providing him with the assets he needed to make his name known and launch his success. He is also a donor for Thompson, with his memoir helping him with the story.

 Jedediah Leland - Kanes best friend from college, who is around his late 70's, presumably the same age as Kane as they went to college together. His motivation is to be a good reporter and influence Kane to be good, eventually estranging himself from Kane to be a critic and getting fired for his reviews against Kanes wife. His role is of a false hero, disallowing Kane to have happiness with Susan Alexander after writing about her opera, then as donor to Thompsons story.

Susan Alexander - Kanes second wife, in her 50's-60's, the centre of an affair with Kane that led to his political career dying. Her motivation is to just live her life, with a hobby of singing, however this is derailed by Kane's need for control and she is forced into a professional singing career. Her role is a donor to Thompson, providing him reluctantly with information about Kane. She can also be a princess for Kane, however in this dynamic Kane is the false hero leading her astray.

Emily Norton - The first wife of Kane, in her 40's-50's during her last appearance and the niece of a President. She helps Gettys expose Kane and Susan after she grows increasingly resentful of him. She is a villain in the story, with her relationship to Kane restricting many of his overall goals and in the most severe cases completely ruining them, such as exposing his affair and destroying his political career.

Jim Gettys - The political rival to Kane and during his appearance probably a man of 40-50 years old, his motivation is to win the election by any means necessary, resorting to exposing Kane's affair to gain the lead. He is the villain, who ultimately defeats Kane by stopping any hope of him regaining what he's lost.

7. Kanes life is shown through accounts by some of the people closest to him. Firstly we learn about his upbringing and financial prominence from the memoirs of . Next we hear about his rise in popularity and expansion in the press through Mr. Bernstein, Kane's close friend, campaign manager and employee. After that we hear about all his lost relationships from Mr. Leland, his former best friend before finally coming to his second wife Susan Alexander, who represented his last shred of control in his life and recounted how she came to leave to him.

8. I think "Rosebud" is something or someone he has lost, like his mother and father.

9. Rosebud was the name of Kane's childhood sled, which he had with him as Thatcher took him away and symbolises the loss of his childhood and the last time he had a real connection to somebody.

10. Rosebud is a significant part to the story as its symbolism single handedly explains the cause of many of his downfalls and mistakes throughout his life, from his need of control to his lack of ever having a proper connection to people like he did his mother.