The perseverance of a definitive truth about the nature of human experience is inhibited by subjectivity and the intrinsic darkness of man. Citizen Kane demonstrates this struggle for the perseverance of truth through the failure of subjective testimonies, such as those explored in Thompson's interviews, to construct a reliable model of Kane's identity. An Investigation of Yellow Journalism highlights the film's overall critique that the perseverance of truth is inhibited by society's obsession with a culture of acquisitiveness. The Rosebud mystery mystifies Kane's life, inviting audiences to decipher their own perceptions of the human experience, but the film's ambiguous conclusion emphasizes that these subjective interpretations cannot ultimately be called universal truth. Therefore, Citizen Kane's central message about the nature of human experience is encapsulated by an overarching notion that the perseverance of truth is inhibited by the subjectivity of others and the complexity of individuals. This contributes to the organic unity of the film, justifying its status as a canonical text. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Kane's identity remains largely obscured by the testimonies explored throughout the film, reinforcing that the perseverance of the truth is inhibited by subjective interpretations of human experience. The film's opening scene in the foreboding setting of the obscured representation of the imposing mythical character. by Kane. This notion is reinforced by the "No Trespassing" sign, which symbolizes the lack of transparency of Kane's life and subsequently human experience, while reserving the film's circular structure to reiterate Kane's fundamental absurdity. An abrupt shift in tone between the opening of the film and the obituary sequence of "Walking News" reinforces the irony of subjective interpretation, as it sensationalizes Kane's achievements, for example through biblical allusions comparing Xanadu to Noah's Ark, but fails to capture the dismal nature of the story. his disappearance. Additionally, a wide range of subjective interpretations of Kane are revealed through comments in the news that label him a "communist" or a "capitalist." These contradictory characterizations illustrate the paradox of his public reputation and further obscure the truth of his identity. Famed film critic Roger Ebert's remark that "the film's construction shows how our lives, after we are gone, survive only in the memories of others, and those memories collide with the walls we put up and the roles we play » indicates the film's limited reliability. subjective testimonies, such as those explored in Thompson's interviews. As the primary narrators to describe Kane's life, each interviewee's description of Kane as "an ingrate, a do-gooder, a traitor, a tyrant, a madman", as Sarah Myers McGinty suggests, is tainted by their prejudices , their alcoholism or their senility, compromising the narrative objectivity of the film and its inability to elucidate the truth about Kane's identity. Specifically, in Thompson's interview with Jedediah Leland, Leland's tendency to go on narrative tangents implies inaccuracies in his memories, while the oversimplification of his dialogue: "That's all he ever wanted in life,it was love. It's Charlie's Story, How He Lost Her” contradicts the film's overall theme of the innate complexity of the individual. Therefore, the inability of subjective testimonies to reliably capture the complexity of Kane's identity implies the unifying notion that the perseverance of truth is inhibited by subjectivity and man's inherent darkness. Welles's critique of yellow journalism reinforces the argument that a definitive truth about human experience is incapable of enduring in a subjective world. Much of the film documents the faltering success of Kane's career and uses what Welles calls "an attack on acquisitive society" to examine the nature of the archetypal "American Dream." The ability to manipulate the truth is equated with dictatorial power through The Inquirer's glorified depiction as "an empire upon an empire" of Kane, coupled with consistent low-angle shots to emphasize his dominance over societal consensus in as a figure who “spoke for millions of Americans.” . However, emphasizing his critique of society's obsession with power, Welles employs a dark/light motif that unifies a plethora of cinematic techniques to symbolize how the nature of human experience is only partially elucidated by research. of truth and power. This notion is reiterated through lighting and visual metaphor in the Declaration of Principles scene, in which Kane's face is veiled in shadow to emphasize the irony of his ambition to "enlighten" readers with the truth. This symbolism foreshadows Kane's failure to achieve his goal of allowing "no special interest to interfere with the truth", demonstrating through yellow journalism that subjectivity inhibits the perseverance of the truth. Welles also depicts the detrimental impact of society's "acquisitive culture" on the truth of human experience in Susan's Opera scene, in which dark lighting coupled with close-up and counter shots diving evokes the disturbing ambiguity of Kane's internal thinking due to his emotionless external physicality. and pride. Therefore, Welles's critique of yellow journalism and society's obsession with power reinforces the film's unifying theme that the perseverance of truth is impossible in a subjective and corrupt world. Orson Welles encourages the audience to discover their own perceptions of truth by mystifying Kane's life, but maintains the ambiguity to emphasize that there are no definitive interpretations of human experience. The central mystery of the film revolves around the meaning of the "Rosebud", which forces the audience to seek the truth about Kane's life through the vehicle of Thompson's investigation. Within this framework, the director's desire to encourage the audience's search for truth is evoked by Thompson's consistently obscured and minimalist presence, supported by a lack of close-ups and bright lighting, suggesting that he is a representative of the audience rather than a developed character. Ultimately, this audience positioning reinforces the film's unifying theme of man's inherent darkness and the inability to discover a definitive truth about the human experience through Thomson's revelation "I don't think that 'no words can explain a man's life', which precedes the film. audience's late and disappointing discovery of the meaning of the rosebud in an enigmatic close-up of Kane's sleigh. Rather than the "rosebud" symbol, Welles' maxim about the complexity of man is better embodied by the globe motif, which unifies the film's central depiction of the inherently confined and equivocal nature of experience..