"Some called him a hero...others called him a heel."
Citizen Kane - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Rosebud...
— Charles Foster Kane
Context:
Spoken by Kane on his deathbed at the very beginning of the film, just as he drops a snow globe which shatters on the floor. The rest of the film is a journalistic investigation into the meaning of this single word.
Meaning:
This is Kane's dying word and the film's central mystery. Its significance lies not in what it is, but in what it represents: Kane's final thought is of his lost childhood innocence and the simple happiness he knew before wealth and power complicated his life. It reveals that despite his immense success, his life was ultimately a tragedy of unfulfilled longing for a simple past.
If I hadn't been very rich, I might have been a really great man.
— Charles Foster Kane
Context:
Kane says this to his business manager, Mr. Bernstein, in a moment of quiet reflection. It follows a discussion with Thatcher where Kane has been forced to relinquish control of his newspaper empire due to financial mismanagement.
Meaning:
This quote is a moment of tragic self-awareness for Kane. He recognizes that his immense wealth, the very thing that gave him power, was also his greatest curse. It insulated him from humanity, corrupted his ideals, and ultimately prevented him from achieving true greatness, which he equates with character and integrity, not just power.
It's no trick to make a lot of money... if all you want is to make a lot of money.
— Mr. Bernstein
Context:
Bernstein says this to the reporter, Jerry Thompson, during their interview as he reflects on his years working for Kane. It serves as a commentary on Kane's immense financial success versus his personal failures.
Meaning:
Mr. Bernstein offers this piece of wisdom, suggesting that the pursuit of wealth for its own sake is a hollow and relatively simple endeavor. The quote implies that a life dedicated only to accumulation lacks depth and meaning, subtly critiquing Kane's own life path. It highlights the film's theme that true success is not measured in dollars but in values and relationships.
You provide the prose poems; I'll provide the war.
— Charles Foster Kane
Context:
This is a line from a telegram Kane sends to his correspondent in Cuba. The correspondent had cabled that there was no war, and Kane's reply shows he is prepared to create one to boost his paper's circulation and influence.
Meaning:
This infamous line reveals the depth of Kane's hubris and his belief in the absolute power of his media empire. It demonstrates his willingness to manipulate public opinion and even instigate international conflict for the sake of selling newspapers. It's a stark illustration of yellow journalism and the dangerous ethics of a media mogul who sees news not as a truth to be reported, but as a product to be sold and a tool to wield power.
I don't think any word can explain a man's life.
— Jerry Thompson
Context:
Thompson says this to his fellow reporters in the closing scenes at Xanadu, admitting his failure to uncover the meaning of "Rosebud." He concludes that it will remain a "missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle." Ironically, the audience has just been shown the answer, reinforcing the gap between public perception and private truth.
Meaning:
This line, spoken by the reporter at the end of his investigation, encapsulates the film's central theme. Thompson concludes that his search for a simple answer in "Rosebud" was misguided. A human life is too complex, contradictory, and mysterious to be summed up by a single word or a simple explanation. It is the film's final philosophical statement on the unknowable nature of human identity.