After the movie
'Citizen Kane' by
Orson Wells, it is suggested that if Kane's friends can answer or describe what
'Rosebud' is then they will understand Kane.
Down the decades many proposals as to what
'Rosebud' was/is emerged and abound; several claiming to be final and definitive.
But because I pay attention and don't imagine things, I know very clearly what
'Rosebud' is and by logical extrapolation, after seeing the movie a year or so ago, believe i know a possible significance of the representation that WAS 'Rosebud'.
Most recently I heard on BBC radio, someone state with absolute authority that
'Rosebud' was a Sled.
A ski-ing sled. Can you believe it! I did fall for that for a while, because the person on THE BBC was so convincing in his tone of voice, until I remembered that I know the more likely answer, and yes this answer can be figured out by watching and digesting, and understanding the film. I have only done that once.
Can YOU DECIPHER what
'Rosebud' was? Hint.
"It was, but is no more, yet now 'I have it'."Goffer it. Answers in an envelope stuffed with Greenbacks to this forum---------------------------------------
January 15, 1941
Press statement issued by Orson Welles regarding his forthcoming motion picture entitled, Citizen Kane, which will be released by RKO-Radio Pictures:ORSON WELLES explains the meaning of Rosebud in CITIZEN KANEORSON WELLES: "
I wished to make a motion picture which was not a narrative of action so much as an examination of character. For this, I desired a man of many sides and many aspects. It was my idea to show that six or more people could have as many widely divergent opinions concerning the nature of a single personality. Clearly such a notion could not be worked out if it would apply to an ordinary American citizen.
I immediately decided that my character should be a public man—an extremely public man—an extremely important one. I then decided that I would like to convince my audience of the reality of this man by means of apparently legitimate news digest short concerning his career. It was of the essence of my idea that the audience should be fully conversant with the outlines of the public career of this fictitious character before I proceeded to examine his private life. I did not wish to make a picture about his public life. I wished to make a picture about the backstairs aspect of it. The varying opinions concerning his character would throw light on important moments in his career. I wished him to be an American, since I wished to make him an American president.
[...] "
Actually he fails to pinpoint in this Pre-release "Citizen Kane" promo-article just what 'Rosebud' is ...¡
Read full: http://www.wellesnet.com/?p=187
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