The perseverance of a definitive truth about the nature of human experience is inhibited by subjectivity and man's inherent darkness. Citizen Kane demonstrates this struggle for the perseverance of truth through the inability of subjective testimonies, such as those explored in Thompson's interviews, to construct a reliable model of Kane's identity. An investigation into yellow journalism highlights the film's overall critique that the perseverance of truth is inhibited by society's obsession with a culture of acquisition. The Rosebud Mystery mystifies Kane's life, inviting audiences to decipher their own perception of human experience, but the film's ambiguous conclusion highlights that these subjective interpretations ultimately cannot qualify as universal truth. Thus, Citizen Kane's central message about the nature of human experience is encapsulated in the general 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Kane's identity remains largely obscured by the testimonies explored in the film, proving that the perseverance of truth is inhibited by subjective interpretations of human experience. The film's opening scene in the menacing setting of darkened representation of the imposing and mythical figure. by Kane. This notion is reinforced by the “No Trespassing” sign, which symbolizes the lack of transparency of Kane's life and consequently human experience, as well as establishing the film's circular structure to reiterate Kane's fundamental abstruseness. An abrupt change in tone between the film's opening and the "March News" obituary footage 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 sad nature of his passing. Furthermore, a wide spectrum of subjective interpretations of Kane are revealed through comments in the newsreel that label him a “communist” or “capitalist.” These contradictory characterizations illustrate the paradox of his public reputation and further obscure the truth of his identity. Acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert's observation 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 erect and the roles we we interpret" indicates the limited reliability of subjective testimonies, such as those explored in Thompson's interviews. As the primary narrators portraying Kane's life, each interviewee's portrayal of Kane as "an ingrate, a do-gooder, a traitor, a tyrant, a madman", as suggested by Sarah Myers McGinty, is compromised by their prejudices , alcoholism or senility, compromising the film's narrative objectivity and the inability to clarify the truth about Kane's identity. Specifically, in Thompson's interview with Jedediah Leland, Leland's tendency to go on narrative tangents implicates the inaccuracies in his memories, while the oversimplification in his dialogue “All he ever wanted out of life was love. This is Charlie's story, how he lost it” contradicts the overall themeof the film on the innate complexity of the individual. Thus, the failure of subjective testimonies to reliably capture the complexity of Kane's identity infers the unifying notion that the perseverance of truth is inhibited by subjectivity and man's inherent darkness. Welles' critique of crime journalism argues that a definitive truth about human experience is unable to persevere in a subjective world. Much of the film bears witness to the faltering success of Kane's career and uses what Welles called "an attack on greedy society" to examine the nature of the archetypal "American Dream." The ability to manipulate the truth is equated with dictatorial power through Kane's glorified portrayal of The Inquirer as "empire upon an empire", along with consistent low-angle shots to emphasize his command over social consensus as a figure who "spoke to name of millions of Americans". However, underscoring his critique of society's obsession with power, Welles uses a dark/light motif that unifies a plethora of cinematic techniques to symbolize how the nature of human experience is only partially clarified by the striving for 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 highlight 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 interests to interfere with the truth,” demonstrating through yellow journalism that subjectivity inhibits the perseverance of truth. Welles also portrays the harmful impact of society's "acquisitive culture" on the truth of human experience in Susan's Opera scene, where dark lighting paired with close-up, low-angle shots evokes the unsettling ambiguity of Susan's internal thinking. Kane due to his emotionless external physicality. and arrogance. Thus, Welles' critique of yellow journalism and society's obsession with power furthers 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 perception of the truth by mystifying Kane's life, but maintains the ambiguity to highlight that there are no definitive interpretations of the human experience. The film's central mystery 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, the directorial desire to encourage the audience's search for truth is evoked by Thompson's constantly darkened and minimalist presence, supported by the lack of close-ups and clear 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 inability to discover a definitive truth about the human experience through Thomson's revelation "I don't believe any words can explain the life of a man,” which precedes the audience's belated 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 best embodied by the globe motif, which unifies the film's central depiction of the inherently limited and equivocal nature of human experience. As Robert Carringer states, the orb represents "Kane's psychic totality, and Kane's totality as a force", while the fundamental..