Kane initially started out as a man for justice (this can be seen when he takes over "The Inquirer") but became corrupted by power and cared more about the way in which he was perceived than anything else. With an inability to love, Kane alienated all who loved him as he could only provide them with 'material' love and not the true love which human beings crave for.
Throughout the feature, it is clear that every cinematic devise somehow works as a narrative implement to dehumanise Kane and the perceived idea that money brings happiness. From the very outset the audience has their metaphorical guard up as to how they interpret Kane, with the dark images at the beginning creating a sense of darkness and isolation within wealth. The way in which the outside of Kane's castle-like mansion is filmed greatly reinforces the themes of the film as the dark images fade into each other, establishing a sense of dread.
Furthermore, the camera angles employed in Citizen Kane offer great allegorical meanings and symbolism. The film is shot from many angles, which can be interpreted as Kane's disjointed soul, but more importantly I believe the varied camera angles are in place to create a sense of alienation between the audience and Kane as the shots create a sense of distance.
Possibly the best piece of symbolism in the film is Rosebud. To me Rosebud symbolises everything Kane lacks in his personality e.g. love. It only became obvious to me what the meaning of this word was at the end of the film, where the word Rosebud is burning away on one of Kane's possessions. It clearly symbolises all the great human characteristics, which the one-dimensional Kane did not posses. This really is a great cinematic devise on Welles' part as it works well with other symbols in the film to strike a lasting image in the audiences mind.
All in all Citizen Kane is a great masterpiece, employing timeless visual effects to induce deep thinking; proving actions speak louder than words.
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