what were kane's last words?
what were the last words he said on earth? thompson, you've made us a good short, but it needs character -
that's it - motivation. what made kane what he was? and, for that matter, what was he? what we've just seen are the outlines of a career - what's behind the career? what's the man? was he good or bad? strong or foolish? tragic or silly? why did he do all those things? what was he after? maybe he told us on his death bed.
ask the question anyway, thompson! build the picture around the question, even if you can't answer it.
all we saw on that screen was a big american -
but how is he different from ford? or hearst for that matter? or rockefeller - or john doe?
i tell you, thompson - a man's dying words -
rosebud!
that's right.
here's a man who might have been president. he's been loved and hated and talked about as much as any man in our time - but when he comes to die, he's got something on his mind called "rosebud." what does that mean?
all right. but what was the race?
thompson!
hold this thing up for a week. two weeks if you have to.
nothing is ever better than finding out what makes people tick. go after the people that knew kane well. that manager of his - the little guy, bernstein, those two wives, all the people who knew him, had worked for him, who loved him, who hated his guts - i don't mean go through the city directory, of course -
good!