The Trailer for Citizen Kane

The Citizen Kane trailer is an advertisement of the first motion picture that was being shown at the Mercury Theater. The wordplay used by the announcer when introducing the movie is intriguing and gives heightened interest to watch the movie. The central idea of the trailer revolves around Charles Foster Kane who seems like a mysterious character whose opinion shifts across different people with a different perception of the main character. The characters have differing opinions with some seeing him as a great American citizen, a lover, a communist and a person who has done a lot for America.

            The trailer introduces the different characters surrounding the main character but intentionally leaves out the main character from view. The narrator makes the trailer interesting by using wordplay as he introduces the characters and putting humor in the description of the characters. The trailer ends with the narrator telling the audience the different perceptions of Mr. Kane and asks them to come watch the movie so that they can form their own opinion.

            Welles chooses not to include Mr. Kane in the trailer despite him being the main character. The exclusion of Charles Kane from the trailer, paired with the narrator telling the viewers that it would be best if they came to see for themselves who he was and form an opinion by themselves. The trailer is able to achieve the desired effect by creating suspense.

            The trailer uses a unique style where there is not much insight given to the contents of the motion picture. The trailer creates suspense which builds up to the viewers desiring to view the movie. The exclusion of Mr. Kane from the view of the viewers is one of the strongest styles used in the trailer to keep them guessing and to make them attend the viewing so that they can form their own perception of Mr. Kane. Humor by the narrator is a style that draws interest to watching the motion picture.