The Review of Citizen Kane Film using Cognitive Theory of Arts

Joan Lucky B.

In chapter 4: Art and Understanding in the book Philosophy of the Arts by
Gordon Graham, it is said that the value of art is neither hedonic, aesthetic nor
emotive, but cognitive, that is to say, valuable as a source of knoledge and
understanding. !ne philosopher ho is most closely identi"ed ith a cognitive
theory of arts is G. #. $. %egel. %egel held the value of art to be cognitive rather
than hedonic, or aesthetic or e&pressive. 'nother philosopher ho is best(knon
e&ponent of this belief is )elson Goodman. In his book, Ways of World Making, he
says that a ma*or thesis of his book is that the arts must be taken no less
seriously than the sciences as modes of discovery, creation, and enlargement of
knoledge in the broad sense of advancement of the understanding +Goodman
,-./: ,012.
Based on the cognitive theory of art, the scene that I ould like to analy3e
in the "lm Citizen Kane is the last scene here 4r. 5hompson, at the end, cannot
uncover the mystery of 6harles $oster 7ane8s last ord 9:osebud;. %oever, at
the very last part of the "lm, the audience can "nally found out that 9:osebud;
refers to the sled that 7ane used hen he as a boy. 5his part is very important
because ithout the appearance of the sled, the audience ill be left in
confusion. 5he depiction of the sled being burned gives audience the better
understanding toards 7ane8s life and at the same time toards the "lm. It gives
the audience the insight of 7ane8s life hich has been so miserable although he
as very ealthy. %is longing for :osebud represent ho he, as an unhappy
adult, miss his childhood, hen he could play happily ith his sled.
5he understanding of the audience toards the "lm is important because
although the cinematography of the "lm is great, especially for a ,-4, "lm, if the
audience could not grasp the message that is being delivered, the "lm ill be
pointless. It ill not be di<er from a footnote video. 5his e&plains hy knoledge
and understanding make art valuable.