Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on Citizen Kane

  GAMES:

  • Fill-in-the-blank
  • Matching
  • Hangman
  • Flash cards
  • Sentence jumble
  • Missing words
  • No letters
  • Crossword puzzle

Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. It was released by RKO Pictures, and was Welles' first feature film. The film was nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories; it won an Oscar for Best Writing (Original Screenplay). Citizen Kane was voted the greatest film of all time in five successive Sight & Sound's polls of critics, - a time span of five decades. The movie is particularly praised for its innovative cinematography, music, and narrative structure. Many film critics consider Citizen Kane to be the best film ever made, which has led legendary critic Roger Ebert to joke: "So it's settled: Citizen Kane is the official greatest film of all time."

The story examines the life and legacy of Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, a character based in part upon the American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. It also follows Chicago tycoons Samuel Insull and Harold McCormick, and describes aspects of Welles' own life. Upon its release, Hearst prohibited mention of the film in any of his newspapers. Kane's career in the publishing world starts with an idea to provide a social service, but gradually evolves into a ruthless pursuit of power. The story is told mainly through flashbacks. A newsreel reporter wants to solve the mystery of the newspaper magnate's dying word: "Rosebud" and does so in showing old footage of Kane.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_kane 

  TRAILER AND POSTER

CITIZEN KANE POSTER

1. SIX WORDS: Look at the poster and write down six words (more if you like) that you think of as you look at it. Share the words with your partner(s). Why did you choose them?

2. STORY: Talk about what you think the story of the movie is – the start, beginning, end, etc. Change partners and share stories.

3. CREDITS: Look at the credits on the poster (the actors, director, producer…) and talk about them with your partner(s).

4. MUST-SEE: Talk with your partner(s) about whether the poster and movie title are good and make you want to see the movie.

5. STARRING YOU: Imagine you are one of the stars of the movie. Talk about your role with your movie star partner(s).

CITIZEN KANE TRAILER

1. RETELL: Watch the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

2. CHUNKS: Watch 10-to-15 second chunks of the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

3. QUIZ: Watch the trailer and write down some quiz questions for your partner(s). Watch a second time to find the answers to the questions.

4. VOCABULARY: Make a note of words in the trailer that you see or hear. Talk about them with your partner(s).

5. GOOD / BAD: Watch the trailer and write down why you think the film might be good or bad. Share your ideas with your partner(s).

  MATCHING

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	released	a.	looks at
2	nominated	b.	parts
3.	successive	c.	reference
4.	innovative	d.	consecutive
5.	settled	e.	brought out
6.	examines	f.	quest
7.	magnate	g.	decided
8.	aspects	h.	recommended
9.	mention	i.	tycoon
10.	pursuit	j.	pioneering

PHRASE MATCH

1.	feature	a.	polls of critics
2	five successive Sight & Sound's	b.	mystery
3.	praised for its innovative	c.	film of all time
4.	narrative	d.	pursuit of power
5.	the official greatest	e.	of Kane
6.	the life and legacy	f.	cinematography
7.	newspaper	g.	structure
8.	a ruthless	h.	of Charles Foster Kane
9.	solve the	i.	film
10.	showing old footage	j.	magnate

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. (1) ____________________ RKO Pictures, and was Welles' (2) ____________________. The film was nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories; it won an Oscar for Best Writing (Original Screenplay). Citizen Kane was voted the greatest film of all time (3) ____________________ Sight & Sound's polls of critics, - (4) ____________________ decades. The movie is particularly praised for its innovative cinematography, music, (5) ____________________. Many film critics consider Citizen Kane to be the best film ever made, which has (6) ____________________ Roger Ebert to joke: "So it's settled: Citizen Kane is the official greatest film of all time."

The story examines (7) ____________________ of Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, a (8) ____________________ upon the American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. It also follows Chicago tycoons Samuel Insull and Harold McCormick, and (9) ____________________ Welles' own life. Upon its release, Hearst (10) ____________________ the film in any of his newspapers. Kane's career in the publishing world starts with an idea to provide a social service, but gradually evolves into a (11) ____________________ power. The story is told mainly through flashbacks. A newsreel reporter wants to solve the mystery of the newspaper magnate's dying word: "Rosebud" and does so in (12) ____________________ of Kane.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	tefruae film
2.	nine giraeotecs
3.	five usecevssci Sight & Sound's polls
4.	tnrraiaev structure
5.	aerngyled critic
6.	So it's lseettd
Paragraph 2
7.	the life and leaygc
8.	Chicago ontscoy
9.	describes psseact of Welles' own life
10.	Hearst prohibited oennitm of the film
11.	Kane's career in the punibilsgh world
12.	showing old oofetag of Kane.

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

citizen kane is a 1941 american drama film directed by and starring orson welles it was released by rko pictures and was welles' first feature film the film was nominated for academy awards in nine categories it won an oscar for best writing (original screenplay) citizen kane was voted the greatest film of all time in five successive sight & sound's polls of critics - a time span of five decades the movie is particularly praised for its innovative cinematography music and narrative structure many film critics consider citizen kane to be the best film ever made which has led legendary critic roger ebert to joke "so it's settled citizen kane is the official greatest film of all time"

the story examines the life and legacy of charles foster kane played by welles a character based in part upon the american newspaper magnate william randolph hearst it also follows chicago tycoons samuel insull and harold mccormick and describes aspects of welles' own life upon its release hearst prohibited mention of the film in any of his newspapers kane's career in the publishing world starts with an idea to provide a social service but gradually evolves into a ruthless pursuit of power the story is told mainly through flashbacks a newsreel reporter wants to solve the mystery of the newspaper magnate's dying word "rosebud" and does so in showing old footage of kane

  INSERT THE VOWELS

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Th_ st_ry _x_m_n_s th_ l_f_ _nd l_g_cy _f Ch_rl_s F_st_r K_n_, pl_y_d by W_ll_s, _ ch_r_ct_r b_s_d _n p_rt _p_n th_ _m_r_c_n n_wsp_p_r m_gn_t_ W_ll__m R_nd_lph H__rst. _t _ls_ f_ll_ws Ch_c_g_ tyc__ns S_m__l _ns_ll _nd H_r_ld McC_rm_ck, _nd d_scr_b_s _sp_cts _f W_ll_s' _wn l_f_. _p_n _ts r_l__s_, H__rst pr_h_b_t_d m_nt__n _f th_ f_lm _n _ny _f h_s n_wsp_p_rs. K_n_'s c_r__r _n th_ p_bl_sh_ng w_rld st_rts w_th _n _d__ t_ pr_v_d_ _ s_c__l s_rv_c_, b_t gr_d__lly _v_lv_s _nt_ _ r_thl_ss p_rs__t _f p_w_r. Th_ st_ry _s t_ld m__nly thr__gh fl_shb_cks. _ n_wsr__l r_p_rt_r w_nts t_ s_lv_ th_ myst_ry _f th_ n_wsp_p_r m_gn_t_'s dy_ng w_rd: "R_s_b_d" _nd d__s s_ _n sh_w_ng _ld f__t_g_ _f K_n_.

  MARK THE SPACES

CitizenKaneisa1941Americandramafilm,directedbyandstarringOrso
nWelles.ItwasreleasedbyRKOPictures,andwasWelles'firstfeaturefil
m.ThefilmwasnominatedforAcademyAwardsinninecategories;itwon
anOscarforBestWriting(OriginalScreenplay).CitizenKanewasvotedt
hegreatestfilmofalltimeinfivesuccessiveSight&Sound'spollsofcritics
,atimespanoffivedecades.Themovieisparticularlypraisedforitsinnov
ativecinematography,music,andnarrativestructure.Manyfilmcritics
considerCitizenKanetobethebestfilmevermade,whichhasledlegenda
rycriticRogerEberttojoke:"Soit'ssettled:CitizenKaneistheofficialgre
atestfilmofalltime."ThestoryexaminesthelifeandlegacyofCharlesFos
terKane,playedbyWelles,acharacterbasedinpartupontheAmericann
ewspapermagnateWilliamRandolphHearst.ItalsofollowsChicagotyc
oonsSamuelInsullandHaroldMcCormick,anddescribesaspectsofWell
es'ownlife.Uponitsrelease,Hearstprohibitedmentionofthefilminanyo
fhisnewspapers.Kane'scareerinthepublishingworldstartswithanidea
toprovideasocialservice,butgraduallyevolvesintoaruthlesspursuitof
power.Thestoryistoldmainlythroughflashbacks.Anewsreelreporter
wantstosolvethemysteryofthenewspapermagnate'sdyingword:"Ro
sebud"anddoessoinshowingoldfootageofKane.

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

  CITIZEN KANE SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Citizen Kane in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	Student 1 __________	Student 2 __________	Student 3 __________
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING

Write your own movie review. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other's work.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about "Citizen Kane". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "Citizen Kane". What are (did) critics and moviegoers saying (say) about it? How good were the actors' performances? What was good and bad about the movie? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. "CITIZEN KANE" POSTER: Make a poster about "Citizen Kane". Make sure you put tag lines, audience and critics' reviews, why people should see it, etc.  Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY PREQUEL / SEQUEL: Make your own prequel or sequel for  "Citizen Kane". Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

6. CHARACTER STORY: Choose one of the characters from the movie. Imagine you are that character. Write your story about what you did in the movie. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

7. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, Twitter stream, or any other social media tool to get opinions on "Citizen Kane". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	released	a.	brought out
2	nominated	b.	recommended
3.	successive	c.	consecutive
4.	innovative	d.	pioneering
5.	settled	e.	decided
6.	examines	f.	looks at
7.	magnate	g.	tycoon
8.	aspects	h.	parts
9.	mention	i.	reference
10.	pursuit	j.	quest

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Please check for yourself by looking at the movie review article at the top of the page.
(It's good for your English ;-)