Citizen Kane: A Lesson in Selfish Ambition

Before America entered World War II, Orson Welles released Citizen Kane, a timeless classic that echoes biblical themes. Charles Foster Kane pursues everything money can buy, and his desire for worldly possessions gradually strips away his innocence.

Though not a Christian film, it shows the cost of pursuing earthly possessions over godly purposes and echoes Ecclesiastes.

Worldly Emptiness

Kane’s relentless pursuit of wealth illustrates greed and envy. During an audit, he confronts Walter Thatcher and admits that wealth has limited and poisoned his character.

The exchange recalls Ecclesiastes 2:10–11: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

Illusion of Love Without Sacrifice

Love requires sacrifice, but Susan, Kane’s second wife, confronts him about his inability to connect with others. He treats love as a transaction.

Blessed Fulton Sheen reminds us, “We must learn to love people and use things, not love things and use people.” Kane never learns this, especially in his relationship with Susan.

When Materialism Fails

After Kane’s death, his possessions are burned. Jedediah summarizes his tragedy: “That's all he ever wanted out of life... was love. That's Charlie's story. How he lost it. You see, he just didn't have any to give.”

Kane gains the world but loses what wealth cannot buy: love, purpose, and peace. His tragedy leaves a lasting warning—when ambition serves only the self, even a life of abundance can end in emptiness.