...In his renowned film Citizen Kane, director, writer, actor, and producer Orson Welles employs an innovative use of shadows, darkness, and angles to portray hidden emotions and thought provoking social commentary; setting a precedent for all films to come. This movie, called the “father” of film noir, employs an ingenious use of lighting and focus to create new depths that add to the characters, drawing our attention to details that shape the story. This film presented to the world a fresh take on the boundaries of story telling, and ground breaking innovations that influence film making to this day. Take, for example, the short film obituary for Charles Kane, “News on the March”; it would seem from afar that Charles Kane was simply a rich, influential man who had lived a full and happy life. But as soon as we are pulled out the documentary and back into the real world, we are immediately met with the darkness and seclusion that dominates the film. An obvious aspect we notice in that first lapse back to present time is within the room of reporters we are never able to completely see any faces- the light from behind creating an eerie shadow over all of the actors. This overshadowing of the reporters continues through the time we spend following the reporter, Jerry Thompson, in his quest. This was done to draw the viewer’s attention away from the obvious, and push us to delve deeper into the story. Obviously, this was...
Words: 915 - Pages: 4
...Philip Lee Joor Baruah Monday- 11:15-12:30 Film 20A 30 October 2014 Citizen Kane Sequence Analysis Essay Mise-en-scene, cinematography and editing are visual elements in film that create meaning in the shots/sequences of the film. Ultimately it is these factors that can establish narrative agents and their relations, drive the narrative and place the view in a certain point of view of the narrative. Orson Welle’s 1941 film, Citizen Kane, is considered significant for its technical innovations with its use of deep focus lenses, low angles, high contrast lighting, long takes and dissolves. In my essay I will be analyzing the sequence depicting Kane’s “Declaration of Principles.” I will show how the elements of mise-en-scene, the cinematography and editing choices help to visually depict Kane as a powerful subject, establish narrative conflict and create perspective within the sequence. Through sequence of Kane’s “Declaration of Principles” Kane is depicted as a powerful narrative agent through social blocking in the sequence’s mise-en- scene. Throughout the long third shot, Kane is placed centrally and stands the tallest compared to Leland and Bernstein. Through the cinematic use of deep focus lenses that manages to capture Leland, Kane and Bernstein positioned in the background, mid ground and foreground all in focus at the same time. This allows for Kane to dominate the mise-en-scene in spatial relations to his friends. His physical relations to his friends and the surrounding...
Words: 1597 - Pages: 7
...Citizen Kane has been referenced in so many different mediums in my life. I had never seen the film, but the scene where Kane is giving a political speech with his massive image towering in the background has been mimicked in countless TV shows, even cartoons. I knew Rosebud has a sleigh, but never knew anything about the plot. More importantly, I never knew what the big commotion was over this film. I went and rented the Criterion Collection edition of Citizen Kane from the local video store for 50 cents, and with it came a simple commentary from the clerk. “This laid down the basics for all films today.” After listening to Roger Ebert’s commentary, I know understand why this is considered a masterpiece, and why it still stands as one of, if not thee, greatest films of all time. The film is simply full of special effects. A casual viewer would almost think there are no special effects in it, compared to what we are used to in this era of film. The film was visually deceiving you almost the whole time. . The film actually did not have a massive budget, and instead of building massive sets, they had to improvise wherever they could. Matte drawings are continuously used throughout the film. They are used from the onset, simply depicting Xanadu as an ominous, decrepit castle in the distance. The editors took this device and used it in ways never seen before in film. They created the effect of a hall full of spectators watching a speech, using only few actors, a...
Words: 933 - Pages: 4
...sound operates on both physical and psychological levels. For most films sound provides cues that help us form expectations about meaning. In some cases, sound actually shapes our analyses and interpretations. Sound calls attention not only to itself but also to silence, to the various roles that each plays in our world and in the world of a film. Bordwell, D. & Thompson, K. (1993) Film Art: an introduction, McGraw-Hill Inc. USA Herrmann, Bernard. Score for a film in Gottesman, R.(ed) Focus on Citizen Kane, Prentice-Hall Inc, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Used in finding definitions of sound. Citizen Kane. Dir. Orson Welles. Perf. Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten. Warner Bros., 1941. DVD. Ebert, Roger. “Citizen Kane”. 24 May, 1998. Web. Date of access 25 May 2012. Ebert’s article focuses on what defined the landmark 1941 film as the innovational piece of artwork it was and continues to be. Ebert himself describes Welles as a prodigy of his profession and follows the fictional Kane through channeling the real-life Hearst here and there during certain parts of the film. A psychological turn takes place at the end of the article as Ebert weaves the publicly scrutinized tycoon into a secluded and deluded old man towards the end of his life and how an unfulfilled childhood turned him into the powerhungry figure he was. Christley, Jaime. “Orson Welles”. 24 January, 2003. Web. Date of access 3 November 2011 Christley details the career of Welles and dictates the slight changes the...
Words: 561 - Pages: 3
...setting, lighting, costume and the movement and actions of figures appearing within the film. The iconic Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941), a biopic that traces the life of fictional newspaper magnate Charles Kane, uses the elements of mise-en-scene to reinforce ‘loss’ as a recurring theme throughout the film. As a faceless reporter goes about collecting personal recounts of Kane, the stories told suggest that throughout the majority of his life, Kane was “moving inevitably toward [an inner state of] bitterness, disappointment and loss” (2). The first flashback scene shown (set at Kane’s childhood home) begins Kane on this aforementioned negative emotional journey. Kane is shown in the background of the scene, while in the foreground, his parents and Mr. Thatcher discuss his future. Kane appears visually trapped within the frames of a window, echoing the way in which he is being ‘trapped’ into Mr. Thatcher’s guardianship. During this scene, a close up of Kane’s indignant expression fades out slowly to reveal the sleigh he happily played with moments before. Having unwillingly left his simplistic home for the riches and supposedly assured success Thatcher can offer him, the sleigh is all that remains, shown abandoned in the foreground, covered in snow. Snow in itself bears “connotations both of burying [the past] and freezing [this idealised memory in Kane’s mind]” (3). Kane is never again shown against a pure white background, suggesting that his childhood (and implicitly his innocence)...
Words: 1968 - Pages: 8
...Citizen Kane Citizen Kane, a movie that was nominated for nine academy awards and won the Academy award for best writing is considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made. In order to understand why Citizen Kane has been so beloved in the world of film because of how realistic it felt although being a work of fiction or as the French call it a film à clef (French for Film with a Key) one must pick apart the all the parts that make a movie successful from its actors, lighting, plot, etc. The movie Citizen Kane brings in the audience into the life of Charles Foster Kane who is the main focus of the story and gives information on his life via a parody of the old “March of the Times” newsreels that were commonly used in the 1930’s along with “public” version of Mr. Kane’s very complex private life such as his rise to power, politics and social life which focuses itself on being a exposition as it introduces the audience to Mr. Kane and the important events in his life although using a hint of “Pro Kane” editorials with a very pompous and upbeat narrator with the finishing touch being Thatcher’s testimony before the US Senate that has Thatcher denouncing Kane. At the end of this newsreel the audience is handed a mystery that is on the forefront of their minds which was Charles Kane’s last word before his death “Rosebud” which piques the interest of the audience and makes them curious as to what happens with the absence of a giant such as Mr. Kane and what was the one...
Words: 1259 - Pages: 6
...and Loss in Citizen Kane Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) is an American drama film that narrates the story of a newspaper magnate who gained worldly success in his life, but he lost connection with people around him during this process. With the help of a series of flashbacks, the film illustrates Kane’s personal life. The film starts with the scene where Kane is on his deathbed and says the word ‘Rosebud’ before dying. A newspaper reporter, Thompson gets intrigued by this word, which becomes the motivation for him to learn about the life of Charles Foster Kane and the significance of the word ‘ Rosebud’. The director, Orson Welles depicts the personal life of Kane beautifully in his work through various sequences of the film. Each scene in the film plays an important role in demonstrating the distance Kane is developing with people around him. The gradual withdrawal of Kane from public life is illustrated through two unsuccessful relationships between his two wives. The puzzle sequence in the film in which Susan and Kane have a brief argument over the boring life Susan is having at Kane’s palatial estate, Xanadu displays dramatically the growing distance between Kane and his second wife, Susan. The puzzle sequence in the movie starts by showing Xanadu’s isolated location on the top of the mountain. This sequence gives the palace a gloomy look by having a dark background and not so happy music. In the next scene, Susan is shown solving jig-saw puzzle before Kane enters the...
Words: 677 - Pages: 3
...tuxedos and tailcoats that Gable wore made him the style-icon he became. Succeeding the title of the “King of Hollywood” from Fairbanks, he was known for always being well-dressed, be it on-screen or off. Gable will remain most remembered with his famous looks from the 1930's; double breasted suits, wide lapels, and wide shoulders, drape cut and trim waist despite the fact that he changed his style to some degree amid his more prepared years. One thing he didn't change was his mark mustache, which he pulled off well until the very end. 1940s Still in the midst of the World War II, much of the world’s public had shifted their focus when it started dissolving in towards the end of the decade. With films like The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, Citizen Kane and Notorious, came great names like Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, James Stewart and many others. Heavily influenced by the war, the decade saw many restrictions on clothing from governments across the world hence promoting a modified form of the same fashion of the 30s, with little adjustments to comply with the rules. Major Players Cary Grant In his initial days he would regularly wear neckline sticks and sew ties, later he would wear 3-fold ties all the more frequently. As a result of his thin figure he could purchase garments off the rack, for example, trench coats from Aquascutum and country garments from Abercrombie and Fitch. The only thing Grant disliked wearing was hats. Many described him to have such a perfectly shaped...
Words: 1879 - Pages: 8
...In this essay I will explore the different ways in which Orson Welles used various sounds to create and manage the dramatic tension in the 60-minute drama. I will be exploring in detail the use of the orchestra, the medium used to present the broadcast to the viewers and lastly the use of sound and silence to maximize the effect. The time slot in which the broadcast took place was one of the main parts of the entire story. Welles scheduled the broadcast to take place during one of the most prime slots on radio when other popular shows we’re changing causing them to switch over. Welles started the broadcast with a piece from a live orchestra, which roughly lasted around 3:34. This was then interrupted with a news broadcast of explosions happening on the planet Mars that then went onto the orchestra once again. Welles carefully placed this “short” news flash a few minutes in, as any listeners that just tuned in would have heard this. It then went back into the music piece by (name of band) this would have not cause any suspicion to the listener’s but also to add to the authenticity of the whole act. Welles also used this, as a technique to slightly comfort the listener’s with a fine piece of music being played it would make them slightly vulnerable in that they are being relaxed in which they are hit with the interruption of the attack from Mars it would not have had the same effect on the audience if they hadn’t been preoccupied with something that does not require there attention...
Words: 870 - Pages: 4
...Introduction “Rosebud”, has one cryptic word carried such weight since? Charles Foster Kane is a figure as enigmatic as he is influential, a multimillionaire media tycoon, a failed politician, but most of all, a man looking for something he lost. The role, based in large part on the newspaper don William Randolph Hearst, drew its share of attention before its release, when Hearst attempted to ban any reference to the film from appearing in his papers, and tried to shut down its production. Unfortunately for Hearst, his suppression was unsuccessful, and only cemented the connection between the film and himself. Today, Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane is widely regarded as one of the best films of all time, not only for its narrative, but for its...
Words: 612 - Pages: 3
...Narrative structure in Citizen Kane The narrative structure of Citizen Kane is largely nonlinear, which was revolutionary at the time the film was released. The narrative defies Classical Hollywood Cinema, in that it is not told as a chronological story with a beginning, middle, and end. Instead, the narrative begins with the end of the story – the death of the main character, Charles Foster Kane. The life story of Kane is then summarized in a newsreel, which actually gives away the whole movie. The entire plot is summarized in those few minutes, doing away with the suspense that would build up throughout a movie. Through this, the audience is asked to analyze and explore the character of Kane rather than being immersed in the plot and wondering...
Words: 783 - Pages: 4
...with things that are going on in her life and starts to analyze her life on what the doctor told her at the beginning of the movie. The main characters husband and her publisher would be two characters that we will be viewed more in a distance. In the movie Shane there were four characters introduced in the beginning, Mr. & Mrs. Starks, their son Joey and Shane. There also were the Riders. I believe that Shane would be the main characters whose eyes we will view the movie through. The Starks are struggling and being harassed by the Riders and Shane seems as though he will be the hero that helps everyone even though he may have a bad past or running from something. The Starks will be the ones we see from a distances. CITIZEN KANE In the movie Citizen Kane I will begin to explain different scenes that I felt made this movie credible and stress the truth. The scene will show the...
Words: 1031 - Pages: 5
...**** ******** Humanities 17 Mr. **** 10/20/12 Citizen Kane, Orson Wells (1941): employed new cinematographic advances for film. Wells, use of camera placement, movement and the entire editing process paved the way for a new era of filmmaking. His brilliant use of Iconic imagery, help to tell the story of Charles Foster Kane. The opening of this scene seems to be one of childhood innocence. A young Charles, sledding down a hill. The blind edit straight to the snowball hitting the sign of Mrs. Kane’s boarding house can be considered an iconic image for what’s to come. The over the shoulder shot of his mother talking to Charles still has the focus on Charles and his innocence. As the camera pulls backwards you get a better idea of what’s going on. In the negative space, while mother and father are talking to Mr. Thatcher you see Charles still childishly playing in the snow. Having no idea he is about to given away. The camera following Mrs. Kane back to the window then the close-up of her face shows the intensity of her emotion she has for selling her son. The close-up of Charles face makes you feel his pain and anger as it transitions to another iconic image of the empty sled gathering snow, letting you know Charles is gone. In the dining room with Emily the lighting is focused on Emily who is centered in the shot. The lighting and her appearing brighter shows that for now she is the main focus. As the camera moves in it accentuates the love between them. The straight...
Words: 523 - Pages: 3
...Welles Citizen Kane continues to engage and persuade audiences through its cinematic treatment of ambition and corruption Welles film explores the fragility that frames human experience. To what extent does this statement encapsulate your views of the text The complexity of the human experience is shaped by individual’s attitudes, morals and perceptions. Orson Welles Citizen Kane explores this complexity through its portrayal of media tycoon Charles Kane, highlighting the centrality of ambition and corruption in an individual’s pursuit of power and relationships. Wells employs avant grande cinematography to engage and persuade the audience of the instability of the human experience. Citizen Kane demonstrates how despite the individuals desire for relationships; their ability to forge connections can be undermined by their personal perceptions and ideals. Kane’s moral vacuity and ambitious nature is central to his inability to sustain meaningful relationships. Leland apathy notes, “All he (Kane) ever wanted out of life was love”, with this desire for love resonating in the motif of ‘Rosebud’, emblematic of his mothers love. Nonetheless, Kane’s superficial pursuit of transient pleasures and ambition results in the corruption of his relationships. This is accentuated in the breakfast montage, which depicts Kane and his wife Emily at progressive breakfasts throughout the course of their marriage. To begin with Kane seems to be the ideal husband – he compliments her, spends...
Words: 649 - Pages: 3
...also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for the purpose of this assignment. Your Signature: __Brittany Reinhart_______________________________ Citizen Kane “…If I hadn’t been very rich, I might have been a really great man.” Citizen Kane is the story of a life filled with regret, broken friendships, and a tarnished political career. He led a powerful yet empty life, constantly yearning for love and fulfillment. As time progressed, he grew in popularity and influence and sought infinite power. His objective was to manipulate the news and influence the future thru his newspaper. We see him throughout the film desperately seeking to fill the empty void he feels in his day to day life. But how did he get to that point? An abundance of money and an established career as an influential newspaper magnet eventually left him alone and miserable. When Mr. Thatcher takes Kane from his mother and father to give him an eastern education, his life hits a crossroad. No longer is he surrounded with love, rather, his life becomes solely about wealth. It is this foundation, money, which he builds his life moving forward. Since he was never surrounded with family, he knew no moral or ethical boundaries. “Rosebud” signified his lost childhood. When Kane came into his fortune at 25, he did not have the judgment with which to make sound business decisions. He had no fear of failure or retribution. He knew his fortune was waiting for...
Words: 1363 - Pages: 6
