Among many movie critics, filmmakers, and fans, Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane has come to be known as the greatest film ever made. Since its release in 1941 the film has received praise for its innovative mix of cinematography and music, among other theatrical elements. The movie centers on the mysterious legacy of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane, and the meaning of his last words, “rosebud.” Welles’ groundbreaking cinematography and mix of lighting (or lack thereof), low-angle shots, and deep focus, contribute to the audience’s awareness of the important events occurring throughout the movie while simultaneously evoking feelings of curiosity towards the seemingly mysterious and solitary life of Charles Foster Kane.
In certain scenes throughout the movie, the lack of lighting, ironically, catches the audience’s eye. The first scene where the lack of lighting really stands out takes place when the few journalists assigned to write about Kane’s death are discussing the possible meanings of his last word, “rosebud.” The first thing the audience is presented with is a room encompassed in darkness, with the exception of two streams of light pouring in from the windows, barely seeming to effectively light up the room. When the men pass by the light, all that is visible are their profiles, and a few puffs of smoke. Although Welles uses a long shot and deep focus for the majority of this scene, the audience really doesn’t get a look into where the characters are spatially located within the shot or how many people are in the room, which leaves a lingering feeling of mystery and curiosity. After a couple of seconds, a second source of light comes through from the lamp sitting on a desk, however this still doesn’t give the audience much more information. Later in the scene the camera cuts to a leveled medium-long shot of two men talking to each other, with a giant white movie screen in the background. In this shot the background is completely lit up, while the characters still remain complete shadows. This is interesting to note, because regardless of whether the shot and background are completely lit up or darkened, and despite the fact that the shot is always in deep focus, the characters never seem to be in full view. This really highlights the lack of importance of the news reporters sitting in the room, which, in effect, forces the audience to instead keep their full attention on the importance of their conversation. A pivotal moment in the scene takes place when one of the reporters finally comes across the idea to report about Kane’s last words. The camera moves up to a medium shot, and the light seems to frame the man’s face. The foreground of this face remains dark, but the light appears to shine on him from behind, signifying that he has come to an important realization. He moves across the room and places himself directly in front of one of the only sources of light. The camera switches to a low angle shot, and his entire body eclipses the light from the window, as he passionately orders his co-workers to, “find out about rosebud!” This moment is incredibly significant because it marks the moment the audience joins the characters in embarking on their journey to find the meaning of Kane’s last words. In a sense, the mise-en-scene doesn’t give the audience much information, but it does the essential job of evoking an understanding of the importance of the discussion about Kane’s last words and how it drives the plot of the entire movie.
The second scene in the movie that plays with lighting and camera angles comes when the reporter visits what seems to be the site of a memorial for Kane’s adopted “father,” Walter Parks Thatcher. The first thing the audience sees is a medium shot of the statue of Thatcher. The camera is angled at his feet, to emphasize the importance and power of the character. The music that accompanies the beginning of this scene is strangely eerie and commanding, further supporting the idea that Mr. Thatcher is an important piece to the puzzle that surrounds the mystery of Charles Foster Kane’s life. When the reporter is talking to the woman who is on the phone, the entire shot is in deep focus. However, just like in the previous scene, the entire background and perimeter of the shot remains dark, except two strategically placed lights that shine on the door in the background, and the name under the statue that reads, “Walter Parks Thatcher.” These two positionings of light once again highlight the important elements of the scene, especially the door that will lead the reporter to the room where he will read and gain much of his insight into Kane’s life. It is obvious that Welles deliberately does this to produce the effect of, “shining a light” onto the question of who exactly Kane was.
When the reporter enters the room behind the door, the mise-en-scene is almost exactly the same as that of the scene with the reporters. The background is engulfed in darkness, and the only source of light once again streams in from a window lighting up nothing but a desk. The figures of the reporter, the woman, and the guard with the book narrating Kane’s first moments with Thatcher, all seem to paradoxically become even darker from the light, and once again all that is visible are the profiles of the three characters in the shot. As the woman walks towards the foreground, the light momentarily shines across her face, but she looks back to talk to the reporter, and all that is visible is one side of her face. Welles does a deliberate job of downplaying the looks of the characters in the scene, in order to force the audience to instead focus on their actions and dialog. As the reporter reads the book, it is interesting to note that while the entire room is dark, the table is lighter in color, but the book seems to radiate and glow. Welles uses an extreme close-up to highlight the important words in the passage of the book to make it quick and easy for the audience to understand the importance of the literature. The music that accompanies this shot is light, playful, and fast-paced, as if to grab the audiences’ attention and signify the moment of important information about Kane’s childhood finally coming to light. This scene is crucial because it offers the viewer a flashback and a more in-depth look at the beginnings of what will eventually become the mysterious and unsolvable Charles Foster Kane.
Throughout the movie Welles does a great job of manipulating light and camera angles, mixed with very telling music to accompany the cinematography to emphasize the feelings he wants to evoke from the audience. While the majority of the film is more properly lit, it is clear that in these two scenes Welles very deliberately uses a visual pattern of an almost complete lack of lighting to enlighten the viewer on the importance of what is happening. These scenes help to keep the audience feeling, “in the dark” about Kane’s life, while simultaneously leading us to a great amount of insight and attention to important moments in the film, ironically helping develop the plot and understanding of the mysterious Citizen Kane.