The Isolation of Charles Foster Kane Citizen Kane came out in 1941 and now remains an iconic film due to reasons like it’s ahead of the time cinematography which can fool individuals easily into thinking it was made way after the initial date, as well as theatrical elements that layer the masterpiece. The Orson Welles-directed masterpiece Citizen Kane is a nuanced labyrinth of cinematic techniques and theatrical elements and among the most interesting to consider is the palace scene between Kane, played by Orson Welles himself, and his second wife, Susan, played by Dorothy Comingore. This discussion will consist of the prominent camera angles, props, and lighting in the film that help to express how cold-hearted, emotionally distant, and controlling …show more content…
The scene starts by showing the new literal castle that Kane recently bought (1:38:15). The setting already starts the scene off by showing the immense wealth that Kane possesses. Orson Welles and Gregg Toland build on this to lay the foundation of the confrontation in the scene and reveal the power dynamic between Susan and Kane (1:38:22-1:40:07). Kane walks from the dark, huge, and echo-filled castle towards Susan, who is lying near the ridiculously large firepit. There is a long pan-angle shot that shows Kane’s immense wealth that screams throughout the castle, as well as the superiority he possesses. As the scene progresses, Kane doesn’t sit down with Susan and converses with her standing right beside Susan, who looks up as she talks to him. Although there isn't a second angle given during this part of the dialogue, Kane is still shown as a powerful man and someone dominant in the relationship. The long shot angle helps to push forth the superiority that Kane possesses as he backs away from Susan. Kane stands next to his large firepit as he dismisses Susan’s plea. The long shot helps to capture how distant Kane is from Susan. Although Susan is his wife, Kane is unable to even sit
Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles, was an exemplary and ground-breaking work. In narrative structure and film style, Welles challenged classical Hollywood conventions and opened a path for experimentation in the later 1940s. Gregg Toland’s deep-focus cinematography and Welles’ use of low-key lighting are often discussed aspects of the movie. True, these were areas of innovation, but when watching the movie in class I was particularly struck by the use of camera movement, or “mobile framing” as described in Film Art. In this historical analysis, I will take a detailed look at how Welles and Toland use camera movement to develop and challenge the Hollywood style. By referring to other movies viewed in Professor Keating’s class, including The Cheat, Wings, Applause, Double Indemnity, The Last Laugh and Bicycle Thief, this paper traces one aspect of innovation and diffusion in the movie many call the greatest film ever, Citizen Kane.
In cinema, lighting, blocking and panning drastically influence what an audience will notice and take away from a scene. Orson Welles’s 1941 Citizen Kane has numerous examples of effectively using these aspects within mise-en-scène, cinematography and editing to portray the importance of specific events and items in the film. The scene where Kane writes and then publishes his “Declaration of Principles” (37:42-39:42) in the New York Daily Inquirer after buying them focuses on important elements of the film, aiding the audience by combining lighting, blocking and panning to define significant roles and objects that further the movie as a whole.
Throughout the course of a lifetime, a common phrase heard is “don’t judge a book by its cover”. This phrase indicates the fact that it is nearly impossible to truly evaluate the life and feelings of a person just by what can be seen about them. This is the case in the film Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles. Charles Foster Kane is a man who would appear to the general public as having it all. A very popular man, Kane owns a successful newspaper company for which he is known worldwide. He builds a gigantic mansion for his second wife and himself, surrounded by intricate and expensive statues. Kane seems to be perfect in every single way, and one may think that he is the happiest man alive. However, Charles never had the things that
The ambiguous nature of truth in media is clearly demonstrated throughout the whole of Citizen Kane. This is initially portrayed through the newspaper headlines at the start of the film which are shown to juxtapose each other and help to show different perspectives of Kane’s death. The Inquirer states that the “Entire nation Mourns Great Publisher” in contrast to the Chronicle which states that “Few will Mourn Him”. This beginning not only introduces the newspaper magnate Kane and the influence of fame but also the fact that truth is completely based on perspective and is not subjective, especially in the media. This is also portrayed when comparing the anecdotes of the loyal Bernstein and the bitter Leland. Bernstein’s account shows Kane as
All directors of major motion pictures have specific styles or signatures that they add in their work. Alfred Hitchcock, one of the greatest directors of all time, has a particularly unique style in the way he creates his films. Film analyzers classify his distinctive style as the “Alfred Hitchcock signature”. Hitchcock’s signatures vary from his cameo appearances to his portrayal of a specific character. Two perfect examples of how Hitchcock implements his infamous “signatures” are in the movies, A Shadow of a Doubt and Vertigo. In these movies, numerous examples show how Hitchcock exclusively develops his imagination in his films.
The nature of ego is a fundamental concept in Orson Welles’ 1941 film ‘Citizen Kane’. Through presenting the life of Charles Foster Kane, Welles explores how time and place are critical in the development of an individual’s ego. The ideas of childhood and adulthood life and Kane’s need for control in his public and private environment assist in shaping audience’s understanding of the nature of ego. Essentially, Welles uses Kane’s life to explore how time and place are crucial elements to consider when exploring the nature of ego.
Kane’s vulnerability is first exposed in the Boarding House scene where Welles positions us to question its reliability as it is presented through Thatcher’s perspective. Through a psychoanalytical understanding, we view this scene as the internal world of Kane’s snow globe, which represents the crystallisation of childhood innocence in an inaccessible glass box while he is still in control of his power. As Kane is bribed to become the “richest man in America” with the superlative reinforcing the valuing of wealth, the camera pans from the mother to Kane with a power undershot displaying the significance of the moment and its consequences to Kane’s psyche, emphasising the corruption of innocence by wealth, which steals his childhood vulnerability. However, this vulnerability re-emerges as Kane loses control of his power in the scene as Susan walks out as he is portrayed with a low-angle shot but is fragmented by the open suitcase. The visual synecdoche conveys a powerful man’s downfall as his excess power spirals out of his control. Susan looks up at him and she is illuminated and he is in shadow. Although Kane physically dominates her, Susan is now independent, and she can see clearly and be responsible for her own actions now, expressing the reversal of the possession of power. The return of his vulnerability is emphasised in the scene as he destroys Susan’s room with the panning movement of the camera tracking his movement creating a sense of unsteadiness, with his restricted movement in the cluttered room and symbolism of pushing objects off tables demonstrating that he is weighed down by his power and now devalues the commodification of products and women that catalysed his rise and fall of control of power. Power acts as a cover for the vulnerability experienced in childhood, which re-emerges as a result of an overdose
Orson Welles ' introduced innovating editing and sound design in the 1940s with Citizen Kane (1941). Welles uses editing and sound to show the audience the passing of time, this is seen the breakfast montage. Welles uses sound bridges during the transitional wipes of fast moving images which fade into the next shot. The sound bridges act as links between the two scenes and make the time difference apparent to the audience. At the beginning of the montage Welles uses a slow zoom combined with romantic music to show the love between Kane and Emily. Both characters appear in the frame together with deep focus and slow paced editing which shows the closeness of the couple in the early years. This is juxtaposed by the end of the montage showing
Orson Wells’ film Citizen Kane received terrific reviews as soon as it opened in 1941. While the average movie buff would not value Citizen Kane as much, for the critics, directors and film students: it provides a technical handbook as to the nuts and bolts of how a film is to be assembled. It has now been chosen as the greatest American film in a number of polls due to the many remarkable scenes and performances, cinematic and narrative techniques and experimental innovations in photography, editing and sound.
Citizen Kane, is a 1941 American film, written, produced, and starred by Orson Welles. This film is often proclaimed by critics,filmmakers, and fans as one of the best if not the best film ever made. Citizen Kane is an unbelievable film becuase of how advanced it is compared to other films of its time. In the film, the producer used many different narrative elements to capture the audiences imagination. It truly is astounding how the filmmakers used certain editing techniques, sounds, and different narrative elements to illustrate the story and the plot. Although the plot isnt exactly captivating to the present day audience, this film is still amazing due to how much work and effort went into making it.
In your view, how does Welles’ portrayal of the complex nature of happiness contribute to the enduring value of Citizen Kane?
Often regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, Citizen Kane written and directed by Orson Welles is a classic film that defied the conventional styles of the Hollywood Cinema. Welles was committed to the Mise-En-Scene of his movies by using his characters, props, settings, and even the camera to tell the story of his characters. The Lighting, the camera shots, and the character 's actions to depict the life of Charles Foster Kane. The Mise-En-Scene of this narrative creates a film that is ahead of it’s time and a genius innovation to the cinema.
The absolutely stunning film, Citizen Kane (1941), is one of the world’s most famous and highly renowned films. The film contains many remarkable scenes and cinematic techniques as well as innovations. Within this well-known film, Orson Welles (director) portrays many stylistic features and fundamentals of cinematography. The scene of Charles Foster Kane and his wife, Susan, at Xanadu shows the dominance that Kane bears over people in general as well as Susan specifically. Throughout the film, Orson Welles continues to convey the message of Susan’s inferiority to Mr. Kane. Also, Welles furthers the image of how demanding Kane is of Susan and many others. Mr. Welles conveys the message that Kane has suffered a hard life, and will continue to until death. Welles conveys many stylistic features as well as fundamentals of cinematography through use of light and darkness, staging and proxemics, personal theme development and materialism within the film, Citizen Kane.
The story of Charles Foster Kane was truly one that could go on as timeless. Born in poverty Kane was given away with the promise of having a better life. In a material point of view Kane lived a very fulfilling life filled with anything he ever wanted. Although throughout the movie, Kane despised the situation in which he was brought up in. Being placed under the care of his mother’s banker really influenced the way he viewed the world. He considered himself a people’s person a sort of hero for those in worse situations than his own. The mass appeal for this character along with the truly original storyline and plenty other factors led many people everywhere to gain a huge appreciation of this movie. Despise its early failure following its
Many devices such as theme, subject and meaning reflect different aspects of a film. The time and place that the movie is made are usually affected but this.