OrsonWelles'cinematicclassic,CitizenKane,isafilmthatcentersonagroupofreporter's investigationintothemeaningofCharlesFosterKane'slastword,"Rosebud."Throughtheir investigationofhislastwords,theteamofreporters,ispresentedwithanalmost,butnotquite, completepictureof"Citizen"Kane'slife.Byassumingthattheman'slastwordwasasgrandioseas hislife,thereportersmissoutonthebigger,moreholisticpicture,whichisCharlesFosterKane's life.Thereporters'emphasisofattentiononwhatturnsouttobeasmallandtrivial,althoughthey neverfindthatout,aspectofKane'slife,makeCitizenKaneaperfectexampleofthepitfallsof over–interpretationshowmorecontent
Wheneversomethingisbrokendownintoitscomponentpartsandthesecomponentpartsare analyzedandinterpretedindividually,someoftheirmeaningislost.Forexample,adoctorwho specializesintheheart,acardiologist,knowsawholelotaboutasmallaspectofthegreaterwhole, thehumanbody.Bystudyingtheheartinisolation,withnoconnectiontotherestofthebodyorits organs,someofthehearts"meaning"islost.Justsayingthatthe"heartpumpsblood"ismeaningless tothelaypersonignorantofbiology.Thequestionsofwhytheheartpumpsblood,whatisblood, andhowdoestheheartinteractwithotherorgansstillremain.Nottomentionmorespecific questionssuchashowotherorgans,suchasteeth,whichanorthodontistwouldbemorelikelyto know,areeffectedbyandaffecttheheart.Amovementwithinpsychology,knownasGestalt psychology,summedthisholisticideologyupnicelywithitstenet"Thewholeisgreaterthanthe sumofitsparts."
Itfollowsfromthisargumentthatifapieceofartisbrokendownintoitscomponentpartstobe analyzedandinterpreted,theformorstructureoftheartworkisignoredByfocusingone'sattention onspecificandpossiblytrivialaspectsofthepieceofart'scontent,thepiece'soverallstructureisnot considered.InrespecttoCitizenKanetheover–interpretationof"Rosebud,"leadsthereportersto ignorethestructureof
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ThroughoutthemovieCitizenKane,Wellesusesframingandthevisualaspectofmoviestobolster thethemeheistryingtoconvey.PerhapsthemoststrikingexampleofthisiswhenKaneissittingat thedinnertablewithhisfirstwife,Emily.Atfirst,thetableisanormalsize,andthetwocanhavea conversationandlivehappily.However,asKanebecomesmoreengrossedinhisbusinessandthe loveofpowertakesoverhislife,thetablegrowstothepointwherethecoupleisawholeroom's lengthawayfromeachother.Thisalsoshowsinthisemotionaldistanceandlackofconversation. ThissceneisespeciallyindicativeofhowKane'slifehasbeenruinedbyhisquestforpower,and howhislackofachildhoodaffectedhislifeHewas
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HistoricalAnalysis,CitizenKane:CameraMovementCitizenKane,directedbyOrsonWelles,was anexemplaryandground–breakingwork.Innarrativestructureandfilmstyle,Welleschallenged classicalHollywoodconventionsandopenedapathforexperimentationinthelater1940sGregg Toland'sdeep–focuscinematographyandWelles'useoflow–keylightingareoftendiscussed aspectsofthemovie.True,thesewereareasofinnovation,butwhenwatchingthemovieinclassI wasparticularlystruckbytheuseofcameramovement,or"mobileframing"asdescribedinFilm Art.Inthishistoricalanalysis,IwilltakeadetailedlookathowWellesandTolandusecamera movementtodevelopandchallengetheHollywoodstyle.Byreferring...showmorecontent...
Murnau,inTheLastLaughusescameramovementsubjectivelywhenthedoormanisdrunkand hearsthesoundofthetrumpet.Thisisunique,andshowshowsomefilmmakersusedthetechnique formoreexperimentalends(justasLangwouldusesoundinhisfilmM)ButinAmerica,inafilm likeWings,thespectacularcameramovementintheFrenchnightclubhappensonlyonce,anditjust establishesaspacebeforetheactionbegins.Withthecomingofsound,inmovieslikeApplause, cameramovementbecameclumsyanddifficultMamoulianstilltriedittomakehisfilmlookmore fluid,butitoftenwasdistracting.InCitizenKane,WellesandTolandblendcameramovementwith thedramaofthescenes,anduseitmorespectacularlyTheyextendthedeviceintwodirections,and indoingsotheychallengeClassicalHollyood'sconventionofInvisibleStyle.Agoodexampleisthe introductiontoElRancho,whereSusanAlexanderworksasasinger.Thecamerabeginsonasign outsidetherestaurantandthenclimbsupwardtotheroofThenitglidesforward,throughanother sign,andapproachesaskylight.Whenitreachestheskylight,Wellesusesan"invisible"dissolveto cuttoahigh–anglelong–shotoftheinteriorofElRancho.Thiscameramovementcallsattentionto itselfasaspectacle.Notonlyisitunusualtobeginascenebyclimbingupabuildingandfloating acrossitsroof,thecutthroughtheglasswindow(skylight)isobviouslyimpossible.Wellesusesthe
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The1941filmCitizenKanewaswritten,directed,co–producedandstarredbyOrsonWelles.The filmwonanAcademyAwardin1942forBestScreenplayandwasalsonominatedfor8other categoriesinthesameyear.Theblackandwhitemoviewasahitforitstime.Thefilmchallenged thetraditionalnarrativeandtechnicalelementsoftheclassicHollywoodcinemaonmultiplelevels, especiallyforthistimeperiodinhistoryOneofthefirsttraditionalnarrativesthatWelles challengedwastheorderofeventsinthemovie.Mostfilmspresenttheirstoriesinchronological order,CitizenKanedoesnotdothis.Thefilmopenswithnarratedscenesoftheentirelifeof CharlesFosterKane,howevertheseriesofeventsgoesfromthelatershowmorecontent
TheplotdurationisthetimeittookforJerryThompsontointerviewKane'sex–wifeandfriendsin searchofanswersonKane'slifeanddeath,thistookapproximatelyoneweek.Andthenthescreen durationistheentiremovie,thiswouldbealmost2hoursinlength.(Barsam,Monahan143)The settinginthemovieisthetimeandplaceofthestory.CitizenKaneshowedmultiplesettingsamany differenttimesThedeathhadasettingofKanealoneinhishomeinhislateryears,inthe1940s OthersettingsincludedanestateinFloridacalledXanadu,whereKaneandhiswifeSusanlivedin hislateryears.AnothersettingwasamusichallthatKaneownedandwhereSusanperformedfor audiences,thisaswellwasinhislateryears.Hisyoungeryearsincludedsettingsofhisbusinesses arealsoshownthroughoutthefirstofthefilm.Thompson'sinterviewsofKane'sex–wife,his colleagues,hisfriendsandevenhisbutlerprovidesettingsoftheirlocations(afterhisdeath)and thentheirflashbackstoKane'slifeincludingthosetimeperiodsandsettings.Anotherwaythat WelleschallengedthetechnicalelementsoftheHollywoodcinemawasthroughthemise–en–sce `neMise–en–sce`neisthestagingortheactionofputtingonasceneOneoftheconceptsin puttingonasceneorstagingistheillusioncreatedfromthelightingandcameraangles.Inone sceneinthemovie,KaneisinonedoorwaywatchinghiswifeSusanleaveoutoftheirhome,
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CitizenKaneisdirected,producedbyandstarsOrsonWellesandwasmadein1941.CitizenKane followsthelifeoffamousnewspapertycoonCharlesFosterKaneandwasaverycontroversialfilm foritstime.CitizenKanedoesnotcomeunderonespecificfilmgenrebutfallsundertheheadingof severalinterestinggenres,whichincludebiography,narrative,detectiveandnews–paperreporter genre'FilmNoir'isalsoassociatedwithCitizenKaneasithasmanygenresbutalsoaveryspecific stylethatdiffersfromtheclassicalnormofHollywoodmovies.Thismoviebecameextremely significantforitstimeandchangedthefaceoffilmhistory.OrsonWellesbroughtaboutanewway offilmingwithhisuseoflowangleshots,threepointlighting,showmorecontent 'Kane'sinvestigationploycarriesustowardanalyzinghowcausalityandgoal–orientatedcharacters mayoperateinnarratives'(DavidBordwell,1979,p.78).CitizenKanehasfivenarrators,Susan Kane'ssecondwife,Lelandaclosefriendwhogivesapersonalinput,RaymondwhowasKane's butler,BernsteinhisfriendandemployeeandfinallyThatcherthebankerwhobecamehislegal guardianThompsonhadtrackedeachindividualdowntorecoverasmuchinformationaspossible onKanetoincludeinhisinvestigation.Eachaccountisvariesquitealotaseverynarratorhada differentopiniononKane.Usingnumerousnarratorscanworkextremelywellasitgivesdifferent sidestothestoryanddiverseopinionwhichhelpsinhavinganunbiasedinvestigation.Theplotof Kanebecomesmorecomplexduetothefactthereisnumeroussidestodifferentstoriescoming fromindividualnarratorsThisformofnarrationhasimportanteffectsforthefilm'While Thompsonusesthevariousnarratorstogatherdata,theplotusesthemtobothfurnishwithstory informationandtoconcealinformation'(DavidBordwell,1979,p.88).ThefactthatWellesuses fivenarratorsshowstheaudiencethatnotonepersonthemselvescanbeawareofallthe information.Thistechniqueofnarrationworksparticularlywellinthisfilm.Thefactthatthereare numerousaccounts
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Filmcritics,scholars,andorganizationsallovertheworldtendtoselectCitizenKaneasthethe greatestfilmevermade.Whilesomemayarguethatthisclaimisutterlysubjective,itraisesthe questionofwhatmakesamoviegreat.Itisundeniablethatelementssuchastheplot, cinematography,andactingcanmakefilmsbetterthanoneanotherbuttworatherunspoken elementsareafilm'sinfluenceandimplementationofnewtraitsThisiswhereitultimatelygarners itsreputation.CitizenKaneisoneofthegreatestandmostinfluentialcinematicfilmsmadebecause ofitscreativeoriginality,exceptionalcoherence,underlyingmessage,andinnovativecamerawork. Thefilmwasreleasedintheyear1941,whichwasaninterestingtimeperiodforboththefilm industryandtheUnitedStatesingeneral.TheGreatDepressiontookitsdevastatingtollonthe worldameredecadeinadvancetothefilm'srelease,andOrsonWelles,likeeveryAmericanatthe time,heldcertainpoliticalbeliefsregardingthedisaster.HewasaferventsupporterofPresident Roosevelt'sNewDeal,whichinvolvingpublicworksprogramsandsocialsecuritytobring Americansoutofpoverty(Street,1996)Welles'NewDealliberalismanddesireforAmericato interveneintheWorldWarIIwereboththesepolicieswereopposedbyWilliamRandolphHearst andhisnotoriousyellowpress.Hispressproducedstoriesforentertainmentratherthaninformation andwerebiasedwhenitcametocertainpoliticalissues.GiventhecorrelationbetweenKaneand Hearst,itisclearthatthefilmisanattackonHearst'spoliticalbeliefs,businessactivities,and journalisticstyleItisnocoincidencethatCitizenKanewasbeingproducedattheexactpeakofthe isolationistvs.interventionistdebateinAmerica(Street,1996).Criticsclaimthatmoststudios wouldnothaveallowedsuchafilmtobeproduced,butthestudiowhichOrsonWellesworkedwith, RKO,hadimplementedastrategytoattractnewtalentandconferartisticrespectabilityonafilm industrywhichhadexperiencedaturbulentdecadewiththearrivalofthe'talkies'andthe Depression(Jackson,2016).ThecontractgaveWellescompletecontrolovertheprojectanda budgetof
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SincethebeginningoftheIndustrialAge,Americanshaveidealizedthejourneytowardseconomic success.Onethingpeopledonotrealize,however,isthatthatjourneyisnotthesameforevery individual.ForCharlesFosterKane(OrsonWelles),themaincharacterofCitizenKane,directedby OrsonWelles,thepathtowardsrichesandafulfilledlifeisbeingwellliked.Heservestoplease othersHestrivesforthatattentionThisviewcosthimhishappinessintheendInthisman'srise andfallthroughprosperity,Wellesshowsthefutilityofstrivingsolelyforlikeability.
ThemoviestartsoutinKane'schildhoodhome,beforehislifechangedforeverHisfamilyisvisited byarichbankownernamedJerryThompson(William...showmorecontent...
Hedoesnotcaretobringhonestytothepeople,asheinsistswhenhefirstcomesintoowningthe newspaper.Hewantstocontrolpeople,togainmassiveinfluence.
ThiswishforcontrolisalsoseeninhislovelifeHisfirstwifeisEmilyMonroeNorton(Ruth Warrick),thenieceofthecurrentPresidentoftheUnitedStates.ThisconnectionitselfgivesKane morepower,evenanopportunitytobecomegovernor.Onecanevensaythatisonlyreasonhe marriesher:forinfluence,notlove.WhenEmilystartstorealizethis,theirmarriagecontinually deterioratesuntiltheyarehardlyspeakingatall.Kane'ssecondloveinterestisSusanAlexander (DorothyComingore)Thefirsttimetheymet,heproceedstocontrolherHeinsiststhatshesing professionally,evenwhenshearguesagainstit.Theirrelationshipisuncovered,causingEmilyto getadivorce.KanemarriesSusansoonafter.However,itisthesamecycleoveragain.Hetriesto controleverything,shegetsannoyed,themarriagedeterioratesAfterhebuildsXanadu,thepalace, sheissofedupthatsheleaveshimaswell.Hisdesperationforattentionandcontrolcostshima family.
CitizenKaneshowswhyoneshouldnotwishforattentionandinfluencealone.Ifonetriestotake fullcontroloftheirlife,itwillgooutofcontrol.Itishappinessandbeingcontentwithlifethatis importantIfthatincludesbackpackingacrosstheworld,thenthatisthatIfitincludesmakinga ...Getmorecontent...
Theabsolutelystunningfilm,CitizenKane(1941),isoneoftheworld'smostfamousandhighly renownedfilms.Thefilmcontainsmanyremarkablescenesandcinematictechniquesaswellas innovationsWithinthiswell–knownfilm,OrsonWelles(director)portraysmanystylisticfeatures andfundamentalsofcinematography.ThesceneofCharlesFosterKaneandhiswife,Susan,at XanadushowsthedominancethatKanebearsoverpeopleingeneralaswellasSusanspecifically. Throughoutthefilm,OrsonWellescontinuestoconveythemessageofSusan'sinferioritytoMr Kane.Also,WellesfurtherstheimageofhowdemandingKaneisofSusanandmanyothers.Mr. WellesconveysthemessagethatKanehassufferedahardlife,andwill...showmorecontent... SheyearnedtoseefriendsandleaveXanadu.OrsonWelleswasamastermindincreatingscenes usinglight.Inevitablythiscausedtheviewertothinkthoroughlyaboutwhattheyviewed.Through stagingandproxemicswecanunderstandmoreaboutwhatthedirectorwasthinkingOpeningthe sceneatXanadu,SusanisseensittingatthetableworkingonapuzzlewhileCharlesKaneis standingonaquarterturn.ItisshownthatMr.KanebearsdominanceoverSusanatthispoint.She isshowninafewdifferentcutswithapuzzlerepresentingherboredomAtXanadu,thatistheonly thingthatshecoulddobesidesconversingwithheroverbearinghusband.Theproxemicsbetween MrKaneandSusanarequiteinterestingbecauseSusanisshownfurtherawayfromherhusbandas everypartofthescenecutstoanewclip.Thisrepresentstheirdistancing.BeingatXanadu representsthedistancingbetweentheKane'sbecauseitissuchalargedwellingthattheybarelysee eachotherThedistancingisrepresentedphysicallyandemotionallythroughoutthefilm"Ithought wemighthaveapicnictomorrowandinviteeveryonetospendthenightintheEverglades."(Kane). "Inviteeveryone?Ordereveryone,youmean.Whowantstosleepintentswhentheyhaveanice roomoftheirown."(Susan).OrsonWellesdisplaysthetensionbetweenSusanand
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CitizenKaneisoneoftheworld'smostfamousandhighly–ratedclassicfilmmasterpiece.Although itwasnotacommercialsuccessatthetimeofitsreleaseithasalwaysbeenpraisedbyfilmcritics. Thefilmhadabudgetof$800,000andwasdirected,produced,aswellasactedbythetwentyfive yearoldOrsonWells.WellsusedinnovativeanduniquecinematictechniquesinCitizenKanethat wouldinfluencethefilmmakingforalleternity
OnecinematictechniquethatWellsusedwastheMontage,thecinematictechniqueusedtoprovide alotofinformationinaveryshortamountoftimeortoshowthepassingoftimeTherearemanyof theseusedthroughoutthefilmwhichincludetheuseofnewspaperreels,operashows,and myshowmorecontent
ThefirstexamplesofWell'suseofdissolvesandfadeswasinthebeginningandendofthemovie withthescenesofthegatestoXanadu.Heusesaseriousofshotswhichdissolveorfadeintoeach othertogetcloserandclosertothegatesorfencesofXanadu
LightingwasakeycinematictechniquethatWell'susedtoprojectacharacter'spersonainthefilm. Heusedshadowstohideormaskthefacesoftheseeminglycorruptcharacters,likethereporters whoaretryingtofindthemeaningofrosebud.Healsousedbacklighting,whenlightiscastontothe charactersfromtheoppositesideofthecamera,tocreatesilhouette'sSinglesourcelightingwas anothertechniqueusedtofocustheviewersattentiononaimportantproporactionthatwastaking place.Forexample,whenthereporterisallowedtoseethebookofKanethereisonewindow throughwhichallit'slightisfocusedonthebookemphasizingitsimportance
Wellsalsoliketousedeepfocus,wherebothforegroundandbackgroundcanbekeptinfocus simultaneously.Thiscinematictechniquegivestheaudienceachoiceofwheretolookatratherthan thembeingguidedtoseewhatthedirectorwantsyoutofocuson.Oneofthemanyscenesthatused deepfocuswaswhenthemotherissigningoffhersonKaneInthisparticularsceneallthreeplanes areinfocus–themotheratthefront,fatheratthedoor,andyoungKane
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CharlesKane,anewspapermogul,diedathishomeinXanadu.Hislastdyingwordswere'Rosebud' whichnoonehadanyideawhattheymeant.Anewspaperreporterisgiventhetasktoinvestigate whatthewordmeant.HehadtointerviewmanypeopleincludingKane'sfriendslikeJedediah LelandandhisconcubineSusanAlexanderwhoonlyshedsomelightonthemysteryofKane'slife butnoinformationabouttheRosebudwordCitizenKaneisthemoviethathasreceivedlot applauseforcenturiesdespitefloppingattheboxofficein1941.Thenarrativestructurelinenon–linearform,themise–en–scenecomposition,andthecinematographyputthefilminhighregard. ThestructureinthefilmCitizenKaneisnon–linearinthatitdoesnotfollowanyplannedorderThe storyiswellformulatedandpresentedusingflashbacksthatpertaindifferenttimesinthelifeof Kane(Welles).Theseflashbacksareunplannedsearchthattheyofferthevieweranincomplete glimpseofKane'slifeandessentiallyaddingmoresuspense.Ittakestheformofthememorywhena persontriestorememberaneventthattookplacealongtimeago.Theuseofthenon–linear structurehelpstoportrayhowcomplicatedthelifeofKanewasItisvitaltonotethefilmuses severalnarrators.ThemysteryofKane'slifeisalsobeingputtogetherlikeapuzzle(Welles).The audienceiswiththejournalistinthequenchtofindwhatthemysterywordmeanttoKane.The layoutofthestoryisalsoplannedwith
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ThisfilmwasdirectedbyBenjaminRossin1999.Thefilmisaboutamoviethatwasreleasedabout sixtyyearsbeforethisproduction.Itisoddtomethatinthosesixtyyears,noonehadchosento createthisfilmuntilRossthoughtaboutit.Itisweirdtoseeamovieaboutanothermovie.Itis obviousthatarecreationisneverthesamethantheoriginalwork,butIfeellikethismovietruly demonstratedsomeoftheaspectsanddifficultiesthatOrsonWellesexperiencedforhisfilm, "CitizenKane."IfIwereOrsonandhadgonethroughthesemanyhardshipsforamovie,Iprobably wouldhavegivenup.Orson'sdeterminationwasgreatlyshownthroughthismovie.Althoughitis rankedasoneoftheworstmoviesduetoitscameraworkandimaging,Ithinkitdidagreatjobin visualisingOrson'sdreams.ItisstrangethatOrsondecidedtocreateamoviebasedonamanwho simply"offended"him.Ialsofinditadmiringthathedecidedtogoafteramanwhowasmuch "largerandimportant"intheshowmorecontent
"RKO281"showsusthathedestroyedmanycamerasandevenbrokethroughthewoodenfloorin ordertogettheperfectangletoshoothisscenesThereweremanypeople,whowereeitheron WilliamRandolphHearst'ssideordidnotwanttoengageinanyseriousmatterswithhim,who attemptedtostopOrson'sfilmfromeverbeingseen.Ithinkthatitissomewhat"invasionof privacy"thatOrsoncreatedthismoviebasedonaman'slife,butIdonotfinditillegalbecause Hearstwasapublicfigure.ThisfilmwasverysuccessfulandalthoughIhavenotseenit,soIcan notstatemyopinionsonit,itisrankedasnumberoneontheBest100FilmsToberankednumber oneinanythingpositive,isextremelyadmirable.Havingamovierankednumberoneisevenbetter because,aswesawin"RKO281,"directingandactinginamoviesimultaneously,asOrsondid, mustbeadifficult
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CitizenKane
Afterwatchingthemovie"CitizenKane"Irealizedwhythismoviewasnamedoneofthebestfilms ever.Yellowjournalismwasinanerafromthe1880tothe1900anditfeaturedflashyjournalismof thattime,whichmadeeditorswriteaboutinventedstories.Whichwenttobigheadlinesonsubjects thatweren'ttrueThetwobigwritersofthattimewereWilliamRandolphHearstandJoseph Pulitzer.DuringthefilmKaneisdepictedasayellowjournalismatdifferenttimes.
Oneexampleiswhentheyputoutthearticle"CharlesFosterKaneDefeated,FraudAtPolls".From thatheadlineyouwouldbelievethathewasbeatenbysomeillegalpurpose,butitwasjusta headlinegettingpeopletoreadthearticleandtheenjoymentof...showmorecontent...
Ifyouwereatruefriend,Idon'tbelieveyouwouldwritesomethingnegativeaboutyourfriend's wife.
Last,oneofthebiggestpartsofthefilmwasthewordrosebud.Wedidn'tgettoknowwhatitmeant untilthelastsceneofthefilmBut,itwashissledIbelievethatwassomethingthathelovedandfelt thathebelongedto.Itremindinghimofhisfamilyandhome.Thatwasprobablyoneoftheonly thingshereallycaredabout.Iguesswhilehewaslyingtheredieinghethoughtofhissledrosebud, becauseofallthegoodtimeshehadwithit,andhowhehadafamilythatlovedhimatonepointin hislife.
TherearemanyuniqueandinnovativetechniquesusedthroughoutthefilmSomeweresequencing whicharedifferentshotsthatrepresentpurposelikeflashbackstoanothertimeperiod.Anotherthat wasinterestingwastheuseofthenewsreelfootage.Alsothemanydifferentanglesthatwereused, andhowthelightingandshadowswereabigpartofthefilm
Thewholefilmwasdonethroughsomethingcalledsequencing.Theystartedthefilmattheendof someonelifeandbytheendofthefilmyouknoweverything.Theyhadonecharactertryingtofind outwhathislastwordsmeant.Bygoingtofriendsandfamilyandaskingthemquestions.During eachvisitwithsomeonetheywenttoaflashbackexplainingthecertaintimeperiodinhislifealong withallhis
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CitizenKane
Awell–knownfilmthathadtopratingsandmanyawardsglobally,calledCitizenKane,was releasedinSeptemberof1941intheatresacrosstheUnitedStates.OrsenWellesplayeda significantpartinthefilm.Welleswastheproducer,director,andstarofCitizenKane.Orsen WelleshelpedtodescribetheAmericanDreambyusingliterarydevicesandsymbolsthroughout thefilm.WhenAmerican'sthinkabouttheAmericanDream,manyrelatetooneanotherontheir views,whichistoliveasuccessfulandhappylifestyle.FewAmericansmighthavesomeexceptions totheothers,butsuccessandhappinessisthegeneralideaoftheAmericanDreamCitizenKaneon theotherhand,understandsthatthe"dream"isnotassimpleaseveryonethinksitis.OrsenWelles presentstheAmericanDreamasasuccessfulandenjoyableshowmorecontent Flashbacksconsistofasceneorscenesinliteraturethattakesthestorybackintoapasttensetime period.InCitizenKane,themoviestartsoutwiththesceneofFosterKanedroppingasnowglobeas hefellovertohisdeathbedThesnowglobewasanillustrationofFosterKane'schildhoodgoing backtothesnowscene.ThewholefilmwasaflashbackofCharlesFosterKane'slifeandOrsen Wellesalwayscreatedscenestoshowthathischildhoodwassimpleandhappy,whereaswhenhe grewuptheillustrationsweremorecomplicatedandunsatisfying.Theseflashbackshelpto representthepointofviewthatOrsenWellesengagedhisaudiencein.Wellesusedflashbacksto showthattheAmericanDreamisnotasgreatasitappearsTheAmericanDreamwasshownmore inFosterKane'schildhoodthaninanyothertimeinhislife,whichiswhyWellesusedflashbacks throughoutthefilmtoinformhiswatcherstherealityofthesocalled"dream".OrsenWelleshelped portraythepointofviewwiththeuseofflashbacksinthefilmCitizen
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ThefilmCitizenKane,directedbyOrsonWelles,isagreatexampleofhowamancanbecorrupted bywealth.ThroughthecharactersinthefilmwecanobservehowCharlesFosterKane,anidealistic manwithprinciples,canbechangedandmisguidedbywealthandwhataccompanieswealth.The filmtakesplacesduringthelate19thcenturyandearly20thcentury,atimeinAmericanhistory whentheworldischangingandwealthisagreatpowertochangeitwithThroughthestorytelling ofKane'slifeweareabletoseehowwealthchanges,notonlyKane'sideals,buthisactionsandhow heperceivestheworld.
Thecorruptionofidealismbywealthcanbeseenthroughoutthefilm,especiallythroughthe thoughts...showmorecontent...
WhenhissecondwifeleaveshimKanerealizesthecorruptionwealthhasdoneonhislifeandsays "rosebud"becausehewantstoreturntohissled,hischildhood,toreturntothebeginningwhen wealthhasyettocorrupthim.CitizenKaneisthestoryofaman'sgreatideastomaketheworld better,butunabletobecauseofthecorruptionwealthbroughthim
CitizenKaneissetatatimeinAmericanHistorywheretheworldischangingandmoneyisatthe centerofthatworld.Forexample,duringthisperiodoftimewealthhasbecomemoreimportantin Americahasmorenewmoneyarrives.KaneisapartofthisnewmoneysweepacrossAmericaand likeeveryoneelseisstretchinghispowerandwealth.Hestretchesitsomuchthathelosessightof hisobjection,whichisreplacedbyhisobsessiontobeincontrolandmakeallthedecisions,apower whichhefindsthroughwealth.Butitisbecauseofthisobsessionthathisidealisticworldis corrupted.Furthermore,thefilmrevolvesmostaroundanewspaper.Anewspaperreacheseveryone andduringthistimeoneoftheonlyfewmassmediaItisthroughthenewspaperthatKanestretches hiswealthandinfluence.Heiscorruptedbythepowerthatthenewspapergiveshim.Inaddition, Kaneisconstantlysurroundedbybeautifulthingsandpeople,untiltheendofthemoviewhen
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TohelpcreatehisdebutfilmCitizenKane,OrsonWellesassembledatalentedgroupofartistsand technicianswhotogetherproducedafilmthatredefinedcinemaforever.Duringthefilm's productionprocess,Welleshimselfstatedthatmakingafilm"isthebiggestelectrictrainsetanyboy everhad."Bythishemeantthattheproductionstudiowashisplaygroundandheintendedtouse everytoolathisdisposalStartingfromthefilm'sveryfirstshot;heprovesthistobetrueAsthe filmbegins,thecamerasilentlycranesupoverthefencesthatsurroundCharlesFosterKane's mansionandthenslowlytransitionstoamontageofpalatialestate.Inthisuniquesequencethe viewerunderstandsthattheyarewatchingnoordinaryfilm!Sinceitsreleasein1941,CitizenKane consistentlyiscalledoneofthegreatestfilmsevermade.Italsoisoneofthemostanalyzedfilms evercreatedaswell.Inwatchingthefilm,apersoncanselectfromacountlessnumberoffamous scenesonwhichtoreview,comment,admire,anddrawconclusions.Forthisassignment,Ichose mypersonalfavoritescenefromthefilmtoanalyzeindepth.Thesceneoccursneartheendofthe filmjustasKane'ssecondwifeSusanAlexanderleaveshimforgoodThescenelastsabout3anda halfminutesinlength,consistsof12shots,containsalmostnomusic,andjustonewordofdialogue isspoken.However,evenwiththeselimitations,thescenehasmoreimpactandfilmtechniques packedintoit
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FilmscholarsandhistoriansviewCitizenKaneasWelles'sattempttocreateanewstyleof filmmakingbystudyingvariousformsoffilmmaking,andcombiningthemallintoone.However, Wellesstatedthathisloveforcinemabeganonlywhenhestartedtheworkonthefilm.Whenasked wherehegottheconfidenceasafirst–timedirectortodirectafilmsoradicallydifferentfrom contemporarycinema,heresponded,"Ignorance,ignorance,sheerignorance–youknowthere'sno confidencetoequalit.It'sonlywhenyouknowsomethingaboutaprofession,Ithink,thatyou're timidorcareful."[48]:80
DavidBordwellwrotethat"ThebestwaytounderstandCitizenKaneistostopworshipingitasa triumphoftechnique."Bordwellarguesthatthe...showmorecontent...
Theuseofflshbscksvlsomvkeswhoeverisreleyingtheirmemoryvunrelivblenvrrvtorbecausewe vstheviewerrelizethvtsometimesmemorydistortsfcts.
Thefilmisoneofthefirstttemptsetfilmnoir,whichisvgenrethvtemploysvdvrkmoodytoneto ugmentthedevrkvndmysteriouseventsthvtvretvkingplvce
Nvrrvtivefrming
TimetrvsitionsseeninthescenewereyoungChvrlesisbeingtoldMrryChristmsbythvthchervnd thescenedissolvestoshowthvthchernowobviouslyolderfinishingwithHppyNewYer.Showing 17yerspvssinginonescene.Notherexvmpleoftimedresolveiswherethegroupphotoofthe workersetvrivlnewspaperdissolveintovolmostidenticlphotothvtrevelsthvttheynowellwork forKne.VnothertimedissolvefeturesknevndhisfirstwifeEmilywhoreshowninvseriesof sdimilrshotsspredoutthroughout16yers
Deepfocus
Lowvndhighcvmerv
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InthemovieCitizenKane,youngCharlesFosterKaneisveryenergetic,optimisticandhasavery positiveoutlookonlife.Atthesametimehehateshisoldandbitterguardian,Mr.Thatcher,who hassecludedhimselffromtheeverydaymanandtheonlythingheisafterismoneyandstature LateroninlifeCharlesKaneturnsintoanexactcarboncopyofMr.Thatcher,eventhoughthatis exactlywhathewantedtogetawayfrom.InthisessayIwillprovehowtheusedofsound,inthe scenesinThatcher¡¦slibraryandXanadu,ascomparedtotheearlierscenesinyoungKane¡¦s newspaperoffice,helpestablishthisdevelopmentinKane¡¦scharacter.
Thesceneinshowmorecontent
TheattendantgivesajournalofMr.Thatchertothereporterandtellshimonlytoreadaspecific numberofpagesinalimitedamountoftime.EvenindeathMr.Thatcher¡¦swantforcontrolandhis bitternessisshownthroughthelibraryattendant,anditfeelslikehehadgivenherinstructionsprior tohisdeathastohowtodealwithpeopleseekingaccesstohislibrary.
InthesecondsceneweseeCharlesKaneandhisFriendspullupinahorsedrivencarriageinfront ofhisnewspaperbuilding.Thenon–diegeticsoundinthissceneisveryhappy,upbeat,and energetic.ThereisabitofhumorandwithKane¡¦spositiveenergyeverythingseemsverylively. ThesounditselftellsusthatheisnotanythinglikehisguardianMrThatcherHehasapositive outlookonlifeandwantstodoexactlytheoppositeofwhathisguardianwantshimtoobecausehe stilldoesnotlikehimandwilldoanythingtogetunderhisskin.
Thethirdscenestartswithanon–diegeticsound,whichhasacloseresemblancetothatofthesound inMr.Thatcher¡¦slibrary.Itisverycreepyandbonechillingcomparedtowhenwefirstmeet CharlesKane.ThehallisdarkandgloomylookingjustasMr.Thatcher¡¦slibrary.Kaneandhiswife seemtobesittingattheoppositeendsoftheroom,showingusthedistancethathascomebetween themsincetheyfirstmet.The
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OrsonWelles'sCitizenKaneisarevolutionaryfilm.Althoughitmightnotlooklikemuchtothe modernviewer,manyaspectsofthefilmwerethefirstoftheirkindtoappearandarestillused today.
OnethingInoticedthroughoutthefilmwastheuseofreflections.Themoviestartsoffwitha montageofimagesofXanadu,CharlesKane'spersonalestateOneoftheshotsincludesabeautiful reflectionofthebuildinginthewater.WhenKanediesanddropsthesnowglobe,youseethe nurse'sreflectionintheglassasshewalksintotheroom.AfterKaneconvincesthemenfromthe ChronicletocomeworkforhimattheInquirer,hethrowsaparty;wecanseehimdancingina reflectionofawindow.WhenKaneisinXanadu,hewalksthrough...showmorecontent... Thecameraanglesvariedgreatlythroughoutthefilm.Multipletimesthecamerawasclosetothe floorlookingupatthecharactersandothertimesitwasveryhighuplookingdown.Therearealso multipletimeswithinthefilmthattheactorslookstraightintothecamera.Thishappenswhen LelandandKanearetalkingaboutthenewspaperdeclarationaswellaswhenWalterThatcher readingKane'snewspapersheadlines.Mostnarrativesdonothavetheactorsacknowledgethatthe cameraisthere,however,someTVshowsnowhaveactorslookintothecameraforanadded dramaticeffectjustasCitizenKanedid.
Thebeginningofthefilmalsousedashotthathadavarietyofnewspaperheadingswithsomeone flippingthroughthenewspapersinorderfortheaudiencetoseealltheheadingsThishasbeen repeatedinmanymoviessince,butnowitisdonedigitallywithfancyeffectslikethepapers spinning.
Ialsolikehowtherearetwointertwinedplotsthroughoutthefilm,thatofKane'slifeandthatof Thompsontryingtofigureoutwhatrosebudmeans.IhaveseenCitizenKanebeforeandwatchingit forasecondtimewasmuchbetter.IwasabletopickupondetailsthatIwasconfusedbybefore. Oneofthesewastheseeminglyrandomscreechingcockatootowardstheendofthefilm.Watching theotherstudents'reactionsmademerealizewhatthiscockatoowasfor.Afteritappearedonscreen manypeopleshotupasitseemedtheywerefallingasleepor
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CitizenKane
CitizenKaneisoftencalledthegreatestfilmevermade.Itsuseoffilmtechniquesoftentakenfor grantednowadayswerecompletelynewandhadnotbeendonebefore.Simplethingslikeceilings onthesetsandrealisticscenessuchasthenewsreel,whichwouldnotstandoutinamodernfilm, werecombinedtomakeafilmfullofinnovativetechniques.Thedirector,OrsonWelles,developed theuseofdeepfocustomaketheflatcinemascreenalmostbecomethreedimensional,whichadded arealismthathadnotbeenexploredbefore
Rightfromthestart,aviewercanseetheinnovationdisplayedbyWelles.Theopeningscene,oneof themostfamousintheentirefilm,beginswiththeshowmorecontent
ThishappensjustasKanedies,soitisbothasignalthathehaspassedaway,andametaphorofthe lightoflifegoingout
Theopeningscenealsocontainsthefirstinstanceofsomethingbeingviewedthroughapieceof glassandofjustthereflectionofwhatisgoingonbeingseen,inthiscase,bothatonce.These techniquesmaketheaudienceunsureofwhattheyareseeingandareusedatothertimesthroughout thefilm
Realismisamajorreasonwhy"CitizenKane"standsoutfromotherfilmsofthetime.However,it isthewayrealismandtheatricaleffectsaremixedtogetherthattrulymarksitoutasoneofthe greatestfilmsevermade.Ceilingsonthesetallowedforsceneslitbynormallightbulbs,givingthe appearanceofrealrooms,butthetheatricalspotlightsthroughthewindowsinthenewsreelshowing roomandthelibraryhighlightpartsofthescenery,leavingothersinshadow.
Thepeopleworkingon"CitizenKane"wenttogreatlengthstogetauthentic–lookingfilmforthe newsreel.Itwasdegradedusingsandtogiveagrainylookasopposedtothesmoothfilmusedfor themainpicture.Alsointhenewsreel,thejerkycuts,whenKanespillscementonhiscoatthenis shownclean,giveamoregenuinefeeltothefootageThenewsreelscenecanalsobeviewedasa parodyofanactualnewsprogrammeofthetime,"MarchofTime".This
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CitizenKaneisa1941AmericandramafilmbyOrsonWelles,whowasitsproducer,co–author, directorandstar.Thefilmisaboutnewsreportersfollowingthedeathofapublishingtycoon,they scrambletodiscoverthemeaningofhisfinalwordthathespoke:"Rosebud".CitizenKanewonthe titleasthegreatestfilmevermadewhenittoppedthe1962SightandSoundpoll.Itheldthetopspot for50yearsuntilitfelltosecondbehindVertigo(1958)Thefilmiscommonlypraisedforits intricateplot,filledwithflashbacksthatshufflethechronologyofKane'slife,itsextraordinary performances,itsmarveloustechnicalstunts,anditsdeep–focusphotography.Thestorytelling techniqueisoneofthetechniquesthatmadethismoviedifferent
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