Essay about Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane by Orson Welles is a story that was made for excellence. However, since it was about William Randolph Hearst, it did not do too well. Many movies didn't want to play the film because they were scared of Hearst and his power. Although, many could not see the movie it still became one of the greatest films ever made through its uncommon angles, montages, and lighting.

A variety of camera techniques are used throughout the beginning sequence to enhance the mood and involve the audience. Camera techniques are harmonized with lighting effects to culminate this dramatic scene. I will begin by discussing examples of this. In the village, many close-ups and long shots are used to enhance facial expression and to set the sombre mood.

Firstly the directors and their team use a variety of different camera techniques to shape our view on the characters, and ultimately

The film was made in 1941 and won best screenplay at the Oscars and was also nominated for best picture, best director, best actor and best cinematography. It was directed by Orsen Welles and its main actors were Joseph Cotten , Dorothy Comingore and Agnes Moorehead. The film has aged incredibly in the last 75 years from its release and has defined film in how good it really was. Citizen Kane changed the way movies are made because it became the starting point for many filmmakers first learning about how films are made and how a director can give a film a particular style. The editing (by Robert Wise) was as innovative as the cinematography by Gregg Toland - add these two talents to the talent of director Orson Welles not knowing how to direct properly and you have stylistic flourishes and a film that still impresses today. It didn't immediately change how movies were made citizen Kane was actually a somewhat forgotten film for several years until it was rediscovered in the late 50s - but it was definitely ground-breaking and many of the techniques used were copied and used by later directors.

Literary suspense techniques used by the film maker is foreshadowing and imagery. Foreshadowing is used in the film through the use of fast pace music in combination

For example, during The Big Fish, the story about the witch’s eye, the angle from where the camera was, showing the house, it meant to make the audience predict what was going to happen. Another example would be in Edward Scissorhands when Peg first went into Edwards room when he was sitting in the corner in the dark. the lighting and framing worked together to create suspense and make the audience worry for Peg’s safety. But another technique that ties both of these techniques together to create the effects of the viewers would have to be

The second way why cinematography made the film is because the camera shots during the film were very close to one other. It did become kind of confusing many times during the film. Now you would see medium shots more than any other one during the film. There were also long shots that were shot alongside the medium shots so long shots would

In the Truman show, the theme of audience manipulation is greatly portrayed through the different camera shots used. The director uses many different camera shots to emphasize specific actions throughout the film. Eye-level shots, close-up shots, and high-angle shots are

One such flashback begins at Thatcher’s building where the reporter Thompson enters an exaggeratedly large room and begins to read about Kane. This is one of the scenes in which cinematographer Greg Toland’s deep focus technique of filming and use of unique lighting, in which the only light source hits

Through the use of high and low angles (“a shot that is made by placing the camera above the subject angled downward” and “a shot made by placing the camera below the subject angled upward” respectfully defined by Jon Lewis, author of The Essential Cinema), are almost balanced in this scene. (Lewis) For example, during the first part of the scene, Mrs. Kane, Susan Alexander, and Mr. Gettys are seen as closer to the camera and at a low angle. This could possibly demonstrate that they are more active in the scene than Mr. Kane. Meanwhile, it appears that Mr. Kane is shorter and smaller than the other characters, again hinting at his inability to control the situation.

The film Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles, is a great example of how a man can be corrupted by wealth. Through the characters in the film we can observe how Charles Foster Kane, an idealistic man with principles, can be changed and misguided by wealth and what accompanies wealth. The film takes places during the late 19th century and early 20th century, a time in American history when the world is changing and wealth is a great power to change it with. Through the story telling of Kane’s life we are able to see how wealth changes, not only Kane’s ideals, but his actions and how he perceives the world.

The director of the movie(Frances Ford Copolla) has a very good use of montage, and long shots. Capolla starts off the movie with an extrodonary shot of an undertaker saying "this is America." Which gives a glimpse of how haunting the film is going to be? A good use of long shots is perfect when the camera pans around the long shot as Mikey takes on the responsibility of getting revenge for his fathers shooting. Also a good example of Copolla’s long shots is when the film is about to end and there is a shot of Diane Keaton looking so innocent and really knowing nothing of the family business. In the film, montage is used in the baptism scene. The shots cut when all the highly religious questions are asked of Mike, and then the shots start cutting back in forth from the killings of the head’s of the other top five family’s and the baptism, portraying mike as a changing person(a god man to an evil one.)

developed , and the film itself was created with 3 different screen methods in mind ,

Formal techniques such as lighting, space, focus, and framing add a feeling of speed and urgency to this segment. High key lighting highlights every aspect of the scene, allowing the audience to observe every detail of this chaotic diegetic world. Deep space and deep focus also serve the same purpose. Framing

The concept of seamless editing was used because it was one of the first films to use more than one scene. This was the first narrative film that audiences could see going somewhere and was very successful amongst different audiences. This film became so successful because alongside using traditional editing techniques; it included new techniques such as Parallel Editing, Minor Camera Movement and Crosscutting.