Paper Summary:

The paper compares and contrasts the methods in which the films "Citizen Kane" and "Bicycle Thieves" deal with the artistic representation of reality. The paper describes how "Citizen Kane" has left a lasting impression and legacy on filmmaking history by its artistic representation of reality through its innovative cinematography techniques. The paper then shows how "Bicycle Thieves" is remembered in film history for artistically representing reality as reality that uses real life experiences as the 'plot'.

From the Paper:

"Citizen Kane and Bicycle Thieves are two of the most prominent movies of all time in film history. Even though the 1941 American film Citizen Kane was originally considered mediocre, it was to eventually gain fame over time and received the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1941. The 1948 Italian film, Bicycle Thieves, on the other hand, was an immediate success. This film received the Academy Award in 1949. (wiki) Both films have captured the audiences' heart, attention, and soul for generations by using realism as their base. In fact, according to film history terms, they are known as realist films. The methods in which these two classic films deal with the artistic representation of realism is remarkably different and has fascinated lovers of the cinema for ages."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Belfrage, Cedric. "Orson Welles' Citizen Kane ." Focus on Citizen Kane . Ed. Ronald Gottesman. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1971. pg. 54-59.
• Jeff, Leonard. "Reading Kane". Vol. 39. 1985. pg. 10-20.
• Ogle, Patrick L; Bill Nichols. "Technological and Aesthetic Influences Upon the Development of Deep Focus Cinematography in the United States", Movies and Methods, University of California Press, 1985, pg. 73.
• Ratner, Megan.. GreenCine, "Italian Neo-Realism," 2005. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from: http://www.greencine.com/static/primers/neorealism1.jsp
• Turner, Kyleigh. (2001) "Citizen Kane's Orson Welles." Retrieved April 25, 2008 from:http://www.users.muohio.edu/shermalw/honors_2001_fall/honors_papers_2001/kane/index.html

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