Abstract This paper examines the signature film in Orson Welles' directorial career - "CitizenKane". The paper explores how Welles constructs his narrative, how his fairly elegant style as a director is on full display in the film and how he builds the character of Charles Foster Kane via introducing the recollections of others (by using superbly-rendered visual images). The paper also discusses how CitizenKane shows Welles' ability to take the film-making art of his time and elevate it to a new level of sophistication never before seen in American cinema, by making images on the screen act with a metaphorical power and vividness. The paper looks at Gregg Toland's (cinematographer of "Citizen Cane") artful use of cinematographic tools that were far more advanced than anything which had been attempted up to that time.
From the Paper "In Citizen Kane, Welles' extraordinary ability to create a storyline that is simultaneously complex yet (fairly) easy-to-follow is on display. The noted American film critic Roger Ebert has written that the film is circular, adding more depth each and every time it returns to the life of the Kane character. Ebert also adds that the decision on the part of Welles' to open his 1941 opus with a scene featuring newsreel obituary footage is intended to be both portentous (obviously) and is also meant to serve as an anchor that will keep the thoughtful audience member oriented as the screenplay moves seemingly haphazardly from one memory to another of the man as recalled by those who knew him."
Abstract This paper examines the film styles within "CitizenKane". These styles included realism, German expressionism and the nontage style. A looks at how these film styles are connected to scenes and themes within the movie.
From the Paper "Film, like many art forms, is punctuated by works of great influence. These films often change the way that films are made so that future works are fundamentally different. These works can influence the medium of film in technical, thematic, stylistic or a wide range of other ways. Probably one of the most influential films is Citizen Kane. Filmmakers and critics give a wide range of reasons for suggesting that Citizen Kane is one of the greatest films of all time. Some would suggest that the work is a brilliant example of technical filmmaking while others would suggest that its use of narrative was truly unique. "
Abstract The paper discusses how in director Orson Welles cinematic masterpiece "CitizenKane", the character of Charles Foster Kane (Welles) experiences many traumatic events that are linked to an obsession with his mother. It looks at how out of all these events, Kane's marriage to Susan Alexander, played by Dorothy Comingore, is the most disturbing, for it reflects some very dark motives on the part of Kane, the "spoiled rich kid" who inherited a fortune via the Comstock Lode. It shows how Kane's marriage to Susan, who was forced to live in a world that revolved around Kane and his obsessive behavior, collapses and makes her a free woman. It evaluates how Kane used Susan as a scapegoat in order to heal the wound left by his abandonment as a child, and through Susan's abandonment of Kane, his self-image and his massive ego are destroyed.
From the Paper "The ultimate symbol of Kane's obsessive behavior occurs in the scene where Susan finally confronts her husband in the bedroom, where the famous "snowball" glass orb sits on Susan's dressing bureau. After she tells him that their marriage is over and leaves the bedroom, Kane smashes everything in the room--except the glass "snowball" which reminds him of his childhood in Colorado and his mother. This object encapsulates everything Susan stands for--her loneliness, rejection and the abuse thrown upon her by the insane Charles Foster Kane."
Abstract This paper examines Orson Well's classical film ?CitizenKane?. It illustrates how Wells made the camera an active part of the dialogue and plot through photographic and cinematographic methods. The author claims that the integration of sound and camera work make the story first person as seen through the eyes of the viewer. The paper describes how this revolutionary film brought the viewer out of the theater seat and onto the screen.
From the Paper "Citizen Kane represented a breakthrough in cinematography at the time of its release. Filmed in 1941, it launched the career of Orson Wells. It helped to define Orson Well's unique style, which later became his trademark. Orson Wells collaborated with Herman J. Mankiewicz on the script. However, it was the cinematography of Gregg Toland that made the film a memorable masterpiece. Until this time, the use of shadows, camera angle, depth of shot and focus presented characters in a non-personal way. The camera stayed in one place and the actors moved in front of it. In" Citizen Kane", Orson Wells made the camera an active part of the dialogue and plot. In this way the photography in "Citizen Kane" became an integral part of the artistry in the movie. The photography in Citizen Kane could be viewed as stand?alone art. The use of the camera in Citizen Kane makes the audience a participant in the film, not a mere observer. They become a character in the film themselves through the camera."
Abstract This essay is a critical look at one of the most respected and revered films in American film, "CitizenKane". The essay examines the many faceted conflicts that exist in the film and the lengths the characters take to resolve them. "CitizenKane" is a tale of conflict on many different levels. This essay looks at five of the most compelling and significant conflicts that play out on the screen. These five elements in the film are the focus of the essay; they are analyzed and discussed in turn.
From the Paper "Orson Wells' 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane is regarded as one of the finest movies since the beginning of American cinema. Like anything that is considered "great" this film has stood well against the test of time. In Citizen Kane the validity and importance of the story is almost secondary to the methods employed to tell that story. Wells, the consummate performer, utilized all of his experience stage acting and directing experience in Kane. Many of the techniques had never been used in such a manner or to the extent that Wells did. All story elements aside, Citizen Kane ushered in a new period in American Film and would inspire the film-makers not only of the generation when it premiered but film-makers even today."
Abstract This paper applies six leadership theories to an analysis of the character of Charles Foster Kane in Orson Welles' film, "CitizenKane." It concludes that Kane is typical of authoritarian leadership style.
Abstract Analyzes the visual effects, nonlinear storyline and symbolism make the classic film "CitizenKane" a movie ahead of its time. Describes how Wells uses a combination of dialogue, camera movement, dept of focus, lighting, sound and more.
From the Paper "One of the great films, "Citizen Kane," is considered by some to be one of the most critically acclaimed American films of all time. The film was ahead of its time in its visual, audio and narrative story telling approach. It uses a nonlinear method to develop the story's theme, which has been duplicated in many recent movies such as "Pulp Fiction." However, this style was rarely found in films from the thirties and forties. Many of the visual and audio elements of the movie were very creative, unique and never done before "Citizen Kane." With computer generated special effects seen commonly today, it is impressive how Orson Welles was able to create many of his effects in 1941. "Citizen Kane" is definitely a film that proves how a movie can be great with little or no computer technology."
Abstract This paper shows that the movie "CitizenKane" is recognized as one of America's greatest works because it employs excellent work in all fields. Not only is the acting, directing and writing excellent, the production and, most specifically, use of deep focus camera technique make this movie one of the most innovative in history. The paper shows that the filmmaker's willingness to challenge preconceived notions about filmmaking set the stage for more advancements to film making.
From the Paper "The early signs of deep focus, or pan-focus as it was known at the time, can be seen in Gregg Toland's 1940 film, The Long Voyage Home. Toland was also an innovative producer, looking for ways to create something new and successful. He and Welles worked hand in hand to develop film techniques and strategies that would be wildly successful in the film industry. It was unique because, for the first time, cameras could pick up things that usually only the human eye would be able to."
An analysis of the four minute boarding house scene in the film, "CitizenKane" and what this scene reveals about the style of the director, Orson Welles.
Abstract This paper analyzes Orson Welles' film, "CitizenKane", and describes the plot of the story and the personality of the main character in the film. The paper specifically focuses on Mrs. Kane's boarding house scene and how it affected the childhood of Charlie Kane, the main character in the film. The paper then describes how this four-minute scene displays Welles' artistic talent in an exceptional manner.
From the Paper "Orson Welles created a masterpiece in his film Citizen Kane and the four-minute scene of Mrs. Kane's Boarding House displays Welles' artistic talent in an exceptional manner while creating the image of Charles Kane as a happy, playful boy that becomes raged at everything about his new guardian, and leads to Kane being in a lifelong search of what he lost that day. Welles painted a canvas that showed how inspiring Charlie's mother was to Kane and that Charles was committed to being in control of his environment just as his mother was. The love and affection that was lost as boy from Kane's mother was sought after by the radiance that Charles demanded from his empire. Welles' depiction of Kane's childhood showed what Charles wanted to replace in his life as an adult by the wealth and empowerment gained. Through the uses of camera angles, character placement, sounds, and symbolism, Welles brought about the undiminished story of Charles Kane's life in this one scene. As Charlie's sled of security and love of his childhood lay alone, cold, and lifeless in the snow, he had much wealth and many people with him as his journey with Thatcher began. As Kane died an old man, he also was alone, cold and lifeless with great wealth and many people."
Abstract The paper discusses the film "CitizenKane" by Orson Welles and analyzes its style and structure. The paper shows how the various elements used in telling this story contribute to its symbolism while centering on the mystery of the nature of Kane's character.
From the Paper "Citizen Kane is a rich film in which one can find a wide variety of American values reflected or subverted in the actions of Kane and others in the film. The film also reflects a sense of the history of this country in the first four decades of this century, a period of change in the economic and political realms embodied in the changes in Charles Foster Kane himself. He begins as an idealist in the American mold, a man who wants his newspaper not merely to report the news but to provide a forum for the truth. However, this entails the accumulation of a good deal of power, and the growth of this power becomes a rationale for trying not merely to report the news but to make it."
Abstract The paper compares and contrasts the basic film making techniques and themes that Orson Welles in "CitizenKane" and Raoul Walsh in "Roaring Twenties" utilized in telling essentially the same story. The paper explains that both of these stories are set in the 1920s and both illustrate aspects of the American dream, with the rise and fall of the hero in the story. The paper shows how these are stories of good and evil in a society torn by war, excess, and then crushing economic crisis. The paper concludes that both films are filled with some of the finest actors, are written with a compelling dramatic style and are memorable due to their cinematic techniques.
From the Paper "Both of these films are created in stark black-and-white, even though color in films did make its debut in 1939, with the classic "Wizard of Oz," and 1939 was the same year "Roaring Twenties" debuted. Both of these films are based on the lives of real people, even thought they might not acknowledge that. "Kane" is based on the life of wealthy publisher William Randolph Hearst, while "Roaring Twenties" is loosely based on the life of gambler and racketeer Larry Fay. There is one major difference between the two characters that is made quite clear in the film. Eddie, the hero of "Roaring Twenties" (played by film great James Cagney), is basically a good man who is thrown into the world of gangsters and bootlegging due to society and economics. Charles Foster Kane (played by Orson Welles), is a good child who becomes corrupt early, and becomes enamored of his own power and prestige so much that any traces of good left in him only seem to emerge on his death bed, when his last word is of his precious sled from so long ago."
Abstract This paper looks at the contributions of Luis Bunuel, director of the Surrealist film "Un Chien Andalou"; (An Andalusian Dog) and Orson Welles, director of the American classic film, "CitizenKane". It shows how both directors have given significant input to the history of film that are currently and still in practice.
From the Paper "Luis Bunuel is a Spanish director who was known primarily for his contribution the Surrealist movement that emerged along with the French Impressionist movement during the latter part of 1920s. "Un Chien Andalou" (An Andalusian Dog), which was produced in the year 1928, marked the beginning of the use of surrealism in films. During this time period, surrealism is fast becoming a popular movement, and is prevalent in the visual arts, such as the paintings of Andre Breton and Salvador Dali. Incidentally, Dali is influential in Bunuel's works because his works include those of Dali's paintings, one of which was shown in ?Un Chien Andalou.? The Surrealist movement is characterized to be the anti-thesis of the normative formula of most films. Instead of adapting a narrative form and style, Surrealist films are antinarrative, and appeals mainly to the subconscious thoughts of people. Surrealist works are also devoid of logic, as can be seen in Bunuel's portrayal of a woman sucking the toes of a statue, and the popular scene wherein Bunuel himself cut with a razor the eyeballs of a woman. These scenes are evidently devoid of any logic, and in fact, surrealist films do not aim to explain at all whatever message (if there is a message) a film has."
Tags: Chien, Andalou, Citizen, Kane, Surrealist, movie
Abstract The films "CitizenKane" and "Stagecoach," two examples of great Hollywood cinema, also serve to emphasise the importance of mise-en-scene in filmmaking. By contrasting these two films in terms of mise-en-scene themes such as good and evil, social climate and diagetic time. The essay also explores the technical aspects of film such as lighting, costuming and film angles.
From the Paper "The mise-en-scene is one of the most important elements in cinema. From French, it literally means, "putting on stage", and was first applied to theatre. A mise-en-scene in a film is everything that comprises the frame ? from lighting and costuming to set design, and has a significant impact on the meaning on the film. By looking at two films by way of example, Citizen Kane and Stagecoach, deconstruction is necessary to display how elements of mise-en-scene work to add to the story and tone of the pictures."
Abstract This paper summarizes and analyzes the famous film "CitizenKane" and explains how it reflects a wide variety of American values through the actions of Kane and others in the film. The paper also explains that much of the originality of "CitizenKane" came from a synthesis of techniques that, while they had been used in other films before the making of "CitizenKane", had never been brought together as they were in in this particular movie. The paper further discusses and analyzes the plot and structure of the movie as well as the dramatic realism of the film and the use of of non-linear methods and expressionistic choices to tell the film's story. Finally, the paper discusses the film's effective and impressive use of visual elements and sound.
From the Paper "The primary American values sought by Kane in the beginning are truth, honesty, idealism, and individuality. These continue to be the primary goals he has for the country and the citizenry as he enters politics and offers to fight the corrupt political machine then running the city. The scandal into which he falls is a personal one, but it becomes a public one, showing how the voting public often confuses private morality with the public values of a political figure."
