Citizen Kane is the life story of a powerful newspaper magnate, Charles Foster Kane. It is a fictionalized biography of the ruthless publishing baron, William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951). In actuality, the characters in the movie are composites, drawn from the lives of several famous American tycoons, but Hearst was the most obvious. Photography Gregg Toland, the cinematographer for Citizen Kane, considered the film the high point in his career & thought he might ‘learn something’ from the boy genius (Welles). Welles, used to setting up his own lights in the live theater thought the movie directors were also responsible for the lighting. Toland would let Welles determine the design of most of the lights, but quietly instructed the camera …show more content…
He was also influenced by the moody, low-key photography of John Ford’s Stagecoach. Citizen Kane did not look like most American movies of its era. Each image was well thought out. No shot or sequence was taken lightly. The use of deep-focus, low-key lighting, rich textures, audacious compositions, dynamic contrasts between foregrounds & backgrounds, backlighting, sets with *ceilings*, side lighting, steep angles, epic long shots, juxtaposed with extreme closeups, dizzying crane shots, special effects galore--none of these were new, but Welles used them in such profusion. Photographically, Kane ushered in a revolution ‘challenging the classical ideal of a transparent style’ that doesn’t call attention to itself. In Kane, the ‘style was part of the show’. The lighting in the movie is generally in mostly high key in those scenes depicting Kane’s youth & dealing w/his years as a crusading young publisher (the happier part of his life). As he grows older & more cynical, the lighting grows darker, more harshly contrasting. Kane’s home, the palatial Xanadu, has a very unwelcoming, dark, dank atmosphere, …show more content…
Sometimes Kane’s face seems split in half w/one side brightly illuminated, the other hidden in darkness (Chiroscuro lighting - Rembrandt). When Kane tells Bernstein & Leland of his intention to publish a “Declaration of Principles” on the front page of his newspaper promising his readers he will be an honest & tireless champion of their rights as citizens & human beings, his face if fully lit. When he leans down to sign the proclamation, his face is suddenly plunged in darkness--an ominous foreshadowing of Kane’s later character. Thea B31-Fall Study Guide Ch 12-Citizen Kane 2. Welles used low-angle shots as a *motif* throughout the picture, especially ‘to emphasize the awesome power of the protagonist’. Combined w/the perspective-distorting wide-angle lens, such low-angle shots as the one filmed from below the floor, portray Kane as a towering colossus, capable of crushing anything that gets in his
The movie its self also has multiple narratives, with a little something that everyone can find a point to enjoy in the movie. Citizen Kane is the best film in existence because of the multiple techniques used in the cinematography, it spans multiple
BLOOD SIMPLE’s mise-en-scene starts off with the lighting of the car ride, it is dark, the characters’ are draped in shadows, the outside world is a blur, and the mood is being set for the follow on scenes. BLOOD SIMPLE’s opening composition also establishes a central theme for the audience that this movie will be gloomy, have immoral implications and be filled with betrayal. The lighting in the movie is constant throughout with heavy shadows, low backlighting, which is until the last scene where the light brightens as the action falls. Key props were found throughout the film, however one of the major props was Abby’s hand gun.
Lenny Abrahamson’s drama film Room follows Joy and her five-year-old son Jack and their experiences of living in a tiny room with only so much space. Throughout the film, both aspects of low-key lighting and high-key lighting are filmed in various scenes. These lighting styles indicate both the rough and unstable atmosphere of living in just one small room as well as the freedom of escaping the small room and starting a new chapter in their lives. In addition, both lighting styles also play an important role in the film’s plot and set the mood for the plot by either adding suspense or relief. Room narrates the story of Joy and her son Jack’s lives as they are trapped in a very small shelter that they refer to as Room.
The Film Citizen Kane was a groundbreaking film in the 1940’s, the way Orson Wells depicts his film with different lighting, cinematography, choice of camera shots and mise-en-scene throughout this movie truly showed the masterpiece that this film is. In the Film Citizen Kane, it was the first movie that went against true Hollywood cinema by introducing flashbacks throughout the movie to show us how Charles Foster Kane changes throughout the movie. Throughout this movie the audience can see how Charles Foster Kane undergoes a variety of physical and emotional changes from when he was just a young boy all the way until his unfortunate death. Power, that’s all that Kane wanted in the start of the film. In the beginning of the film Kane gets ownership of the struggling New York Daily Inquirer, Kane suggests that he wanted to use journalism to apply to the public and protect the interest of ordinary people.
Dirty Dancing was released in 1987. The film clip I chose was from the end of the season talent show. Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) approaches Baby’s (Jennifer Grey) table and tells her father “Nobody puts baby in a corner.”
Directed by Orson Welles, the 1941 motion picture “Citizen Kane” is the story of the rise and fall of a great, influential man. The opening scenes of “Citizen Kane” are quite different from what follows during the rest of the film. Fading in and out of different landscapes instilled mystery. This mysterious vibe was carried on during Charles Foster Kane’s death through the use of shadows, quiet music, and close up shots. Isolated in his vast empire of a home, Kane uttered only one word before he passed: “rosebud.”
Citizen Kane challenged the traditional narrative and technical elements of classic Hollywood cinema mainly in the area of sound. Orson Welles was ahead of his time when he created his works of manipulating sound to transfer meaning in the film Citizen Kane. Welles used concealed hanging microphones to obtain different levels of sound throughout the film. The manner, in which the story was told, from Kane’s death flashbacked to his life of success and ultimate failure, was also a new style of storytelling for films. Welles also used symbolism with his last mumbling word “Rosebud.”
There are many things that make “Citizen Kane” considered as possibly one of the greatest films every made; to the eyes of the passive audience this film may not seem the most amazing, most people being accustomed to the classical Hollywood style, but to the audience with an eye for the complex, “Citizen Kane” breaks the traditional Hollywood mold and forges its own path for the better. Exposition is one of the most key features of a film, it’s meant introduce important characters and give the audience relevant details and and dutifully suppress knowledge in turn. “Citizen Kane” does not follow this Classic Hollywood style exposition, instead going above and beyond to open the film with revealing as little information as possible and confuse/intrigue
The use of background light was an important focus in this picture, there was less attention to lighting the actors faces but in almost every frame there is well placed background light often combined with a moving light source. Repetition was also evident within the visual composition of the frame, the actors were rarely positioned within the center of the frame but always to the left or the right with a light source covering them from behind. Ridley Scott perfectly matches colorful high key light with low key lights creating impeccable contrast, this lighting used could be described as a modern Citizen Kane style. Although this is overall a very dark and low light film, the motif of shadows and darkness allows the beauty of light to truly be
Citizen Kane by Orson Welles is a cinematic classic, released in 1941. Citizen Kane challenged traditional narrative and technical elements of classic Hollywood cinema. Kane was narrated by several people that include their take on Kane’s life. The story unfolds by many flashbacks and is told by different perspectives over the years through different narrations. Charles Foster Kane was a millionaire, head of newspapers and died saying “rosebud”.
Shot Analysis: Citizen Kane Orson Welles, director of “Citizen Kane”, is well known for his unusual directing methods that defied conventional cinematic techniques. Welles provided his audience with original forms of cinematography, narrative structures, and music. The scene I chose to analyze is extremely important to the plot of the film because Kane begins to realize that he is going through some serious financial problems. During the scene, Kane maintains a sarcastic mood, until he finally decides to surrender and signs the papers that transfer the ownership of his media empire to Mr. Thatcher.
Tim Burton is well known film director. The movies that he has created are often described as mysterious, odd, and intriguing. Burton's movies use certain film techniques to create a certain feeling for the audience to experience. The three main techniques that Tim Burton usually uses is the lighting, camera angles, and sound techniques.
I. INTRODUCTION: Interest-catching opening. : Background: Shutter Island is a 2010 film directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a U.S. Marshall who goes to a mental hospital to solve the disappearance of a patient, and the person responsible for killing his wife. While investigation this disappearance he uncovers secrets and truths of his own, the most damming is the horror of losing all three of his children due to his wife killing them, leading him to kill her.
Citizen Kane challenged the traditional narrative and technical elements of classic Hollywood cinema by having many different points of view telling the story. Most movies made at this time had only one narrative while this movie does not. Having a movie have multiple narrators tells the story in many peoples view points. This gives the viewer a point of view from multiple views.
In this essay I will be comparing the themes and the narrative techniques used in both films. Starting off with the film “Citizen Kane” as mentioned it is a story of a millionaire, Charles Foster Kane. It begins with Kane’s death and speaks a single word: “Rosebud”. The reporters in the hunt to know