As we were discussing some Buster Keaton's memorable house falling stunt yesterday, I thought I would share it with you guys. Also, as we were talking about it my mind went immediately to the TV show Arrested Development. I am sharing a clip from the show in which BUSTER Bluth does the same stunt. I think this is evidence enough of Buster Keaton's genius when it come to comedy, the same slap stick routine is being used decades later. Enjoy.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
William Blake
Here is a video with some background information on William Blake's "Tiger", also a nice reading and analysis.
The Tiger
The Tiger
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And What shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And What shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
A Day at the Zoo
I'm not exactly sure what this has to do with American Cinema, probably nothing; but the other day when we were watching silent film shorts this came to mind.
If there was a way I could add an older film grain effect and some parlor music from 1910 I would. I hope everyone enjoys (^_^)
If there was a way I could add an older film grain effect and some parlor music from 1910 I would. I hope everyone enjoys (^_^)
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
'American Beauty' is the Quint Essential American Film
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In my lifetime, I've seen many films; but none have impacted quite like Sam Mendes' film "American Beauty". Being present in a class that is teaching the influences of American films, I thought appropriate to inform the class of this title. "American Beauty" was Directed by Sam Mended and released in 1999. The film went on to receive critical praise and a total of 8 Oscar nominations and 5 Oscar wins. Not too bad, right? Anyways, none of that means anything because you may not have seen the movie yet and I didn't tell you the categories for the nominations. Evil me (^_^) You can find all that information on IMDB. "American Beauty" stars a phenomenal cast including: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Chris Cooper, Wes Bentley, Thora Birch and Mena Suvari..jpg)
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A few of my videos.
Friday, May 18, 2012
SYLLABUS - SUMMER 2012
American Cinema
Summer 2012
Tom Hammond
Objectives:
This class is a survey of the
history, origins and influences of American Film. We will consider the American Cinema as an
art form, an industry, and a system of representation and communication. We will
explore the process by which an American identity is both formed and reflected
through movies, and how films work technically, aesthetically, and culturally
to reinforce and challenge our national self-image.
The course is designed to build an
integrated understanding of U. S. society, politics, and culture. The
interconnectedness of these domains is reflected in the films we will
study.
Class Blog: http://americancinemaclass.blogspot.com. You will be invited to post on this website.
Instructors Contact Information
– phone: 813-900-4759, email: hammontm@eckerd.edu
Face to face
meetings can be arranged before or after class.
Required Text:
John Belton,
“American Cinema, American Culture” – the 2nd Edition is fine and is
available on Amazon used for about $6 including shipping.
Netflix – A
monthly subscription is a good idea for the class. All assigned movies are “streamable” on
Netflix. It costs $9 per month and the
first month is usually free. You can
obtain all the films at the library, but availability might be a problem with a
limited number of copies on hand. You
can rent or buy, but Netflix is easily the most convenient and affordable
method. If you subscribe, for an extra
$7 you can receive the films by mail as well as streaming. Turnaround is about 2-3 days.
Course Requirements and Grading:
·
Attendance & Participation 20% of grade
·
Quizzes 20%
of grade
·
Final
Exam 40% of grade
·
Blog Posting 20%
of grade
Attendance & Participation –
Every class covers a component of film history, theory and criticism vital to
your overall understanding of the subject.
If you can’t avoid missing a class, let me know in advance. Any pattern of absence or chronic lateness
will be noted and will adversely impact your final grade. Speak up in class. If that is difficult for you, bring in
something that will inspire discussion.
The Blog is a component of participation. Contributing to it will generate interest in
the class and good grades for you.
Quizzes – There will be several
quizzes given during the course. They
will be at random and will cover the home viewing assignments. The questions will be general and not
analytical. They are designed to
determine if you have watched the film.
There will be no make-ups.
Final Exam – You are responsible
for the information presented in class, the content of the assigned readings,
and being familiar with class and required viewings. The exam will be a combination of objective
and short essay questions.
Blog Postings – You will be invited to participate in the
class blog. Postings and comments all
work in your favor.
Academic Integrity – If you use
an idea from another source, you can quote it or paraphrase it, but please CITE
IT. Failure to do so will be a
violation of the Honor Code.
The Eckerd
College Honor Code: “On my honor, as an Eckerd College student, I pledge not to
lie, cheat or steal, nor to tolerate these behaviors in others.”
To affirm
this, you will write, “Pledged” followed by your signature on all assignments,
papers and exams.
Assignment Schedule:
·
All readings are chapters in the required text,
“American Cinema, American Culture” by John Belton.
·
Assigned Viewings are films you are required to
see outside of class (all “streamable” on Netflix).
·
In class we will watch films, clips from various
movies and documentary material on filmmaking.
Much of this will also be posted on the Blog for your further study.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Although there are no required
hand-in papers, you may turn in anything you like for extra credit. It will be easier for you to post such work
to the blog, but printed work should follow the standard guidelines.
Written work must be in standard
written English, using conventional guidelines for style and citation (also
typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins). The presentation of your work
is an extension of your competence and ability to produce college level work.
If you wish, I am willing to review your work in progress. Contact me to arrange a time.
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|
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If a problem exists which will
prevent you from completing work on time, please contact me.
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You are responsible for in-class
viewing and any handouts.
The required textbook is a great
reference and you are encouraged to read all of it. However, you will be tested on the first
five chapters only. Further material for
which you are responsible will be covered in my lectures.
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CLASS SCHEDULE
Session 1: Introduction
Early Films
The
Emergence of Style and Narration
Reading:
Belton, Chapter 1
In-Class
Viewing: “Landmarks of Early Film”
Assigned
Viewing: ”Sherlock Jr.”
Session 2: The Classic Hollywood Style
Advancement
of Technology and Technique
Reading: Belton, Chapter 1
In-Class
Viewing: “Citizen Kane”
Assigned
Viewing: “Midnight Cowboy”
Session 3: The Studios
Growth of
the Studio System
Reading: Belton, Chapter 1
In-Class
Viewing: “Notorious”
Assigned
Viewing: “Arsenic and Old Lace”
Session 4: The
Stars
Developing
the Star System
Reading: Belton, Chapters 2&3
In-Class
Viewing: “Casablanca”
Assigned
Viewing: “Dirty Harry”
Session 5: The Genre System
Categories
and Conventions
Reading: Belton, Chapters 2&3
In-Class Viewing:
“Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
Assigned
Viewing: “Creature From the Black Lagoon”
Session 6: Comedies & Musicals
Musical
Styles & Types
Reading: Belton, Chapters 2&3
In-Class Viewing: “Singin’ in the Rain”
Assigned
Viewing: “Duck Soup”
Session 7: Comedy
American
Comedy
Reading: Belton, Chapter 4
In-Class
Viewing: “Bringing Up Baby”
Assigned
Viewing: “The Lady Eve”
Session 8: Crime & Film Noir
Origins of
Film Noir
Reading: Belton, Chapter 4
In-Class
Viewing: “The Set-Up”
Assigned
Viewing: “The Long Goodbye”
Session 9: Film Noir
Influences
of Film Noir
Reading: Belton, Chapter 4
In-Class
Viewing: “Sunset Blvd”
Assigned
Viewing: “The Big Lebowski”
Session 10: The West
The Genre
That Wouldn’t Die
Reading: Belton, Chapter 5
In-Class
Viewing: “My Darling Clementine”
Assigned
Viewing: “Shane”
Session 11: Horror
The Classic
Horror Tradition
Review for
Final Exam
Reading: Belton, Chapter 5
In-Class
Viewing: “Bride of Frankenstein”
Session 12: Final Exam
Final Exam
Class
Evaluation
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
In the event
of an emergency or campus shutdown, class work will continue online at:
You will be
invited to contribute as a blog correspondent at the beginning of the
semester. This is part of the
participation segment of your grade and the location for all information if
class can’t be held as scheduled.
Assignments will be posted there as well as suggested readings. Video lectures will be available if a
shutdown continues for more than one week.
You may also post any written assignments on the blog or send them to my
email at:
You can
contact me by phone at: 813-900-4759
Be sure to review the school handout on
procedure in the event of a hurricane.
AMERICAN CINEMA – REQUIRED VIEWING
Landmarks of
Early Film
Sherlock Jr.
Duck Soup
The Bride of
Frankenstein
Bringing Up
Baby
Citizen Kane
Casablanca
The Lady Eve
Arsenic and
Old Lace
Notorious
My Darling
Clementine
Treasure of
the Sierra Madre
The Set-Up
Sunset Blvd.
Singin’ in
the Rain
Shane
The Creature
From the Black Lagoon
Midnight
Cowboy
Dirty Harry
The Long
Goodbye
The Big
Lebowski
Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson was born in Houston, Texas on May 1, 1969. Ironically, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Philosophy, yet with no training in a proper film school I would argue that Wes Anderson is one of the most successful directors of our time. Wes has an incredibly ability to produce a vision that is consistently unique to him, but at the same time refreshing with every story being told. I took a look at three of his films: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). Each of these films provides a familiar feeling that can only be classified as “Andersony” (a fan dubbed term), a category that is defined by a specific array of techniques that form Wes’ cinematic style.
For example, lets start with each one of Anderson’s Title sequences. Wes tends to use sans serif fonts, one of his favorites is Futura, these sequences although different seem almost as recognizable as if he had signed the movies himself. The titles are presented in a bold straight foreword way, and each seem to harness/set the tone of the movie to come.
Another thing Wes does is frequently reuses certain actors throughout his films, such as Bill Murray and the Wilson brothers (Owen and Luke). In fact Owen Wilson has been a co-writer for the first 3 of Anderson’s films and has starred in all of his films except for Rushmore. Also Anderson credits his stars in same manner for each film, ever since The Royal Tenenbaums we are generally presented with each actor one by one and in the center of the frame, staring at or in the direction of the camera, with their name laid over their chest. 
There are also a variety of camera techniques that Anderson is known to use and frequently pop up in all of his films, such as his use of symmetry in each of his shots. He balances these frames with the actors themselves lined up in front of the camera, and they tend to be at a table or during a dining scene. 
Anderson also likes to incorporate overhead shots, allowing the audience to look directly down at a desk top or a book. However it is widely agreed that his signature shot would be the slow motion tracking shot as seen in The Royal Tenenbaums, and at the end of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
However I would have to say that two of my favorite aspects of Wes Anderson films are, one, his beautifully composed soundtracks which apparently follow his affinity for French Pop. And second, his wonderful dollhouse-type sequences:
Citizen Kane Final
1. "Citizen Kane" is one of the most influential
films ever made. Discuss this statement.
Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941) contained so many groundbreaking techniques
that it instantly became one of the most influential films of all time. The
entire premise of the movie is to solve the mystery of billionaire Charles
Foster Kane’s dying words, “rosebud”. This mystery provides acts as wonderful
bait in order to hook the audience’s interest as Welles takes them through an
elaborate investigation of Kane’s past.
There are many technical aspects to
Welles’ directing, such as the use of photography and lighting to help dominate
each scene with his own unique style. Welles’ even used the contrast between
lights and darks to help give his film and story a much more dramatic feel: as
the movie progresses Well’s incorporates more darks and shadows into each
scene, a way to have the environment reflect the downward spiral being
experienced by his character. Welles would even adjust all the light settings
himself, despite this not being the usual job of a director. He also used a
variety of camera techniques such as: steep angles, close ups, extremely low
shots, deep focus shots and crane shots
Another groundbreaking aspect of Citizen
Kane was Welles use of untried Hollywood
actors when composing his cast, 15 of whom he brought with him from New York
and had only acting experience in live theatre productions. And the film its’
self is difficult to place into a specific genre, as it contains film noir
aspects, as well as drama and mystery, and could even be seen as a newspaper
film. Citizen Kane also provided
a unique take on the act of storytelling. The use of multiple flashbacks from
several characters points of view, breaks up the film into sections and creates
a nonlinear plot structure. Welles was also the first to pair together montages
with dialogue/sound, creating a distinct fluidity to the story that had never
been experienced in films before. This is also enhanced by Welles’ use of
complex structure and off-point narrative.
2. What had Orson Welles done in his first 23 years to
warrant the Hollywood Film Industry offering complete creative control to a
first time film maker?
In his early 20s Orson Welles had
established his own theater company called The Mercury Theater. He immersed
himself in all aspects of the theatre, he was not only a star and a director
but he also was in charge with designing the sets, costumes, and lighting.
However it is easily said that Welles’ is most famous for
his adaptation of “War of the
Worlds” as a radio broadcast. His performance was so realistic, that listeners
tuning in actually thought Mars had invaded New Jersey, resulting in public
wide panic. Yet once it became clear that the report was in deed fiction, Orson
Welles popularity exploded exponentially. Soon Welles was contacted by RKO
requesting that he come to Hollywood. They signed him up to make two movies for
$225,000 and allowed him complete creative reign over his films. One of those
films being, Citizen Kane.
3. Pick an extended scene or sequence from Citizen Kane and
discuss the storytelling techniques by analyzing any combination of its
component parts (direction, writing, performance, cinematography, production
design, art direction, editing, sound, score, etc.)
One scene I found to be
particularly clever as well as important was the progression of Kane’s first
marriage done as a breakfast montage. At first the two seem so happily in love,
with a pleasant politeness and contentment just to be around one another, but
as time goes on we see that the relationship between the two of them becomes
more of chore then a pleasure, and soon we see that their marriage is in
shambles. In the beginning the lighting is bright and happy, with an upbeat
soundtrack playing softly in the background, the husband and wife are depicted
as young and almost glowing. The as we continue through their life together
shadows come into play, snappy and aggressive dialogue is emphasized by a tone
of announce, with its final stage being silence. The soundtrack has evolved
over this period of time to have a more somber quality, and as time passes we
see age creep into their faces with for the time is an incredible make-up job.
By the end of the scene the two have not only mentally distanced themselves but
physically as well, at the conclusion of the scene the camera shot pulls back
and we see that they are actually sitting at two separate ends of a very long
table.
Touch of Evil Analysis
Touch of Evil's opening scene reminded me a lot of the opening scene in Citizen Kane. It did not surprise me one bit that Orson Welles was also the director of this film, because I saw many similarities between the two. By opening Touch of Evil and Citizen Kane with such powerful scenes, Orson Welles captured the attention of most viewers. The first thing I noticed that stood out to me as Orson Welles' style was the lack of explanation in the beginning scenes. Just as in Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil is very confusing for about the first 30 minutes, and forces the viewer to pay attention and piece together clues. Luckily for Welles, Touch of Evil managed to balance very dark themes with highly amusing comedy moments, most emanating from the bloated Welles. I found this to be one of the few films where the story simply did not sag for one minute and was a general delight to watch.
Ana de Olano
American Cinema
Prof. Hammond
May 12, 2012
Musicals in Hollywood
The development and introduction of Hollywood Musicals plays a large role in the motion of picture, and the history behind it. It was seen as a integration in the 1920s-1950s in which movie pictures revolutionized to the motion picture being depicted as a movie through songs and dances. It all started with the development of sound which occurred in the 1920s, and this allowed the development of musicals to occurr. Before the creations of musicals started, there were some vaudeville fillers that were made in the early 1900s in which consisted of having music. The audience of these films were captivated and accepted, but were never considered as famous and as popular as the creation of the new genre of Hollywood’s musicals.
Musical films consist of the use of songs and music to allow the development of the plot. It is common for the songs to advance the development of the character, and is often used during the breaks in the storyline. There is a large role that the stage musicals, such as plays, played on the development of musicals. Not only did it give the film industry the idea of the development of the plot through music and song, but it allowed the use of ‘new technology’ at the time (sound) to be used as vitally as it was. There are some differences between musicals on stage and on film such as: the use of lavish backgrounds while stages are more limited, but they both serve a strong emphasis on the vocals and music.
In the mid 1920s, Warner Brothers Studio started the experimentation with a new technique at the time called Vitaphone. This technique consisted of the coordination of a musical soundtrack to match up or alien with a film, which all together allowed the creation of a sound film. Looking back at this method, it didn’t realize ho much potential the incorporation of sound would play in further years to come. The reason for this is because during this period of time, it seen as unnecessary for motion pictures to hear the actors or individuals speak, but rather the sound was merely for background purposes. The way that motion pictures were able to communicate their message with out having the actors speak was common, and therefore there was not an understanding of why the actors would need to communicate with the audience. This is when, in 1927, Warner Brothers released The Jazz, which was a ‘singing along with the background sound’ (Hollywoodmoviememories.com), which was a movie that was modeled after the musical that was also named The Jazz. This movie was not only the first film to be a musical but also the first film to have a synchronized dialogue.
During the late 1920s, is when the financial status of the country was under difficult circumstances, ultimately effecting the production of motion pictures. But Hollywood used this time and ‘rescued’ the public by providing them with entertainment. This is when Hollywood released musicals, which allowed the public to escape their reality and to watch lovely movies with wonderful music. 42nd St, Gold Diggers and Bright Lights, were some of the most famous and loved
musicals that came out in the 1930s, along with one of the most beloved musicals of all time The Wizard of Oz which came out in 1939. This motion picture is still constantly watched by present generations.
It was during the 1940s that musicals in Hollywood developed in terms of popularity and this continued all the way up to the 1950s. Yankee Doodle Dandy, was one of the most famous musicals in the 1940s, this musical won an Oscar from the performace of James Cagney. This musical set the bar for all musicals, and is considered to be one of the best musicals to ever hit the screens. There is also The Bells of St. Mary’s, which is another very famous movie that has become a holiday tradition to many families to watch.
In the 1960s there were films such as The Music Man, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music,
which all have played a large and impactful role in the revamp of musicals in this era. The production of such widely loved and watched films allowed wide entertainment of good traditional musicals. At this time in age, the development of rock and roll was s
tarting to play its roles against musical taste, and the shift from old music to current young music was affecting the development of musicals. But still, the most successful musical during this era would defiantly have to be Disneys production and biggest hit Mary Poppins. Although these musicals had great success and are still seen as popular and some of the best musicals, Hollywood at this time had what appeared to be a complete and serious use of misjudgment on what they though would attract the public to watch and what they though was the publics taste. With the production of movies like: Man of la Mancha, Song of Norway, Camelot, Hello Dolly, Sweet Charity which were considered to be failures and ended up negatively effecting the main studios.
During the 1980s-1990s, there was a growth in confidence in the production of musicals, which hard part connections with the success of musicals on Broadway. Motion picuters such as Annie, Little Shop of Horror, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, all of which had great levels of followers. This era was also the time that Disney started to develop musicals with in many animated movies. Disney films such as: The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and the Hunchback of Notre Dame all developed the use of music to attain to their target market which of course was children.
Now in the 2000s, the genre of musicals grew once again in popularity, with films like Moulin Rouge, Across the Universe, Rent, Dreamgirls, Chicago, and Phantom of the Opera. All of these movies are good examples of musicals that were created and attained large followers, many of which were also initially musical plays, that’s story was retold in film media. There were many animated movies that also attained success through the use of musical strategy.
The film industry now had to look for actors that were able to perform not only through appearance, speech and acting, but now had to have qualifications of high singing ability. The difficulty of being able to act sing and dance at the same time was a rarity, but when the right actor was found for the job, magic occurred. The character needs to be able to depict the narrative through the use of song and dancing. Some of the most famoust musical stars include Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Ginger found her shine and popularity in partaking in roles in movies like Top Hat, Shall we Dance and Swing Time. There were many cases that actors decided to take role in musical films to branch out and expand their acting level to another role, to show the audience that they were capable to perform various roles.
The development of Musicals in Hollywood could never be duplicated, because it was a revolutionary time and era in which the development of film broaden their understanding of movie production. The process of the development of movies grew in every form, from the use of sound, to color to the way the script flows and the way the actors perform. This genre was able to start off strong in the early 1920s and is still being used today. Its role plays largely on not only in plain musical stories but also in Broadway duplicates, but also in even in animation. The development of film has played a large role in the development of musical films and with Hollywood creations.
Word Count: 1,310
Final Exam - Citizen Kane
Question 1: Citizen Kane is one of the most influential films ever made.
Discuss this statement.
The 1941 film, Citizen Kane, fundamentally altered the possibilities of film, and in the process provided a benchmark for everything that has followed. As viewers witness Charles Kane’s life unfold throughout the feature, they can also see how the film’s production clearly does not follow that of previously made films. Furthermore, the reasons Citizen Kane is known for being such an influential film is not it’s enjoyably mysterious plot but rather it’s cinematography, nonlinear storyline, and choice of a theatrical cast. These risks that Orson Welles was willing to take were worthwhile in giving the new to Hollywood director an unforgettable reputation.
The
first aspect that significantly contributed to Citizen Kane’s acclaimed influence is the use of cinematography. Welles’ most significant contribution to
cinematography came from the use of a technique known as deep focus. Deep focus
refers to having everything in the frame, even the background, in focus at the
same time, as opposed to having only the people and things in the foreground in
focus. With deep focus, Welles was
able to showcase overlapping actions, and the surrounding environment became
more critical. By effectively
manipulating the environment through deep focus, Welles actively engaged the
whole space of the frame without leaving the viewer confused. The use of deep
focus was most effective in scenes that depicted Kane’s loss of control and his
personal isolation because it gave the audience a clear view of the space Kane
commanded as well as the space in which he held no power. Gregg Toland, the
cinematographer Welles chose for Citizen
Kane, had used the technique in an earlier film, but Citizen Kane marked the first time it was used so extensively or
effectively. Furthermore, the films use of a wide variety of camera
angles and distances enhanced the overall quality of the film. Charles Kane’s power was illustrated throughout
the film using low angles, while weaker characters, like his second wife Susan,
were portrayed with high angles. Also the isolation of Xanadu was shown through the long shots
used in those scenes accompanied with an echo when characters are speaking. These
different types of cinematography that Welles used are now more frequently used
in modern films.
The next aspect of Citizen Kane that was so influential to films that followed was Welles choice of a creative, nonlinear storytelling technique. Leading up to Citizen Kane, it was extremely uncommon for films to not present scenes in a chronological manner. Instead of the traditional way, Citizen Kane was made in a segmented way that consisted of many flashbacks and flash forwards to tell Kane’s story. It is never seen where one character simply tells Kane’s entire life story. Instead, Kane’s story unfolds in overlapping segments that add more information as each narrator adds his or her story. Although linear plots can be easier for viewers to follow, Welles’ choice of a nonlinear plot made for a powerfully engaging film that forced viewers to not only watch the film but also piece together the multiple things that went on. The storytelling techniques succeed in painting Charles Foster Kane as an enigma, a tortured, complicated man who, in the end, leaves viewers with more questions than answers and inevitably invokes sympathy rather than contempt.
Another crucial choice Welles made in production of the film was choosing theatre actors, who were unfamiliar to Hollywood, instead of experienced movie actors. Welles’s chosen theatre cast was an asset to the film and vital to the success of techniques like deep focus. These cast members were classically trained theatrical actors, and none had ever made a movie before Welles brought them to Hollywood. Their stage training, rather than being overpowering, helped them to place themselves firmly in each scene. The acting technique performed by the case showed that the total control Welles was given over casting was not a mistake. Many critics have praised the performance of this theatre cast, and it has been said that they greatly contributed to the success of Citizen Kane’s.
The different camera shots, storyline technique, and casting choices Orson Welles made as a young director aided him in creating what is considered to be one of the most influential films ever made. Welles's achievements in this film marked a new direction in cinema and introduced Hollywood to the creative potential of cinematic technique. Even apart from the controversy the film stirred, a multitude of innovations made Citizen Kane the most exciting movie in the history of cinema at that time.
The next aspect of Citizen Kane that was so influential to films that followed was Welles choice of a creative, nonlinear storytelling technique. Leading up to Citizen Kane, it was extremely uncommon for films to not present scenes in a chronological manner. Instead of the traditional way, Citizen Kane was made in a segmented way that consisted of many flashbacks and flash forwards to tell Kane’s story. It is never seen where one character simply tells Kane’s entire life story. Instead, Kane’s story unfolds in overlapping segments that add more information as each narrator adds his or her story. Although linear plots can be easier for viewers to follow, Welles’ choice of a nonlinear plot made for a powerfully engaging film that forced viewers to not only watch the film but also piece together the multiple things that went on. The storytelling techniques succeed in painting Charles Foster Kane as an enigma, a tortured, complicated man who, in the end, leaves viewers with more questions than answers and inevitably invokes sympathy rather than contempt.
Another crucial choice Welles made in production of the film was choosing theatre actors, who were unfamiliar to Hollywood, instead of experienced movie actors. Welles’s chosen theatre cast was an asset to the film and vital to the success of techniques like deep focus. These cast members were classically trained theatrical actors, and none had ever made a movie before Welles brought them to Hollywood. Their stage training, rather than being overpowering, helped them to place themselves firmly in each scene. The acting technique performed by the case showed that the total control Welles was given over casting was not a mistake. Many critics have praised the performance of this theatre cast, and it has been said that they greatly contributed to the success of Citizen Kane’s.
The different camera shots, storyline technique, and casting choices Orson Welles made as a young director aided him in creating what is considered to be one of the most influential films ever made. Welles's achievements in this film marked a new direction in cinema and introduced Hollywood to the creative potential of cinematic technique. Even apart from the controversy the film stirred, a multitude of innovations made Citizen Kane the most exciting movie in the history of cinema at that time.
Question 2: What had Orson Welles done in his first 23 years of life to warrant the
Hollywood Film Industry offering complete creative control to a first time
filmmaker?
The
freedom given to 23-year-old Orson Welles by RKO allowed him to create a
masterpiece that has awed producers, critiques, and viewers throughout the
years. However, it was because of Welles’
astonishing achievements leading up to the production of Citizen Kane that earned him the trust he so well deserved. The Wisconsin born native spent his
younger years in the theatre where he grew to love the arts. After the death of both of his parents, Welles began to
travel more and found himself in Europe, where he started his career as a
Broadway actor. After arriving
back in the States, Welles found success in writing for the Todd School, an
institution he had previously attended in his younger years.
While
in New York, Welles toured in
three off-Broadway productions, including two roles in Romeo and Juliet. Restless and impatient when the planned
Broadway opening of Romeo and Juliet was canceled, Welles staged a drama
festival of his own with the Todd School that had great success. The subsequent
revival of Cornell's Romeo and Juliet brought Welles to the notice of
John Houseman, who was casting for an unusual lead actor for the lead role in
the Federal Theatre Project. And
by 1935 Welles found himself working as a successful Radio actor.
After
building his resume in the theatre industry, Welles’ first real success as a
director came from the production of Macbeth
in 1936. John Houseman hired
Welles to direct the play Macbeth for
the Federal Theatre Project's Negro Theater Unit. The production became known
as the Voodoo Macbeth, because Welles set it in the Haitian court of King Henri
Christophe with voodoo witch doctors for the three Weird Sisters. The play
toured the nation and at the age of 20, Welles was hailed as a prodigy.
After
Welles resigned from the Federal Theatre, him and Houseman formed the Mercury
Theatre, in which Welles became executive producer and whose repertory company
eventually included big actors that would work for Welles for years. The first
Mercury Theatre production was a melodramatic and heavily edited version of
William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius
Caesar, set in a contemporary frame of fascist Italy. Cinna the Poet dies at the hands not of
a mob but of a secret police force and he applause lasted more than ten minutes.
In
the second year of the Mercury Theater, Welles shifted his interests to radio
as an actor, director, and producer. He played Hamlet for CBS on The Colombia Workshop, while adapting and
directing the play. In July 1937, the Mutual Network gave him a seven-week
series to adapt Les Miserables, which
he did with great success. That September, Mutual chose Welles to play Lamont Cranston, aka The Shadow, anonymously and in the
summer of 1938 CBS gave him and the Mercury Theatre a weekly hour-long show to
broadcast radio plays based on classic literary works. The show was titled The
Mercury Theatre on the Air.
Following
his early radio work Welles production of the 1938 radio adaption of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells and
brought him instant fame. As word of Welles production, and rumors of a Martian
invasion spread rapidly, Welles name became a common household name. His growing fame soon drew Hollywood
offers, lures that the independent-minded Welles resisted at first. Eventually, RKO Radio Pictures
president George Schaefer presented Welles a Hollywood job he could not turn
down. RKO signed Welles in a
two-picture deal; including control over the script, cast, crew, and most
importantly, final cut, although Welles had a budget limit for his projects.
With this contract in hand, Welles and nearly the entire Mercury Theatre moved
to Hollywood and created the notorious Citizen
Kane. Because of Welles’
previous accomplishments achieved in the theatre industry, RKO gave the first
time filmmaker complete creative control in the production of Citizen Kane.
Question 3: Pick an extended scene or sequence from Citizen Kane and discuss
the storytelling techniques by analyzing any combination of its component parts
(direction, writing, performance, cinematography, production design, art
direction, editing, sound, score, etc.).
In
the scene, "Life with Emily," Orson Wells uses a combination of dialogue,
facial expressions, and clothing to represent a troubled marriage all in the
course of a breakfast. As the scene progresses the appearance of Emily changes.
Initially, she is wearing a revealing dress, representing her youthful love and
naivety, but every scene after she covers herself bit by bit until the final
scene, when we find her in a dress that gives off a dull and secretive
appearance. In addition to clothing, the dialogue of the conversations also
changes throughout the course of the breakfast. In the beginning, Kane and
Emily converse like any two lovers would, and exchange compliments and casually
discuss events. However, as the time passes, the conversations become more and
more argumentative, colder and less passionate until the final scene when they
reach the point of silence. Throughout their discussion, their facial
expressions change with their emotions, and depict the troubled marriage as the
time goes on. When they are first married they would always talk with eye
contact, and they would kiss and smile, and in general, look happy. As time
passed, they lost their precious eye contact, and barely looked at each other
at all. They stopped smiling and laughing, and they stopped kissing. The last
shot in the scene, the most body language shown is a quick glance at each other
and then each continues to read the newspaper. All of these actions show a
marriage that is losing the passion and love that it was founded on. All forms
of expression, through wardrobe and body language are seen to depict this and
their paradise-breakfast turns into a business deal, missing all emotion and
taking on a more formal nature.
Another
important, often unnoticed, aspect of this scene is the lighting and the
music. As each of their moods
slowly grows darker and darker the lighting too becomes darker and darker. By doing this, the viewer unconsciously
picks up on the changing emotions of Kane and his wife. The music also changes as the scene
progresses from loving one another, to the final scene where the two nearly
despise each other. The music
starts with a soft, calm tune at the beginning, then moves to quicker, more
stressed sounds that almost have an angry beat to them, and finally finishes
with a slow tune that expresses that there is no happiness or love left in
their marriage.
Final Exam: ‘Citizen Kane’
Final Exam: ‘Citizen Kane’
Ana de Olano
1. “Citizen Kane” is one of the most influential films ever made. Discuss this statement
This motion picture played a large role in the minds and eyes of the common American during the Great Depression, it allowed for the viewers to escape their reality temporarily and allow them to dream. Looking through the pot of the story alone, how Charles Foster Kane came from a poor dwelling, in a rural environment, and is then given the opportunity to live a life of riches, with the cost of leaving his mother and father behind. His parents give him no choice but to leave with this man he never knew. The movie emphasizes the un hindering capitalism through the demonstration of Kane’s bottomless pit of wealth. His ‘adoptive’ fathers wealth does not get to him in the beginning, and still shows concern over the common ‘blue collared American’. Kane had to do nothing to earn his wealth, and that contradiction to the American ideals leads to conflict with him just needing wealth to gain power.
In the beginning of the story line, Kane is a likeable character, and is trying to use his power and wealth to inform the public of the happenings across the country through his newspaper. This is when his power turns him into politics and decides to run for governor. He takes the time, in a speech to represent himself as a strong, young and determined man that is condemning the past politicians for their constant mistakes. This image represents something that is always seen in politics, and represents the corruption that lies with in governmental power.
Kane shows how there is both goodness and badness in capitalism and American businesses. That wealth and prosperity can lead to corruption, and after all the American dream is to live well and prosper. It ask the question, were is the line of too much success? Also asks the question, what makes a person truly happy? Money? Wealth? Or living a fulfilling life with meaning? That is what I think Kane struggles with his entire life, and that is the search for meaning in his life. He did nothing to earn his riches, and therefore had no reason to care of it. I think he truly was looking for love and affection, which he never got. His parents ‘sold’ him, his adoptive father was always working so he tried to find it in his wife. And that there is a defiant similarity between him and his adoptive father, once again looking for someone to love him, so he adopted a child.
2. What had Orson Welles done in his first 23 years of life to warrant the Hollywood Film Industry offering complete creative control to a first time filmmaker?
At a very young age, Welles had experienced a lot of devastating circumstances, making him have to grow up fast. Starting with his parents getting separated and him having to lived with his mother while his father left in pursue of his carrier making a fortune. At the age of nine his mother died and he was sent to live with Dudley Crafts Watson. Six years later, at the age of 15, his father died and he inherited a small fortune, which allowed him to travel through Europe. This is where it all began, through the inheritance of his father. While traveling through Ireland he walked into the Gate Theater in Dublin and stated that he was a Broadway Star. Although they didn’t believe him, they did like the his audition and this is when he made his appearance in 1931 in the play Jew Suss. His performance and fame extremely grew, and even spread to the United States. So when he returned to the States, his fame was short, but this is when he decided to move on to writing a project which ended up being Everybody’s Shakespeare which turned out to be extremely successful.
Thornton Wilders introduction lead him to New York state, and in 1933 is when he toured with Katharine Cornell’s company in three different Broadway productions. Wells later performed a drama festival at Todd School and it turned out to be another success. Wells added his earnings in the theater as a radio actor in 1935 together with other actors who latterly formed the core of his Mercury theatre. 1934 is when he shot a short silent film The Hears of Age . While working for Mercury Theater he was given an opportunity to create a seven week series to adapt Le Miserables, which he was able to do extremely well. Then he shifted his attention to radio acting, which got him dramatic attention in the broadcast of War of the Worlds. After this role, he was given a lot of attention and analysis, which when some one is getting attention or criticism in that world means your are doing something good. The fact that you are in their minds means a lot, whether it is for good reasons or bad, because this ended up placing Welles in the mind of Hollywood. This latterly was one of the main reasons that attracted Hollywood to allowing him full and complete creative control as a first time filmmaker.
After all his experience before the age of 23, he was given what was seen as to be the ‘greatest’ opportunities for a new director, or untried director, and this was the fact that he was going to be given complete artist control to Welles. It seems that after all the experience that he pertained in his first 23 years of life, Wells had gained a lot different medias and different roles through out that time which allowed him to be a full and well rounded director, knowing what goes well with what and how to run it.
3. Pick an extended scene or sequence from “Citizen Kane” and discuss the storytelling technique by analyzing any combination of its component parts (direction, writing, performance, cinematography, production design, art direction, editing, sound, score, etc.)
I would say that one of the most important scenes, in which affected me as a viewer would have to be the scene towards the end when his wife is choosing to leave him. The conversation that they have and how she is wanting a husband that will give her love, that will let her in. But he doesn’t understand what she means by this, he think that she just wants objects and material. When in all honesty, their relationship was based on consumerism and things, rather than love, passion, honesty and care. He doesn’t understand that his whole life he has been searching for one thing, and that is love. After the fact that his mother and father gave him away to Mr. Thatcher, and then that Mr. Thatcher could give him money but not love. So he search for it in his wife, but was never able to truly understand it. He would not open up to her, and this is something that creates a similarity between Charles Kane and Mr. Thatcher. This is why at the end he realizes that all he truly wanted in life was love and therefore happy. At the start of the movie it is depicted that the last words of Mr. Kane was rosebud, and the whole movie tries to understand why those were his last words. And in this extended scene one understands that it was the name of the sled his true parents gave him, and the importance is that was the time that he had a true and caring family and that was when he had love and was happy.
Ana de Olano
1. “Citizen Kane” is one of the most influential films ever made. Discuss this statement
This motion picture played a large role in the minds and eyes of the common American during the Great Depression, it allowed for the viewers to escape their reality temporarily and allow them to dream. Looking through the pot of the story alone, how Charles Foster Kane came from a poor dwelling, in a rural environment, and is then given the opportunity to live a life of riches, with the cost of leaving his mother and father behind. His parents give him no choice but to leave with this man he never knew. The movie emphasizes the un hindering capitalism through the demonstration of Kane’s bottomless pit of wealth. His ‘adoptive’ fathers wealth does not get to him in the beginning, and still shows concern over the common ‘blue collared American’. Kane had to do nothing to earn his wealth, and that contradiction to the American ideals leads to conflict with him just needing wealth to gain power.
In the beginning of the story line, Kane is a likeable character, and is trying to use his power and wealth to inform the public of the happenings across the country through his newspaper. This is when his power turns him into politics and decides to run for governor. He takes the time, in a speech to represent himself as a strong, young and determined man that is condemning the past politicians for their constant mistakes. This image represents something that is always seen in politics, and represents the corruption that lies with in governmental power.
Kane shows how there is both goodness and badness in capitalism and American businesses. That wealth and prosperity can lead to corruption, and after all the American dream is to live well and prosper. It ask the question, were is the line of too much success? Also asks the question, what makes a person truly happy? Money? Wealth? Or living a fulfilling life with meaning? That is what I think Kane struggles with his entire life, and that is the search for meaning in his life. He did nothing to earn his riches, and therefore had no reason to care of it. I think he truly was looking for love and affection, which he never got. His parents ‘sold’ him, his adoptive father was always working so he tried to find it in his wife. And that there is a defiant similarity between him and his adoptive father, once again looking for someone to love him, so he adopted a child.
2. What had Orson Welles done in his first 23 years of life to warrant the Hollywood Film Industry offering complete creative control to a first time filmmaker?
At a very young age, Welles had experienced a lot of devastating circumstances, making him have to grow up fast. Starting with his parents getting separated and him having to lived with his mother while his father left in pursue of his carrier making a fortune. At the age of nine his mother died and he was sent to live with Dudley Crafts Watson. Six years later, at the age of 15, his father died and he inherited a small fortune, which allowed him to travel through Europe. This is where it all began, through the inheritance of his father. While traveling through Ireland he walked into the Gate Theater in Dublin and stated that he was a Broadway Star. Although they didn’t believe him, they did like the his audition and this is when he made his appearance in 1931 in the play Jew Suss. His performance and fame extremely grew, and even spread to the United States. So when he returned to the States, his fame was short, but this is when he decided to move on to writing a project which ended up being Everybody’s Shakespeare which turned out to be extremely successful.
Thornton Wilders introduction lead him to New York state, and in 1933 is when he toured with Katharine Cornell’s company in three different Broadway productions. Wells later performed a drama festival at Todd School and it turned out to be another success. Wells added his earnings in the theater as a radio actor in 1935 together with other actors who latterly formed the core of his Mercury theatre. 1934 is when he shot a short silent film The Hears of Age . While working for Mercury Theater he was given an opportunity to create a seven week series to adapt Le Miserables, which he was able to do extremely well. Then he shifted his attention to radio acting, which got him dramatic attention in the broadcast of War of the Worlds. After this role, he was given a lot of attention and analysis, which when some one is getting attention or criticism in that world means your are doing something good. The fact that you are in their minds means a lot, whether it is for good reasons or bad, because this ended up placing Welles in the mind of Hollywood. This latterly was one of the main reasons that attracted Hollywood to allowing him full and complete creative control as a first time filmmaker.
After all his experience before the age of 23, he was given what was seen as to be the ‘greatest’ opportunities for a new director, or untried director, and this was the fact that he was going to be given complete artist control to Welles. It seems that after all the experience that he pertained in his first 23 years of life, Wells had gained a lot different medias and different roles through out that time which allowed him to be a full and well rounded director, knowing what goes well with what and how to run it.
3. Pick an extended scene or sequence from “Citizen Kane” and discuss the storytelling technique by analyzing any combination of its component parts (direction, writing, performance, cinematography, production design, art direction, editing, sound, score, etc.)
I would say that one of the most important scenes, in which affected me as a viewer would have to be the scene towards the end when his wife is choosing to leave him. The conversation that they have and how she is wanting a husband that will give her love, that will let her in. But he doesn’t understand what she means by this, he think that she just wants objects and material. When in all honesty, their relationship was based on consumerism and things, rather than love, passion, honesty and care. He doesn’t understand that his whole life he has been searching for one thing, and that is love. After the fact that his mother and father gave him away to Mr. Thatcher, and then that Mr. Thatcher could give him money but not love. So he search for it in his wife, but was never able to truly understand it. He would not open up to her, and this is something that creates a similarity between Charles Kane and Mr. Thatcher. This is why at the end he realizes that all he truly wanted in life was love and therefore happy. At the start of the movie it is depicted that the last words of Mr. Kane was rosebud, and the whole movie tries to understand why those were his last words. And in this extended scene one understands that it was the name of the sled his true parents gave him, and the importance is that was the time that he had a true and caring family and that was when he had love and was happy.
1) “Citizen Kane” is one of the most
influential films ever made. Discuss
this statement.
Kane is the most influential film ever made because it implemented many new film making techniques. As the film opens on Kane's large mansion Xandau, we see that the gate and the mansion off in the distance are both in focus using a wide angle lens, which had never been done before. Then, as Kane is being signed away at his cabin in Colorado, we see his parents and Thatcher inside in full focus, but we also see Kane outside in the snow through a window, also in full focus. This is also an innovative use of mise en scene, as each character is carefully placed to enhance emotion. Kane's rise and fall is also heavily dependent on mise en scene. Kane is not the easiest character to understand, and carefully planned scenes help determine what emotion is truly being felt. The storytelling technique used to narrate the film was also quite innovative, and was unheard of in Hollywood at the time. Wells uses multiple narrators, each discussing a different point in Kane's life followed by a return to the present day to move to the next narrator. The soundtrack and sound effects also enhance the storytelling by giving the audience audible cues as to what is happening in a scene or montage. Wells used basically non stop music throughout the entire film, which also had never been done before. Just about every part of this film was influential, from the cinematography to the lighting, many regard Kane as the Textbook for Film makers.
2) What had Orson Welles done in his first 23
years of life to warrant the Hollywood Film Industry offering complete creative
control to a first time filmmaker?
What I think warranted Welles creative control as a film maker was the fact that he had convinced anyone listening to his radio adaptation of War of the Worlds that the story he was telling was actually happening. This was a truly innovative move on Welles' part, as he literally made the story came alive. Welles knew that if people heard a story on the radio, they would have no way of knowing if the story being told was true or not, especially for people who were not familiar with War of the Worlds. Storytelling techniques such as this proved his prowess as a storyteller, and enabled him to become a film maker. The broadcast is generally known as the most famous broadcast in radio history.
Welles deteriorates Kane's marriage to Emily with a series of breakfast scenes. First of all, each scene is framed generally the same, with Kane at one end of the table and Emily at the other. At the beginning of the sequence, the couple are still passionate, gazing into each other's eyes, and talking as lovers would, with a kiss at the end. Emily is generally dressed ladylike and is made to look attractive. As time passes, their breakfast conversations slowly start to become less passionate as Kane begins to fall out with Emily. They slowly start to talk about mundane things, and generally without eye contact or any enthusiasm at all. Emily begins to resemble an old lady rather than a sexy young woman. This scene is quite effective, as it quickly ended Kane's first marriage and is entertaining, because although quick, just about every stage of the deterioration of the marriage is shown in a short period of time, keeping the audience engaged.
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