Citizen Kane Final

11.   Citizen Kane is one of the most influential films ever made, if not THE most influential film ever made. There are several reasons for this, including the film’s narrative structure and cinematography. As the American Cinema text says, Citizen Kane “transcends stylistic convention” (22). Citizen Kane does not follow an easy, linear plotline like most previously made films. Instead of following a simple storyline, the viewer is forced to do a lot of thinking for themselves as far as piecing together the plot. Some parts are very confusing, but this narrative structure, which the text calls “fragmented and complex” (36) is part of what makes this film such a unique masterpiece. Another innovative thing about this film is the fact that it does not fit into one specific genre. It could be considered film noir, but it is also clearly a drama, and there are elements of classical Hollywood. In some parts, it seems to be a generic crime movie, but there is also more depth and importance to this man’s life, so the film seems to transcend this genre, as well. This film was not written to be a part of any specific film movement, but instead is its own type and genre. Finally, the cinematography of this film is also very unique and brilliant. There are many different camera angles: close-ups at some parts, or extreme high or low angled shots. The American Cinema text discusses a particular scene where a certain camera angle tells the viewer so much more about the character than action or dialogue ever could. The text explains, “Kane’s power and mystery are suggested in the camera angle- yet in losing the election he has just proven how vulnerable he is” (48). These kinds of beautiful shots add complexity to the characters and storyline in an innovative new way. This kind of complexity of Kane’s character could not have been shown through the actions of the character, and the cinematography is very central to the viewer’s perception of the characters and events. In conclusion, Citizen Kane is an extremely influential film because of its unique narrative structure, its transcendence of genre, and its unique cinematography.

22.    Orson Welles had a very interesting and unique life that attracted a lot of attention even before his first major film. He went to a boys’ school called the “Todd School” where he first became interested in the arts, such as performing and writing (Wikipedia). Afterwards, he had an opportunity to go to Harvard but turned it down, and then spent a short time attending an Art school in Chicago (Wikipedia). Welles was in high demand as a young theater actor because he was quirky and unconventional, and performed as an actor all around the world. He was requested as an actor by famous people such as Thornton Wilder and John Houseman, who were well known not only in theater but also in the performance arts as a whole (Wikipedia). This recognition in Broadway made a name for Welles in mainstream performance art before he moved on to Hollywood. The event that brought him the most pre-Hollywood fame, however, was when he adapted the “War of the Worlds” for a radio show, pretending that aliens were actually landing and trying to take over the world. It caused mass chaos, because the program was so well-done and believable. People panicked and some families even left their homes to hide in the wilderness because they were so afraid. This broadcast brought Welles a lot of fame, and this is probably the main event that got him his contract with RKO radio pictures. The RKO president George Schaefer offered him “complete artistic control” as a first-time director, based on his previous accomplishments and current fame. After going through several different ideas, RKO and Welles finally agreed on one of Welles’ ideas: Citizen Kane, over which Welles took complete artistic control (Wikipedia).

3. The scene where Kane is talking to Mr. Thatcher about “losing a million dollars a year” and running the newspaper does a really good job with the cinematography to set Kane up as a very powerful, capable person. Even though Mr. Thatcher begins the scene trying to make demands of Kane and acting like Kane needs to prove himself, the scene is shot over Thatcher’s shoulder, barely showing Thatcher’s face. The shot centers only around Kane. This cinematographic shot show the viewer that even when Thatcher is trying to assert his power, he is actually insignificant, and everything is “centered” around Kane from the very beginning of the scene. The lighting shows Kane’s power as well, because the other characters around Kane are a bit darker, and the lighting makes him almost glow a little bit. After Thatcher and Kane talk for a bit, some other men come up to talk to Kane, but the shot stays focused with Kane in the middle and all other characters standing to the sides, showing their relative unimportance. This scene does a beautiful job of using cinematography to display the true power dynamics to the viewer.