Question 1: Citizen
Kane is one of the most influential films ever made. Discuss this
statement.
statement.
Released
in 1941, the movie Citizen Kane has
been one of the most influential films in American Cinema history for several
reasons. These reasons include drawing
on the fundamental stylistic principles, an ideal example of modernity, a
complexity within the film of its characters and goals, the way it was
produced, and the effects it had on the films to be produced afterwards. In
all, Citizen Kane’s impact on
American cinema is as complex as the film itself.
The first statement
to be discussed is that Citizen Kane
embodies and “draws on the fundamental stylistic principles of classical
Hollywood cinema for its means of expression.”[1] By
doing this, it not only holds the film’s personalities and tempers, but it also
holds those of the artists who produce and act within it. This classical
Hollywood style is when the camera and sound recording never call attention to
themselves, but stays focused on the character and the scenes during the movie.
Therefore, time within the movie is continuous, with the only permissible
alteration of time as a flashback. These flashbacks alone make up a large part
of the movie because Kane’s life story is told entirely through the use of
flashbacks.
The second
statement to be discussed is that Citizen
Kane is an ideal example of a modern narrative film. A modernist work,
“tends to reject the illusionistic transparency of classical realist texts.”[2] By
doing this, the pieces of the movie and scenes are laid bare and the process of
constructing the meaning behind the film is exposed. All this is done by
“rejecting the principles of order, regularity, and invisibility”[3]
that the classical and realist movies portray. Stating that, this movie breaks
these classical norms in several ways. For example, it belongs not just one
genre, but to several. These include a mystery, newspaper film, or a biopic
film (fictional biography).[4]
Another way that this movie breaks the classical norms is that it is hard to
distinguish the main character and the goals of characters within the movie. For
example, Belton asks the question:
Is it Charles Foster Kane, who dies in its opening minutes? Or
is it Thompson, the investigative reporter who is assigned to solve the mystery
of Kane’s last word- “rosebud”?[5]
On the topic of what are the goals
of the characters within the film, there is a known fact that both Kane and
Thompson both want “rosebud,” but there is a question throughout the movie as
to what “rosebud” actually is. It is very similar to the green light at the end
of Daisy’s dock in the book The Great
Gatsby. For Kane, “rosebud” is a lost object that can never be found, but
for Thompson it is a mystery that he is never able to solve. However, although
the central characters can never obtain “rosebud” the audience is given a
glimpse as to what it refers to while watching the movie.
There
is also the point that while Citizen Kane
may be extremely complex, there is a factor that the movie can be broken down
into three segments, which can help to better explain what was occurring. For
example, the first segment of the movie consists Kane’s death, the public
reactions to it, and Thompson being assigned to discover the meaning of “rosebud.”
The second segment is where the five different flashbacks that describe Kane’s
life comes into play, and it also includes Thompson’s admission to failure of
not being able to uncover the hidden meaning behind “rosebud.” The last segment
of the movie reveals the identity of “rosebud” to the audience, and returns to
the beginning of the film.[6]
Lastly, it is because of these segments that reeks havoc on the norm, and
causes it to be a somewhat difficult film to break down, analyze, and
comprehend. This is mostly because of Kane’s complex character, but that is
also why Thompson is present so that the audience can follow him throughout the
movie for more information that is presented about Kane. It is this,
“persistent refusal of the film to give the audience access to its central
character” that “serves as the chief mark of its modernism.”[7]
Citizen Kane was also produced in ways
that were different from the classical style of productions in earlier years.
For example, the low-angle shots of Kane show his power and mystery, and it is
this “powerful powerlessness” that gives Kane an even better character persona.[8] There
are also the scenes where the scene has an extreme close up of Kane, and this
would therefore underlines the importance of the moment. Therefore, these
camera angles and close ups shows how the film relies on an exaggeration effect
in order to underline the meaning or importance of a character or scene. Also,
throughout the movie, there are certain scene that are linked by dissolves, and
they are all “united by a common feature – a single window with a light in it –
that occupies the same place in each frame of each shot as the editing
gradually brings the viewer closer and closer to the window.”[9]
Lastly, as it was discussed before, Citizen
Kane was a complex narrative structure that was modeled after by films
after it, specifically film noirs and low-budget films.[10]
Belton states,
Kane served as a
source for much of noir’s subsequent stylistic and narrative practice, though
it lacks one ingredient crucial to most definitions of noir: its narrative is
not concerned with crime nor are its characters situated in a criminal milieu.[11]
Therefore, in
conclusion Citizen Kane is a
masterpiece that has been looked upon for generations. It has been a film that
has been critical to the American film industry and is one of the most
influential films for several reasons. Citizen
Kane goes against the once traditional norms of a classic, and models
itself as an example of modernity by having a complex narrative script with
complex goals and characters, innovative ways of productions and editing, and
the influence that it has exerted on other types of genres of films such as
film noirs. In all, Citizen Kane’s
ability to overwhelm the audience with detail, brought a new type of movie to
the forefront, a movie that would influence other directors and actors of later
generations.
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?
Hollywood Film Industry offering complete creative control to a first
time filmmaker?
Orson
Welles, an astonishing and groundbreaking figure in American cinema has paved
the modernist way for todays inspiring actors and producers. Through his
production and narrative techniques that went against the norms of classical
American film he was able to be a landmark figure that changed American cinema.
However, it was before his widely known movie, Citizen Kane, that Welles grasped the thread that a production
company tossed to him in order for him to establish prominence within the
Hollywood community. It was his first twenty-three years of life that made
Hollywood want to give him complete creative control, and this was rare,
especially to a first time filmmaker.
Born
in Kenosha, Wisconsin on May 6, 1915, Orson Welles began his life as a prodigy
of theater and film.[12]
Welles was born into an artistic family where he gained a love for the arts,
liberal education, and a desire and need to travel worldwide. It would be his
parents that lit the spark in Welles life that drove him to accomplish all that
he did. To further the example of his
parents influence Welles states,
From him [father] I inherited the love of travel, which has
become ingrained within me. From my mother I inherited a real and lasting love
of music and the spoken word, without which no human being is really a complete
and satisfactory person.[13]
It would be after his mother died
that his father began travelling more often, and Welles would always join with
him on the adventures. It would be the travelling and everything that he
witnessed that he would spark his imagination on his future productions.
Apart
from his parents who both passed away at an early age, his liberal education
would also play a crucial role in the development of his artistic abilities. It
would be at the Todd school where he along with others would begin to recognize
his talents for acting and writing. Bazin states,
If he didn’t really learn how to add or subtract, he did in
fact complete his literary-theatrical education and began to exhibit, as an
amateur, his qualities as a director and an actor. Roger Hill, director of
Todd, allowed him to put on Elizabethan plays, and it was here that Orson first
had the idea for that famous digest of several Shakespeare plays which he would
later present with the Mercury Theatre under the title Five Kings.[14]
While still at the Todd school,
Welles would be recognized and awarded for his production of Julius Caesar by the Chicago Drama
League.[15]
However, although he experienced great success while in the Todd school,
including make-up, costume, and set design, he left at the age of sixteen to
travel.[16]
Welles
traveled to Europe, Aran, Dublin, England, and then finally back to America. While
in Dublin, he was hired to play Duke Alexander of Wurtemberg in the play The Jew Süss, and least to say he played
his part incredibly well by using the makeup and hair techniques that he had
learned in the Todd school.[17]
Afterwards, he also played two other roles before leaving for England: the
Ghost in Hamlet and the King of
Persia in Mogu of the Desert.[18]
While he was in England, he was denied a work permit so therefore he had to
return to America. However, while back in America he was met with the harsh
realities of making it on Broadway. It was not until he was introduced to
Thornton Wilder that he was able to grasp a foothold in American theatre.[19]
Although
still an amateur, he organized and stage a festival with the help of the Todd
School, and this is when Welles made his directorial debut.[20]
It was not until a little bit later that John Houseman noticed him and offered
him work on the Archibald MacLeish’s play Panic.[21]
Although this production was short, the Welles-Houseman association was formed
and it would leave a lasting impact on the Federal Theatre.[22]
It would also be through the Federal Theatre, the subsidization of theatrical
companies in the 1930s, and the partnership with Houseman that Welles would
begin working with the Negro Theatre to stage the famous black Macbeth.[23]
However, the Federal Theatre would soon die with the forced closure, even with
Welles’ last effort to improvise the demonstrations to the public outside the
theater’s locked doors.[24]
Because
of the Federal Theatre being shut down, Welles and Houseman again created their
own company known as the Mercury Theatre. This theatre began by performing Julius Caesar on a low budget, and
Welles as Brutus.[25]
Although the Mercury Theatre caused an uproar in New York with the first
production, it would be the last production, Five Kings, which would cause the theatre to shut down due to the
high budget that they could not afford.[26]
However, it was the Mercury Theatre that “had played a major role in the prewar
American theatre and its influence could be compared to that of the Cartel in
France.”[27]
It was also the plateau in Welles’ career, and caused him and America to
recognize his creative genius.
To
go back one step, while in his Federal Theatre years, he was a star on the CBS
radio network and provided Americans with spoken word and acting with his
theatre group The Mercury Theatre on the
Air.[28]
It is through these radio broadcasts that Welles and his fellow actors realized
that exaggeration and emphasizing scripts was how to get the realism across to
listeners. As a matter of fact, one of the scripts that he launched on air was
taken so seriously that it caused a nation wide panic that stunned America.[29]
For this script that was launched on air showed how much of a genius he was in
realism in acting. However, as one might imagine, CBS was not very happy with
what had happened, especially since they had to complete the damage control
because of the carefully worded contracts of Welles that his lawyers had
completed for him. It would be these contracts that left Welles “free from
responsibilities connected with the consequences of broadcasts, except in
matters concerned with attempts at plagiarism or libel suits.”[30]
Now
to go back to 1939, after Welles has established fame in radio and theatre, it
could no longer be denied that Welles deserved a contract with Hollywood.
Therefore, George Schaefer of RKO would agree on a contract with Welles in
August of 1939; and this contract stated that “he would make one film a year,
guaranteed 25 percent of the gross profits of each film, and would receive an
advance of $150,000.”[31]
However, this agreement between RKO and Welles did not come about easy for
several reasons. The first is that Hollywood immediately noted that he did not
appear with his wife, actress Katherine Cornell, due to a secretive divorce
that had been filed.[32]
The second is that RKO’s contract was with Mercury Productions, not solely
Welles. Therefore, Welles insisted that Houseman join him, even though at first
it was a brief struggle for Houseman to agree.
It
was through Orson Welles’ childhood that sparked his interest in the art of
theatrical production. At the Todd school he learned the artistry behind
make-up, set design, writing, directing, and his creative genius was allowed to
grow. There is also no doubt that his travelling played a critical role in his
mental and creative development, for he used his extensive knowledge in
obtaining a realistic effect that was portrayed to anyone who listened. Through
working for the CBS radio, he was allowed more freedom than he had previously
experienced in the Federal Theatre. Here, is where he was granted permission,
with the help of his incredible and smart worded lawyers that his artistic
ability was allowed to be expressed. Therefore, when RKO could no longer deny
that he would be great, Welles battled for a contract that allowed him complete
creative control over what would be submitted. It would be his journeys that he
underwent when he was younger that would allow him to achieve greatness, even
if the first reception of several of his productions through RKO was not well
received at first. It would be the later generations that would admire him.
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.).
storytelling techniques by analyzing any combination of its component
parts (direction, writing, performance, cinematography, production
design, art direction, editing, sound, score, etc.).
Perhaps
one of the most intriguing scenes within the movie Citizen Kane is when he violently ripping and tearing apart the
room with all of his valuables. He is kicking over chairs, tearing mirrors off
of walls, breaking the headboard of the bed, tossing the sheets onto the floor,
and simply breaking anything that was in his way. The simple, yet intrinsic
scene that is posted below allows the viewer to gain a glimpse of a “rosebud,”
which was something that seemed to resemble a small snow globe on film.
Although the violent nature of the scene has allowed the viewer to step into
the mind of Kane and his fury, the lighting, camera angles, writing,
performance, cinematography, production design, editing, and sound all play a
crucial role in playing this scene that is less than three minutes.
To
begin with, the lighting of the scene is one that emphasizes Kane’s obsession
in finding “rosebud.” The scene begins with Kane’s blank, expressionless stare
into the room and him packing a suitcase, but then he launces the suitcase
across the room. This therefore begins his streak of madness. While throughout
the wrecking of the room the light is somewhat bright, there is a shadow that
is cast on Kane when he finds “rosebud.” There is also dimmer light when he
emerges from the room as the maids, butlers, and home caretakers are watching him
in amazement. The light is further perplexing as he is walking through the
hallways and pauses in front of a mirror. In order to create the dramatic
effect, there were two mirrors on both sides of the hallway. This showed
multiple Kanes in a transcending line from large to small. I believe that this
part of the scene allows a viewer to imagine that not only of the flashbacks,
but that Kane was a multidimensional character that was full of complexities.
The
camera angles were also influential in this scene. While Kane was tearing
through the room like a tornado, the camera kept its distance so that the
viewer can witness the room as a whole, which is important because the viewer
can see how Kane’s obsession and fury was very large and extensive. By being able
to witness the large scale of destruction, one can see how important “rosebud”
was to Kane. There is also a part within the scene that gives a lower camera
angle to when he finds “rosebud.” This allows a viewer to see that Kane feels
an empowered powerlessness, and it also emphasizes the importance of “rosebud.”
Also, the fact that when Kane finally found “rosebud” the camera lens zoomed
directly in on the object, which also assisted the exaggerated effect.
Perhaps
the most important part of the scene that is being discussed is that there is
no sound in the beginning. It is very calm, but there is a sense of rabid
determinism by Kane (which Orson Welles does a tremendous job acting out). By
there being no sound, one can hear the destruction that Kane is inflicting upon
the room. It adds to the dramatic effect because it shows just how serious Kane
was and why the house servants were looking at him the way they were when he
emerged from the room. It is not until the word “rosebud” is spoken does music begin
to play. It is of serious tone, and emphasizes the fact that Kane’s eyes have
begun to tear up after discovering the missing piece. The music being played at
the end also seems to assist in the transitions from the room being torn up in
a rampage, to Kane finding “rosebud”, to the tears filling up Kane’s eyes, to
Kane emerging out of the room and walking down the hallway faced with stares,
and finally to the pause at the mirrors where it seems to show Kane as a
multidimensional and complex character.
Lastly,
the acting of Orson Welles as Kane made an incredible contribution to the
scene. The scene began with Kane being rigid, but attempting not to lose his
temper, even though he was going to anyways. The character’s movement through
the room was stiff legged and rigid, which added to the drama that was being
portrayed and the sense of urgency in finding “rosebud.” The fact that the
character was out of breath and the viewer could hear the deep breaths of Kane
emphasized the fact that Kane was on an obsessive mission to find “rosebud,”
and that it was exhausting for him. When “rosebud” was discovered, Kane looked
up at the camera as its angle slowly moved upward with tears filling his eyes.
Lastly, as he was walking through the hallway with the double mirror there
seemed to be a smirk on Kane’s face.
In
conclusion, this scene of Citizen Kane,
which is posted below, shows the modern style of Orson Welles. The camera
angles, acting, mysteriousness, lighting, sound, and transitions all played a
crucial role in the making of this film. It was a film that although not
accepted widely at first, made a lasting contribution to American cinema and
the genres within it.
Citizen Kane Scene Selection
Works Cited
Bazin, André. Orson Welles: A Critical View. Los Angeles: Acrobat Books. 1991.
Belton, John. American Cinema/ American Culture. 3rd ed. Boston: McGraw Hill Higher Education.
2009.
Callow, Simon. Orson Welles: The Road to Xanadu. New York: Viking, 1995.
[1]
John Belton, American Cinema/American
Culture (Boston: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2009), 22.
[2]
Ibid., 35.
[3]
Ibid.
[4]
Ibid.
[5]
Ibid.
[6]
Ibid., 36.
[7]
Ibid., 37.
[8]
Ibid., 48.
[9]
Ibid., 60.
[10]
Ibid., 227.
[11]
Ibid.
[12]
André Bazin, Orson Welles: A Critical
View (Los Angeles: Acrobat Books, 1991), 36.
[13]
Ibid., 36-37.
[14]
Ibid., 38.
[15]
Ibid.
[16]
Ibid.
[17]
Ibid., 40.
[18]
Ibid., 41.
[19]
Ibid., 42.
[20]
Ibid.
[21]
Ibid., 43.
[22]
Ibid.
[23]
Ibid.
[24]
Ibid., 44.
[25]
Ibid.
[26]
Ibid., 45.
[27]
Ibid.
[28]
Ibid., 47.
[29]
Ibid., 48-49.
[30]
Ibid., 49.
[31]
Ibid., 51.
[32]
Simon Callow, Orson Welles: The Road to
Xanadu (New York: Viking, 1995), 459.
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