Nov 16, 2009 all these are present in citizen kane from charles foster kane as the flawed hero, to emily kane as the typical american housewife, and of course suzan alexander as the woman who breaks his heart. It is widely noted that it was cinematographer gregg toland who first contacted orson welles about shooting citizen kane 1941. Herman jacob mankiewicz was an american screenwriter, who, with orson welles, wrote the screenplay for citizen kane. Jan 29, 2015 in the importance of film form we considered the formal elements at the filmmakers command, and the the overall pattern of these elements that make up the films formal system. For example, in citizen kane extreme deep focus, diverse camera angles including low angles that exposed set ceiling and unusual use of lighting and deep shadows all these techniques were used in the. The 1941 groundbreaking drama citizen kane, by orson welles, proved to extend far beyond the sum of its original worth. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The biopic, interviewstyle reconstruction of a kanes life contributes to the narrative complexity in citizen kane. The audiences of the time never fully grasped the deeper meaning behind the story and as a result it suffered financially. Filmic elements citizen kane made cinematic advances on many fronts, and its most significant contribution to cinematography came from the use of a technique known as deep focus. Citizen kane, american film drama, released in 1941, that was directed, produced, and cowritten by orson welles, who also starred in the lead role. To print this article open the file menu and choose print.
Cinematography of citizen kane twisted ladder movies. Michael aranda will try to help us through both of these questions as we take a look at our first film in crash course film criticism, citizen kane. Mankiewicz, john houseman, mollie kent, orson welles, roger q. Citizen kane is a 1941 american drama film by orson welles, its producer, coscreenwriter, director and star. Citizen kane made cinematic advances on many fronts, and its most significant contribution to cinematography came from the use of a technique known as deep focus. Citizen kane 1941 citizen kane is one of those films that you cant really classify into a specific genre. The citizen kane script is the most important screenplay of all time, said leila dunbar, director of sothebys collectibles department.
It might be difficult to appreciate it here, but in this shot all characters are in focus including the kid kane playing outside he may appear out of focus, but its actually snow. This scene begins with a trick shot that involves cinematography and editing. He was also the star and the director of citizen kane. Observe this snapshot from the scene at the colorado home. Welles use of film form to illustrate the ideas, actions and themes of his film are mesmerising and manage to capture the span of a newspaper tycoons life within its running time. Similar dynamics are in play in this scene in citizen kane. Citizen kane and miseenscene cinema sweetheart and her. This film could be a tycoon, newspaper, film noir andor even a detective movie. Citizen kane 1941 i always wondered citizen kane was on the top 100 list of best movies ever, or timeless films, or whatever really. While credit for its genius has traditionally been attributed solely to its director, orson welles, carringers pioneering study documents the shared creative achievements of welles and his principal collaborators. Citizen kane, widely considered the greatest film ever made, continues to fascinate critics and historians as well as filmgoers. From there, the story is told in flashbacks as an investigative. Jul 19, 2012 citizen kane 1941 citizen kane is one of those films that you cant really classify into a specific genre.
Cinema is forever the cinematography of citizen kane. The fact that welles played kane as well as directing is astonishing, but the deepfocus cinematography of. However, its hard to pin down a precise genre or classification for citizen kane because its such a broad mix of different genre elements. If youre dealing with an emotional subject this is the complete purpose of a film score. 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. Citizen kane relies on film form to illustrate the. There are rumours that the story of the movie is based on the life of famous businessmen william randolph hearst, howard hughes and samuel insull. Eric blodgett, film 220, professor keating uc santa barbara, 2006 historical analysis, citizen kane. Citizen kane and the deep focus shot sarcasm and the jew.
This essay will examine one theoretical framework, realism, and connect it to tolands work to reveal the complexities and impact cinematography has to the discourse surrounding citizen kane. Mankiewicz and orson welles, but theres an ongoing rumor that orson welles didnt write the screenplay for citizen kane, which seems nuts and is hard to prove. Obviously, lots of people want to claim ownership of the idea. The following is a college paper for uc berkeley film studies course. Narrative innovations in citizen kane narrative film technique. In the decades after its release, welless film in spired a generation of young european filmmakers to unleash an explosion of cinematic modernism that val ued. In 1974s f for fake, he said that kane was going to be based on hughes. The use of camera angles in citizen kane online term paper. I am glad that this particular film was the film of choice to demonstrate some of these techniques.
Download file to see previous pages it is an anomaly though, that, though the film was nominated for 9 oscar categories, it only won in one. The citizen kane script is the blueprint for what many consider to be the greatest film of all time. In the importance of film form we considered the formal elements at the filmmakers command, and the the overall pattern of these elements that make up the films formal system. Therefore it need a free signup process to obtain the book. The structure of citizen kane is circular, adding more depth every time it passes over the life. The movie opens with newsreel obituary footage that briefs us on the life and times of charles foster kane. Kanes use of cinematography and editing created the. This post focuses on the elements of film style miseenscene, cinematography, editing, and sound providing a few examples of how welles citizen kane 1941. 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. Citizen kane is a 1941 american drama movie, starring orson welles in his first fulllength movie. The movie citizen kane uses each cinematic technique in a way that is obvious to the viewer. Jul 20, 2015 citizen kane is an encyclopedia of techniques. Citizen kane is considered one of the greatest films ever made.
Citizen kane film analysis 1046 words 5 pages discuss to what extent citizen kane changed film and the golden era of cinema the film was made in 1941 and won best screenplay at the oscars and was also nominated for best picture, best director, best actor and best cinematography. Citizen kane is an excellent example of sounds but it is also connected to different techniques, such as movements and cinematography technique. Citizen kane is regularly filmed from low angles, which required the innovative use of ceilinged sets ideal for suggesting limits to its protagonists rise to power. Citizen kane 1941 directed by orson welles by dan geddes update 4 august 2012. All these are present in citizen kane from charles foster kane as the flawed hero, to emily kane as the typical american housewife, and of course suzan alexander as the woman who breaks his heart. May 07, 2004 the cinematography affects our understanding of citizen kane by providing a stable framework for theoretical and historical discussions. Apr 19, 2020 citizen kane s narrative strategy, in which the whole story is told in flashback from slightly different points of view the equivalent of the unreliable narrator in fiction, was unprecedented in a hollywood film. Nominated for academy awards in nine categories, it won an academy award for best writing original screenplay by herman j. These include the quality of the film stock, the manipulation of the camera lens, framing, scale and movement some theoreticians and film historians bordwell, thompson would also include duration, or the length of the shot, but we discuss the long take in our editing page.
January 16, 2016 tags citizen kane screenplay, citizen kane script, herman j. With its use of deep focus, strange shot angles, and impossible crane shots, the cinematography of citizen kane is justly famous and has been hugely influential. Citizen kane,the miseenscene and cinematography essay. The allure of citizen kane has persisted through the changing of cinematic. We see, reflected in a window, the logo of kanes rival the new. By definition, cinematography is the art of storytelling and includes all things related to camera movement, the images and the light it receives. While rosebud exists as numerous entities throughout the film, as kanes last words, the films narrative structure and one of the two leading interpretations of the film, whether the ending is satisfying rests upon. The technique of telling the story of kane from multiple points of view dispels the illusion that we are learning the truth about. The interrogator from the carol burnett show full sketch duration. It was a collaboration where herman mankiewicz set the foundation and orson welles added the emotion, depth and power, raising the text to a much higher level. Citizen kane is a 1941 american drama film by orson welles, its producer, coauthor, director and star. Welles had made it known that he was interested in working with the veteran cinematographer. He uses this style shot throughout all of citizen kane.
In his essay the technique of citizen kane, andre bazin describes how citizen. Released in 1941, the film citizen kane, often hailed as the greatest movie of all time was groundbreaking for its time. Oct 07, 20 similar dynamics are in play in this scene in citizen kane. Citizen kane is particularly praised for gregg toland s cinematography, robert wise s editing, bernard herrmann s music, and its narrative structure, all of which have been considered innovative and precedentsetting. We see, reflected in a window, the logo of kanes rival the new york chronicle superimposed upon kane, leland, and.
Discuss the ways in which citizen kane challenged the traditional narrative and technical elements of classic hollywood cinema. Sep, 2012 citizen kane 1941 i always wondered citizen kane was on the top 100 list of best movies ever, or timeless films, or whatever really. As an armature film observer, citizen kane is the perfect film of choice to begin analyzing some of. Watching a film takes so much more than just escaping from your own life for a few hours. In citizen kane, the editing is essential to facilitate the story and add to the mystery of the film. Singer 21705 exploring time in citizen kane the allure of ci feb 17, 2005.
Denny top 10 film scripts in american history in the film industry, there are three types of films. This post focuses on the elements of film style miseenscene, cinematography, editing, and sound providing a few examples of how welles citizen kane 1941 utilises these elements in and, in doing so. Download the citizen kane script pdf no film school. The irony is that cinematographer gregg tolands unsettling and idiosyncratic use of the camera may have been part of the reason why citizen kane was not a commercial or. Cinematography is the act of capturing photographic images in space through the use of a number of controllable elements. Citizen kane is a 1941 american drama film directed, cowritten, produced by, and starring orson welles. Give specific examples using appropriate cinematic terminology. Editing in the classical hollywood era was extremely important for the strong narrative nature of a majority of the films. After watching it, and knowing more about true appreciation of film i get it, so to speak. Nov 02, 2015 citizen kane is a fantastic film to use as a template in the exploration of the crucial aspects of filmmaking that go beyond what is explicitly said on screen.
This postelection defeat sequence uses the films lowest angle shot, from a special trench, showing kane as isolated and completely hemmed in, top to bottom. Citizen kane by orson welles presents a hollow ending to a complex film. Welles said that his character, kane, is based on more than one famous person. The fact that welles played kane as well as directing is astonishing, but the deepfocus cinematography of greg. Tolands cinematography for citizen kane also left a major legacy to. I have chosen five of the sixteen techniques that i learned this week, which made an impact on the way that i personally viewed this film. An analysis of cinematography in citizen kane by orson. Jan 16, 2017 the stated objective is to understand kanes dying word, rosebud. Citizen kane cinematography depth through light and. Citizen kane and miseenscene cinema sweetheart and her looks. Welles said that his character, kane, is based on more than one. The film was directed by orson welles, and because of the controversy it caused, it both made him a star and effectively blacklisted him in hollywood. Tierra glass citizen kane analysis march 26, 2010 1. Citizen kane opens at kanes superpalatial estate as hes on his deathbed, uttering his mysterious final word.
Considered by many critics, filmmakers, and fans to be the greatest film ever made, citizen. In narrative structure and film style, welles challenged classical hollywood conventions and opened a path for experimentation in the later 1940s. On the films debut in 1941, the new york times acknowledged that citizen kane was one of the great if not the greatest motion pictures of. Miseenscene, as previously defined, is arguably the most powerful force that is employed by citizen kane to convey messages to the viewer. Earlier, he was the berlin correspondent for the chicago tribune and the drama critic for the new york times and the new yorker. According to welles, it was toland who first broke the ice.
We will discuss this with respect to the cinematography of citizen kane. Cinematography film influences cinematographer the cinematographer of citizen kane was greg toland, toland is known for using deep focus cinematography, in which both the foreground and background are in focus. Citizen kanes narrative strategy, in which the whole story is told in flashback from slightly different points of view the equivalent of the unreliable narrator in fiction, was unprecedented in a hollywood film. That fact turned citizen kane into an exclusive film and quickly recaptured my attention for a second viewing. Who wrote citizen kane the official screenplay for citizen kane is credited to herman j.
The use of camera angles in citizen kane the movie citizen kane is a movie that portrays a man from birth to death and his rise in society. Eric blodgett, film 220, professor keating uc santa barbara, 2006. Essay about cinematography and the film citizen kane 1941. Discuss to what extent citizen kane changed film and the golden era of cinema the film was made in 1941 and won best screenplay at the oscars and was also nominated for best picture, best director, best actor and best cinematography. Film, cinematography, authorship, gregg toland, citizen kane, orson welles. Orson wells was an american film director, writer, actor and producer, who worked in film, theatre, television and radio. Considered by many critics, filmmakers, and fans to be the greatest film ever made, citizen kane was. In terms of visual style citizen kane features probably every element seen in film noirs of the 40s and 50s altman, 71.
Singer 21705 exploring time in citizen kane the allure of ci. Orson welles, the director, used camera angles and a variety of angles to place emphasis on certain important points in the movie. If it available for your country it will shown as book reader and user fully subscribe will benefit by having full access to. Jan 11, 2018 michael aranda will try to help us through both of these questions as we take a look at our first film in crash course film criticism, citizen kane. Any cinematographer should know these cinematography techniques and tips to create cinematic shots for your next short film, feature or tv show. May 12, 2015 orson welles 1941 classic citizen kane is considered by critics and filmmakers to be the greatest american film ever made. The carol burnett show official recommended for you. Nov 28, 2016 the interrogator from the carol burnett show full sketch duration. Eric blodgett, film 220, professor keating uc santa. Narrative innovations in citizen kane narrative film. Cinematic techniques used in citizen kane essay sample. A landmark work in the history of cinema, citizen kane is acclaimed by many critics as the greatest movie ever made. Many aspects of citizen kanes styleincluding flashbacks, chiaroscuro lighting. Orson welles 1941 classic citizen kane is considered by critics and filmmakers to be the greatest american film ever made.
338 1052 476 1003 364 260 1046 577 208 759 1122 127 993 467 823 332 525 1330 156 765 232 763 370 347 255 553 1021 203 853 230 751 652 509 1391 728 1034