Citizen Kane Essay

The subscribe Citizen Kane (1941), directed and written by Orson Welles and Herman Mankiewicz, is an Ameri asshole film drama that use various film techniques to illustrate themes, attitudes, and the development of a story. Welles use of tv camera cant overs, electric arcing, movement, symbolism and expression allow the audience to comprehend and get a line the themes such as motive and exploitation that ar present in this ikon along with many other themes that pertain to the animation of the main character, Charles Foster Kane. galore(postnominal) of the filming techniques that be used in this film illustrate Kane and his feelings and transitions by and through with(predicate) and ab bulge his life. Citizen Kane is a film that demonstrates the importance of how simple icon techniques can help develop a story.After viewing the film, the audience comes to understand that the main theme of the film is centered around the importance of puerility. end-to-end the depictio n, symbolism is used to reinforce the theme. Thompson, the reporter, attempts to figure out the meaning of the ledger rosebud, Kanes last words before laissez passer international. Kanes life seems to be a mystery to some people, and the word rosebud is that wanting bit to Kanes life. Thompson never figures out what rosebud means, but at the end of the movie we see the word rosebud on the ride that was thrown into the fire. At this blockage the audience understands that rosebud is indeed symbolic of his childhood and the missing piece of his life. earliest in the movie, Kane is outside playing with that same sled while his p atomic number 18nts are discussing a plan to send him away. Rosebud can now be affiliated to the snow globe which represents his childhood in Colorado. Thomson said that rosebud was a missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle. He is illustrating that Kane always felt that he lost his childhood and himself. All he had to show for it was that sled and the snow gl obe.Further importance on the theme of his childhood is illustrated through cast downing when Thomson the reporter investigates Tatcher to get a better spirit of Kanes childhood. When he enters the room at that place is a actually distinct, glowing light that is god in such away that it focuses on a ledger containing information about Kanes childhood. Right away, we see the importance of Kanes childhood in the developing plot. To further emphasize this importance, when Thomson opens the bear, the audience commemorates the very distinct contrast amid the bright light on the book and the dark area surrounding the book. Throughout the movie, the director is hinting to the audience that his childhood is symbolic of something very important which just might be the dissolver to the question, What/who is Rosebud?By now the audience understands that that Kane was unable to have a popular childhood due to a lack of say and power. This is illustrated using a depth and focus effect . In the early parts of the film at that place is a slam in which Kane is outside playing while his parents and banker are negotiating his fate. The actors are ordered in such a way that the fuck off is always in front, followed by the banker, Kanes father, and and then Kane. Kanes cause seems to have the power due to her position in this icon. It is important to notice that although Kane is in the far depths, he is still in focus, but with extra power. As we transition through the movie, Kane gains power and is in the front of this guess but there is always depth and focus in the picnic to illustrate a hierarchy of power.Another theme in the movie that is reinforced by this technique of depth focusing is births. As Kane develops through the movie, the audience recognizes that he is losing his power and his weakness leads to broken relationships. When he takes go of the Inquirer, he is constantly surrounded by people and they are not physically distant from him, but as hi s status on the class-conscious system dwindles start, he begins to distance himself from others in scenes. When Kane fires Leland, we see a extensive deal of depth and distance between the two but both remain in focus. In this same scene Bernstein is standing in the doorway at a distance away from Kane but he has no significance. The way the actors are positioned illustrate how Kane is developing as person and with other people around him.When Kane gets taken away by Tatcher at a very young age, his life is transitioning into one of power and corruption. When his employees and partners refreshing him for the first metre at the Inquirer, all the quills are low angle shots. The angle also makes it seem as though Kane is momentously larger than everyone else in the subsequent scenes. It is as though the audience is looking up to him just as his employees are, illustrating the theme of power that Kane now holds.Exploitation is a theme that begins to develop after Kane has take n control of the Inquirer. His need for power continues to grow and he becomes more and more corrupt. Not only is there corruption within his company, but he comes to exploit other peoples thoughts and ideas. As Kane obtains more power and greed, he gets the idea to run for governor, but in the process he gets exploited in regards to his developing relationship with Susan. This is where the movie transitions from power to weakness. Up until this point there has been many low-angle shots to illustrate Kanes growing power. When Kane loses the election, the film moves transitions into high-angle shots.Prior to anyone even saying that the election was over, the scene setting clearly illustrates that the election was lost. Even though the office looks desire it is a mess, it is very empty. No campaign crew, no feeling. The shot then moves to Kane. During this scene Kane speaks with two different people but his face is down and hidden from the audience. The camera is constantly at a low angle illustrating Kanes diminishing power. Furthermore, this is the first scene with Kane in which there is close lighting in the room, which reinforces the concept of an empty feeling.As mentioned before, the director uses cryptic focussed shots to illustrate a hierarchy of power. Throughout the movie, deep focused shots are also used to put significance on a specific actor. In the deep focused shots, actors are usually spaced by long distances, like in the scene where Kane is talking to Susan crosswise a long corridor with Thompson as the interviewer. When either Kane or Susan speak, the camera shot is always focused in front of them to draw financial aid to what they are saying. Another technique used to put focus on Kane throughout the movie is by drawing in on Kane by passing through and object or person through a invariable shot. This filming technique is used in the first scene of the movie.The scene begins with the audience closing in on a No break sign, and then pass es through the sign to reveal a house with light coming from one window. This might not be a significant amount of light, but the lighting does illustrate the importance of what lies beyond those windows. The scene continues through a garden, over fences, etc. but the whole time the lighted window stays in the same position, continuously bringing a attention to its significance. Of course as the scene continues it is that of Kane passing away and revealing the mystery which follows throughout the film. The director attempts to always keep the attention on Kane even when it seems as though he is fading out of the discussion.The audience can always find a relationship between the characters of a story/film and the main themes. In the film Citizen Kane, the relationship between the characters and important themes are illustrated by filming techniques that range from camera angles to symbolism. Throughout the movie symbolism played an important role in determining the main theme and wh at rosebud meant. Kanes development as a person and place in society was illustrated through camera angles, lighting, and depth. These techniques not only assists the audience in understanding Kane, but also understanding other characters and the relationship Kane had with them.