Citizen Kane by Orson Welles - Essay Example

Orson Welles Citizen Kane weathers the aspects of time setting in the light of literary elements entailed in it that propagate its significance as a tragedy in the twentieth century. The following outline presents the salient aspects of the protagonist character and function in relation to the plot development that identify with key tragedy characteristics of tragedy philosophy enunciated primarily in the Aristotelian Philosophy of Tragedy. Aristotle’s philosophy of tragedy presents character as the second element after plot in the tragedy elements order of importance. Charles Foster Kane qualifies as a tragic hero in Aristotles mold of tragedy owing much to his role in the development of the plots beginning or incentive movement, the middle or the climax and the end or the resolution according to the Aristotelian tragedy outline. The key aspect of Kanes character contribution to the tragedy plot lies in his character flaw. This is of pivotal significance in the plot propagation as it triggers the cause and effect set of events that will evoke pity and fear in the audience. Kane’s tragic flaw lies in his failure to grow and mature into a responsible man. The elements of his flaw are embodied in his failure to manipulate his charm and panache to materialise into something feasible in his quest for happiness. His flaw is also heightened in his selfishness reflected in his insatiable desire for women. He collects wives, possessions and animals in his pleasure dome but never gets the satisfaction that he longs for. The protagonist character flaw is one fundamental of the Aristotelian philosophy of tragedy.This aspect on Kane is well enunciated by Peter J Pullicino ( Critically Appraise Citizen Kane as Cinema:2008 ). “Even a cursory summary of the fragments leads us to an imposing list of contradictions: Kane is the dashing hero and a grotesque tyrant, an idealist and a cynic, and egotist and a defender of the common man, a child who never grew up, and a man who never had a childhood…". The Cinematic narrative form enhances plot development in this art piece to accumulate to tragic significance. The concepts of the image as presence (image as presentation) and image as text (image representation) have been employed in the ensemble to achieve significant tragic meaning dissemination. These have contributed invaluably to the artistic meaning significance accomplished through various cinematic narrative elements. In the scene "Susan Walks Out" toward the close of the play various narrative elements contribute significantly to the development of the tragic Plot. The symbolic "walking out" of Susan out of Kanes life achieves tragic inference owing to the fact that Kane like the audience does not expect Susans decision. This is so as Susan has been someone who has always been presented as inferior to him. Kane in his naiveté, which constitutes his tragic flaw, supposes that he has done everything for Susan. One salient element of the genre form is the role achieved by the manipulation of the camera in portraying certain scenes key to the thematic concerns of the art piece. In this scene the camera shoots both Kane and Susan from an upward-facing angle. This angle thus juxtaposes them as equals which is in the plot context and concept a significant reversal theme central in tragedy genre. Size and height symbolize that Susan is no longer engulfed in the realms of an inferiority complex in his relation and regard to Kane. This illuminates the dramatic twist and the reversal theme considering the inferiority complexities of Susan in previous scenes reflected through her deportment around Kane. In the previous scenes Susan is regularly portrayed kneeling before Kane while Kane towers and postures over her with a condescending disposition. In the ideal tragedy according to Pullicino (opcit), claims Aristotle, the protagonist will mistakenly bring about his own downfall—not because he is sinful or morally weak, but because he does not know enough.On Kanes fate this aspect evokes pathos from the audience interpreting Kanes downfall as a result of the imbalance between his noble endeavors and his villainous approach which culminate form his character flaw. The breakfast table scene also remarkably stands out for its contribution to the making of the narrative as a tragedy. This scene is significant for the representation of the widening chasm developing between Kane and Emily.The elaborate body language, the editing aspect of the characters change of costumes as well as a seamless dialogue form a important set of conceptual objects and events that constitute the development of a tragic plot. The development of their marriage is outlined efficiently in six segments separated by whip pans, the camera and spoken narrative. In another scene, when Kane is being lectured by Leyland after the election the framing has been used to emphasise Kane’s power by placing the camera down low so as to capture the ceiling and Kane’s stature. These techniques demonstrate the dexterity of Welles and the film director in employing these tools enhance meaning dissemination. Consistently Welles goes out of his way to frame the shot in an exciting way. He tilts the camera on X axis when Kane is being presented with the trophy on his return from Europe; he pulls the camera quickly up on the Y axis when Susan is singing to get the workmen operating the lights. One striking technical aspect of Kane is the use of deep-focus. Deep focus means photography that uses lenses permitting all objects within the frame to remain in focus. This focus allows characters in the background to be seen with the same clarity as those in the foreground. This gives the spectator a richer experience because it gives her/him a choice where to look. For instance when Kane is with his banker, Thatcher, the spectator can either focus on the close Thatcher or the distant Charles Kane standing at the window. Although Kane was not a king or a prince unlike other tragic heroes Oedipus, he represents the persona of profound enigma. What is noteworthy here is the time settings of the artifact. In the twentieth century power is derived from money and not from the divine right of leaders or kings. Kane’s wealth and socio-economic and somewhat political status as a newspaper tycoon who inherited his fortune in the era of high capitalism becomes akin to the enigmatic elements of an Aristotelian tragic hero. According to Peter J Pullicino (opcit) “Aristotle relates the quality of “good or fine.” to moral purpose and says it is relative to class: “Even a woman may be good, and also a slave, though the woman may be said to be an inferior being, and the slave quite worthless.”. What of significance in Kanes persona are the qualities of nobility encapsulated in his genuine, albeit myopic quest for true happiness. These are akin to the aspect of “true to life and yet more beautiful” (idealized, ennobled) elements of tragedy. Through the functionality of the characteristically flawed hero, his enigma, his dramatic contributions to the developments of the plot of his own unraveling life, Citizen Kane art piece qualifies as a tragedy despite the time-frame in which it was assembled. Read More