Film Theory and Criticism: Citizen Kane - Essay Example

Citizen Kane Your Name, Instructor Institution Course Date Citizen Kane is one of the most celebrated films in the world. In fact, it is always said to be the greatest movie of all times. Some people may not agree with that, but it is surely a great film. In the year 1941, Orson Welles directed Citizen Kane. The movie is rich in symbols, metaphors and all kinds of imagery and top notch cinematographic techniques. It has won several awards on sound and imagery. Some of the formal elements that stand out are sound, editing and imagery. This essay will concentrate on analyzing the editing style of the film. Deep focus is the most dominant editing techniques that have been used. This paper will spend much time talking about deep focus in the “Citizen Kane.” Deep focus is one of the major techniques that Welles used dominantly in this film. It is a term used in cinematographic environments to describe an appearance that focuses on a wide scope (Braudy and Marshall 34). Usually, the depth of the field is represented by the range between the front end and back-end of an image. Deep focus cannot exist without the foreground and background being covered clearly. The middle ground should also be well defined and articulated. To achieve this effect, the cinematographer usually combines a method that creatively mixes composition with a selected camera lens and lighting (Cotten & Comingore, 1941, pp. 45). In most cases, this style is brought out clearly when the camera is at a stand still, and the camera man plays with the lens adjustment. Different adjustments of the camera lens will usually result to varied depths. Specific angles must also be used to make the recordings. In the movie, Citizen Kane, scenes that bring out theidea of Kane’s power and loneliness have the most effective deep focus. These scenes show the public the limit of Kane’s power. They show the places that Kane can control and those that he cannot be able to exercise his authority. Citizen Kane also used the “wipe” method, where an image wipes over theold one and replaces it. This technique is mostly used in Hollywood films. The viewer is invited to draw meaning and make his own conclusions, by interpreting the different layers that Welles has brought to focus in the film. The relationship between the foreground and the background is usually used to describe how deep the focus is (Braudy & Marshall, 2009, 39). A good example of this interplay is when Welles shows a spoon that has been set in an empty glass. He focuses the camera lens on the whole spoon, and employs various lighting skills to show the viewer how the spoon sits in the glass (Cotten & Comingore, 1941, pp. 47). The glass is also covered clearly, without forgetting to put emphasis on any important details. The foreground shows an open bottle and, the middle shows an image of Susan. Theimage is dimly lit to create the right mood for that particular scene. The manner, in which thisscene has been brought out, by showing these images, may help the viewer to predict a suicide attempt mission. Traditional mosaic naturally creates a unique effect that leads the audience to stare at an object in any single layer, especially one that is isolated. The use of montage is hence important because it eliminates ambiguities in a natural fashion. However, Welles does not clarify the dramatic field early in the movie. He holds on and continues creating ambiguities in the early stages of the movie. Citizen Kane creates an illusion of a long period. He allows the characters to gain age as the story continues to develop. He decides not to reveal the meaning in a chronological fashion. He opts to give insight of different ideas and leave the un-interpreted so that the viewer can pick up the pieces and try to join them. This is clearlywhen his storyis told. Unlike the normal step-by-step method, Citizen Kane chooses to tell Welles’ story as a flashback. His story is not told in one narration, but each of the narrators tries to bring in their story too, as that of Welles goes on. Such segments give the public additional information about his story. This is important so that the viewers can also get glued on the whole scene that combines several imagery techniques to bring out some ambiguous meanings. The audience, in this case, is left to try and dissect each plane for themselves, and come up with possible conclusions and predictions. In any movies, this is extremely significant because it increases the activities of spectatorship. The use of contrasting degrees of lighting is used to clearly bring out the characters that have been used (Braudy & Marshall, 2009, pp. 113). This effect of low-key lighting, where brightness and darkness are juxtaposed is usually effective for raising ambiguity on varied characters. A shadow hides Kane’s image from the public when, he decides to announce his “Declaration for Principles.” This goes on despite the fact that he is the center of attention in that particulars hot. The lighting technique employed in this shot serves to give the audience a warning about the moral opacity of the central character. Kane confirms that he will fulfill his promises to Bernstein, but he later refers to them as “an antique.” The use of such inconsistency in the film, and the high level of contradiction should warn active viewership on relying on the protagonist for any credible truth. Cinematographic techniques are used to give a new meaning to the relationship that exists between the spectator and the screen. Citizen Kane takes advantage of the great depth that it has to bring out multiple layers of activities within a shot (Braudy & Marshall, 2009, pp. 42). Many people tend to confuse deep focus and montage. It can be a little tricky to put the market between the two. However, deep focus is unique because it preserves any ambiguity that is created in meaning. This leaves the audience to interpret different meanings and try to come up with their own conclusions, according to their understanding of thefilm. In most scenes, Kane’s figure is dimly lit. A viewer who has understood the context of the movie, and the meaning being created would guess that Kane has dubious character. His dimly lit image is used to portray him as someone who is not very comfortable with a lot of light (Braudy & Marshall, 2009, pp. 43). This means that he is not straight in his dealings, and that he is also very sly. Symbols like Mr. Kane’s mirrored images should offer hints that will help the viewership to further elaborate his moral foundation. Deep focus has also been combined with blocking, along with framing to illustrate different ideas. A good example is the idea of trespassing. A postfor “NO TRESSPASSING” is seen as the movie fades into a chain link fence (Braudy & Marshall, 2009, pp. 119). On a light interpretation, it is true to say that these words, were written to warn people from trespassing through the fence. However, a critical analysis of the same reveals that there are various types of trespassing activities in the movie. Taking Kane as a good model, he puts away the thoughts of their people from his mind. Hence, he does not allow other people to trespass in his life. Welles employs the use of low angle shots to extensively show Kane’s sense of importance as his life goes through different phases. Three independent scenes can be used to study Jane. When he was a little boy, you could see Charles having a good time with snow games. At one point, the camera is pulled back into the house. It stops to show her mum, dad and Mr. Thatcher. Lastly, blocking is used to show the positions of each one of them. Mr. Kane is on the left while the rest are sitting on the right side. Charles is in themiddle(Mulvey, 2004, pp. 65). Deep focus is used here to put an emphasis on the innocence of Charles. Charles is far away, playing, but the camera still shows him, framed by the window. This can be compared to a scene that shows Kane dancing as a successful newspaperman. At the same time, the camera draws back and shows two of his coworkers. While Kane is still being covered, two of his friends are also shown, one on the left and the other on the right. These scenes are very deep. The camera is very far, but is adjusted to cover things that are near, and those that are far, at the same time. Kane’s innocence starts to be stolen as he engages in conversations with his friends. He gets conceited and he even destroys Susan’s room. His workers gaze at him silently as hewalks out of Susan’s room. The camera stops moving as Kane continueswalking. This effect allows him to move off-screen, and the audience sees his reflection in the mirror. As Kane, passes, with his image reflecting on the mirror, Welles shows huge pillars in the mirror. This is a deep focus; it serves to show how small Kane was. One can also argue that he is his image appears in the mirror because Kane is reflecting on his life. This makes sense; Kane could have been thinking that he was not a big man, after he saw those huge pillars (Mulvey, 2004, pp.67). Bibliography Read More

The use of montage is hence important because it eliminates ambiguities in a natural fashion. However, Welles does not clarify the dramatic field early in the movie. He holds on and continues creating ambiguities in the early stages of the movie. Citizen Kane creates an illusion of a long period. He allows the characters to gain age as the story continues to develop. He decides not to reveal the meaning in a chronological fashion. He opts to give insight of different ideas and leave the un-interpreted so that the viewer can pick up the pieces and try to join them.

This is clearlywhen his storyis told. Unlike the normal step-by-step method, Citizen Kane chooses to tell Welles’ story as a flashback. His story is not told in one narration, but each of the narrators tries to bring in their story too, as that of Welles goes on. Such segments give the public additional information about his story. This is important so that the viewers can also get glued on the whole scene that combines several imagery techniques to bring out some ambiguous meanings. The audience, in this case, is left to try and dissect each plane for themselves, and come up with possible conclusions and predictions.

In any movies, this is extremely significant because it increases the activities of spectatorship. The use of contrasting degrees of lighting is used to clearly bring out the characters that have been used (Braudy & Marshall, 2009, pp. 113). This effect of low-key lighting, where brightness and darkness are juxtaposed is usually effective for raising ambiguity on varied characters. A shadow hides Kane’s image from the public when, he decides to announce his “Declaration for Principles.

” This goes on despite the fact that he is the center of attention in that particulars hot. The lighting technique employed in this shot serves to give the audience a warning about the moral opacity of the central character. Kane confirms that he will fulfill his promises to Bernstein, but he later refers to them as “an antique.” The use of such inconsistency in the film, and the high level of contradiction should warn active viewership on relying on the protagonist for any credible truth.

Cinematographic techniques are used to give a new meaning to the relationship that exists between the spectator and the screen. Citizen Kane takes advantage of the great depth that it has to bring out multiple layers of activities within a shot (Braudy & Marshall, 2009, pp. 42). Many people tend to confuse deep focus and montage. It can be a little tricky to put the market between the two. However, deep focus is unique because it preserves any ambiguity that is created in meaning. This leaves the audience to interpret different meanings and try to come up with their own conclusions, according to their understanding of thefilm.

In most scenes, Kane’s figure is dimly lit. A viewer who has understood the context of the movie, and the meaning being created would guess that Kane has dubious character. His dimly lit image is used to portray him as someone who is not very comfortable with a lot of light (Braudy & Marshall, 2009, pp. 43). This means that he is not straight in his dealings, and that he is also very sly. Symbols like Mr. Kane’s mirrored images should offer hints that will help the viewership to further elaborate his moral foundation.

Deep focus has also been combined with blocking, along with framing to illustrate different ideas. A good example is the idea of trespassing. A postfor “NO TRESSPASSING” is seen as the movie fades into a chain link fence (Braudy & Marshall, 2009, pp. 119). On a light interpretation, it is true to say that these words, were written to warn people from trespassing through the fence. However, a critical analysis of the same reveals that there are various types of trespassing activities in the movie.

Taking Kane as a good model, he puts away the thoughts of their people from his mind. Hence, he does not allow other people to trespass in his life.

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