There
are many things that make Citizen Kane
a great movie, but one of the most talked about things is the cinematography.
The use of deep focus was something that was truly innovative for that time
period. This could be seen in almost every scene, where there was a foreground,
a background, and everything in between is in sharp focus. There was also a
great use of low-angle shots, this was something that had not been done before
because of the sound stages that Hollywood had used in movies. You can see a main
example of low-angle shooting in the scene where Kane is talking to a drunk
Leland after the lost election.
The use of sound stages in Hollywood up to this point, made it simpler
to deal with several people being picked up by the microphones on camera. But
for Citizen Kane, they basically did away with sound stages. They had more of
studio editing at that point in time. But they also set it up to where they
didn’t have to do that as much for certain scene. Take the low angle scenes,
the directors draped the ceilings with muslin fabric, and hung the boom mics on
the ceiling. They also dug trenches in the floors for the cameras to fit in for
the low angles. Also anytime there was no possibility of being able to use deep
focus, they would use a telephoto lens or they would use a in-camera matte
shooting technique. Welles was interviewed and asked where he got the
confidence to take such risks he responded “[From]
ignorance...sheer ignorance. There is no confidence to equal it. It's only when
you know something about a profession that you are timid or careful."
Another aspect of the Citizen Kane
was the storytelling techniques that were used throughout the movie. Kane’s
life was showed in chronological order from different points of view. Showing
him and other characters aged. Some call this the cinematic approach to the
unreliable narrator. There was also the technique of montage to reduce time and
space. Using the episodic sequence technique on the same set while the
characters changed costume and make-up between cuts so that the scene following
each cut would look as if it took place in the same location, but at a time
long after the previous cut. You
can see a prime example of this in the breakfast montage; Welles chronicles the
breakdown of Kane's first marriage in five vignettes that condense 16 years of
story time into two minutes. The last aspect is the plot itself, when we as the
viewers finally find out who/what rosebud are. If one were to truly think about
that, it’s more than just the sleigh that was from Kane’s childhood, it would
be a time when he felt he was most innocent and happy. Before money came into
his life, which Kane even states in the movie by saying he would be different
if he weren’t a rich man. Citizen Kane
gives the viewer a lot to think about not just within the plot itself, but
technologically as well.
-Brittany
I completely agree with everything that this post encompasses! The actual directing of the film itself is astounding, especially for the time period. Creating such dramatic and memorable scenes for each screen shot is absolutely fantastic. As a viewer you are completely taken aback, and you feel as though you become a part of the story. The different view points also allow us as the viewers to kind of be kept on the edge of our seat, because we never know who/what we will get next. It keeps something that could become repetative new and refreshing. Lastly I agree about the plot being much deeper then it appeared at the beginning of the quest for "rosebud". It allows us to maybe see a different side of Kane that was never totally portrayed through any of the flashbacks.
ReplyDeleteGroup 6
ReplyDeleteI agree with this completely as well, the storytelling technique that was used throughout this movie really made a big impact on how viewers saw Kane and understood the different parts of his life. I think that showing the characters aging, and how they showed this also made a big impact on the film itself. Also, the mystery behind what or who rosebud was created another layer to the plot, bringing viewers in and making them speculate why Kane was so preoccupied with it, and why it meant so much to him. The last sentence of this review is a perfect way to describe Citizen Kane, the director really used new and innovative techniques to make this a movie a success and keep it famous throughout the years.
Group 6 Re-Write; by Bethan Parmenter
ReplyDeleteI agree with this completely as well, the storytelling technique that was used throughout this movie really made a big impact on how viewers saw Kane and understood the different parts of his life. I think that showing the characters aging, and the ways they portrayed this also made a big impact on the film itself. I think that the new kinds of shots being used, such as the low angle shots, also made huge impact on how dramatic this movie was. The dimensions and depth that was seen in the rooms and throughout Kane's house was startling and really gave viewers more to think about other than just what was being said by the actors. They now have to consider why exactly his house was so empty, and how much space Kane had filled with absolutely nothing. This leads into the next point about the actual plot line in the movie, and the mystery and drama that was woven into it by the actors and how it was directed. The mystery behind what or who rosebud was created another layer to the plot, bringing viewers in and making them speculate why Kane was so preoccupied with it, and why it meant so much to him. The last sentence of this review is a perfect way to describe Citizen Kane, the director really used new and innovative techniques to make this a movie a success and keep it famous throughout the years.
Group 7 Re-Write; By Allie Lonneman
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with everything that this post encompasses! The actual directing of the film itself is astounding, especially for the time period. Creating such dramatic and memorable scenes for each screen shot is absolutely fantastic. As a viewer you are completely taken aback, and you feel as though you become a part of the story. After saying the word “rosebud” and introducing you to Kane, as a viewer, you genuinely wanted to know what “rosebud”, his final word, was. The different viewpoints also allow us as the viewers to kind of be kept on the edge of our seat, because we never know who/what we will get next. It keeps something that could become repetitive new and refreshing. A perfect example of the different points of view that the camera and director allow you to see is when Kane is sitting in his chair. When he is in the chair, it is filmed in a way showing distance from the people around him. This adds depth to the movie and reiterates the point of how far away he keeps people around him. Lastly I agree about the plot being much deeper then it appeared at the beginning of the quest for "rosebud". It allows us to maybe see a different side of Kane that was never totally portrayed through any of the flashbacks. By the end of the move, the viewer feels above the people in the movie, knowing what “rosebud” is and understanding Kane a little more. Again, overall I thought the argument point you made was exceptional, and I agree with you.