Blade Runner Cinematography Analysis

The Cinematography of Citizen Kane and Blade Runner
Though Blade Runner and Citizen Kane were made many years apart from each other and set on completely different timelines with completely different story lines, there is a lot that a viewer can appreciate from both of them and how these films give a reflection on our society. Both movies have earned its fair share of rewards throughout the years for its cinematography and visual effects and has left an impact on how movies are created today. Since cinematography is what both of these movies are the most popular for, it is easy to say that the way that these two movies were captured is what really drove both of their stories forward. Both of these films have elements of describing the different …show more content…
For example, even when the set is in a large space, the light that floods into the room only fills in a small area like a table. This is shown most obviously when the reporter Thomson is trying to figure out more information on Kane and is reading the archived papers about Kane, he is the only one at the large table in the large room, yet the lighting isolates him. Another noticeable scene that creates isolation in a large space is when Kane is talking to his wife from across the room. Like the scene mentioned earlier, there is limited light and not much furniture in the room to make the vibe in the room lonely and distant. Throughout the film most of Kane’s life is seen though his fame and wealth, but when Kane is put in a situation by himself it shows his true nature. The lack of lighting in a scene can give the sense of loneliness and isolation, while the excess of light can give a sense of chaos and overcrowding as seen in Blade Runner. When Rick Deckard, the Blade Runner, is trying to stop a replicant, something that is getting in the way of him shooting the replicant is the disorienting lights displayed on the glass walls and doors. The colorful and frequent displays of advertisements that are shown in the city life scenes of the film shows a solid representation of the lower/middle class in the future and how they are constantly surrounded by …show more content…
being in the middle of a crowd). Though Blade Runner and Citizen Kane both have many other excellent uses of cinematography, the ones that I found most prominent is its unique use of lighting and camera techniques. Whether it’s using lights to set up an atmosphere of either isolation or disorder or filming a scene that shows where a character is at in their place in the world, the film makes sure to represent the struggles to both living in the poor city and living in a rich mansion, and the cinematographers of these two films do a great job on translating that onto the big