Orson Welles ' Citizen Kane is a widely acclaimed film and said to be one of the greatest American films. The film is more than 70 years old, but it is still considered as a classic. So what makes Citizen Kane so remarkable? I believe the technical aspects are part of why it is so well regarded. He uses camera angles, audio, lighting and many other techniques effectively to convey the message. This paper focuses on how Welles ' has conveyed the theme of “corrupting influence of power and wealth” and the theme of “loss” in particular.
One of the moments that shows Kane 's corruption of power is when he is blackmailed by Jim Gettys, a competitor of Kane in the New York governor election. The tone drastically changes after Kane gives his campaign …show more content…
This silence is necessary to emphasize the importance of Gettys in this particular scene. We cannot see Gettys face at this point because of a shadow, and this gives a sense of mystery and an impending threat that will cast upon Kane and his family. Orson Welles also uses light and shadow to portray the hierarchy of power. Later in the scene, when Gettys says he will reveal Kane 's affair to the public if he doesn 't stop the campaign, only Gettys ' face isn 't blocked by a shadow. In this scene, Gettys is the most powerful person in the room since he is the one presenting the deal. Thus, we can only see his face clearly. These consecutive scenes show Kane 's corruption of power because we can visually see the power moving to Jim …show more content…
First, the camera focuses on young Charles Kane, then it moves back and focuses on his mother, Mary Kane. Charles stays in the frame and we can hear him saying something, but it doesn 't interfere with the dialogue among his father Jim, Mary, and her banker. When Mary is about to sign the paper, Jim steps in and asks her to think again. When that happens, the camera tilts upward to him and the paper is left outside of the frame. However, after Mr. Thatcher presents the deal and Jim gives up, the contract sheet becomes visible again, and we can see Mary signing the paper. Orson Wells has done a brilliant job deciding what to include in the frame and what to focus
One of the moments that shows Kane 's corruption of power is when he is blackmailed by Jim Gettys, a competitor of Kane in the New York governor election. The tone drastically changes after Kane gives his campaign …show more content…
This silence is necessary to emphasize the importance of Gettys in this particular scene. We cannot see Gettys face at this point because of a shadow, and this gives a sense of mystery and an impending threat that will cast upon Kane and his family. Orson Welles also uses light and shadow to portray the hierarchy of power. Later in the scene, when Gettys says he will reveal Kane 's affair to the public if he doesn 't stop the campaign, only Gettys ' face isn 't blocked by a shadow. In this scene, Gettys is the most powerful person in the room since he is the one presenting the deal. Thus, we can only see his face clearly. These consecutive scenes show Kane 's corruption of power because we can visually see the power moving to Jim …show more content…
First, the camera focuses on young Charles Kane, then it moves back and focuses on his mother, Mary Kane. Charles stays in the frame and we can hear him saying something, but it doesn 't interfere with the dialogue among his father Jim, Mary, and her banker. When Mary is about to sign the paper, Jim steps in and asks her to think again. When that happens, the camera tilts upward to him and the paper is left outside of the frame. However, after Mr. Thatcher presents the deal and Jim gives up, the contract sheet becomes visible again, and we can see Mary signing the paper. Orson Wells has done a brilliant job deciding what to include in the frame and what to focus