Human Isolation In The Fisher King And Citizen Kane

Men in powerful positions, a personal journey marked by trial, and the consequences that follow abusing privileges are all elements found in both The Fisher King and Citizen Kane. The Fisher King follows the story of radio personality Jack and his struggle to rise above his superior attitude, while Citizen Kane takes viewers through Charles Foster Kane’s ultimate downfall in his quest for power. Although many years and two distinct casts separate the two films, both films share similar attributes. In both The Fisher King and Citizen Kane, the mise-en-scene and camerawork illustrate the theme of human isolation in the films. The first way The Fisher King and Citizen Kane depict the theme of human isolation is through the use of mise-en-scene …show more content…
As The Fisher King opens, the scene begins with a bird’s-eye view of the studio, focusing heavily on Jack as the center of the shot. This shot shows that just as Jack believes he is above everyone else, the camera works to illustrate Jack’s superior attitude about himself. Furthermore, the camera pans around Jack’s back and viewers do not have a clear picture of his face. These shots from behind give viewers a sense of being closed off and rejected by Jack in relation to Jack’s own personal view of himself. At the same time, scene three inside Jack’s apartment work to illustrate the idea that Jack is actually a lonely individual. Close-ups of Jack looking at himself in a mirror symbolize that Jack’s world is limited to one person—himself. No other characters are in the shot, which proves that Jack has allowed his personality to separate him from others. Likewise, the bathtub shot of Jack that features a bird’s-eye view of the bathroom highlights that Jack is detached from the rest of the world. The span that the shot covers reveals angles and lines that box Jack in, just as he has put himself in his own box away from the world. In comparison, Citizen Kane also employs certain camera work to depict the theme of human isolation. As the film opens, the scene features the camera sliding up the fence. The upward movement of the camera reveals where Kane has placed himself in comparison to the rest of the world. Kane has lost so much of his connection to the rest of the world that he no longer considers himself a part of the rest of society. In addition, slow edits and various shots around the castle show the decay and decline that Xanadu has faced. In relation to the film’s theme, the various shots and deliberate edits suggest to viewers that Kane has had little