Charles Foster Kane

Citizen Kane is often referred to as “The Greatest Movie of All Time” by many film critics, actors, directors, and film industry pioneers. Its story of Charles Foster Kane’s rise and fall as the wealthy newspaper tycoon is Orson Welles first feature film and his masterpiece. I must admit that last night was my first time watching Citizen Kane but I immediately understood why it is such a well-regarded film. I had previously read reviews and in-depth analysis about the movie but never actually…

the society in which they live and, more importantly, transcend their own context. Orson Welles’ 1941 film Citizen Kane incorporates innovative cinematographic techniques to create a film that has enduring relevance and textual integrity. This film-a-clef draws upon the life story of William Randolph Hearst, a newspaper mogul during his time to a fictional character, Charles Foster Kane. The corrupting nature of power and wealth, alienation and the unreliability of memory are some of the…

Citizen Kane is one of the main movies as to its filmmaking impacts. Director Orson Welles and Cinematographer Gregg Toland were massively inventive in use of camera shots, angles, and lights. Moreover, they utilize the narrative and Dramatic elements in a creative way, describing a story of one individual in many ways. All in all, Citizen Kane opened interesting platform in the filmmaking and techniques. Charles Foster Kane was a man who had everything in his life. But, the one thing he needed…

Citizen Kane – Charles Forster Kane and Susan Alexander SHOT 1: Dissolve into an over-the-shoulder close up of Susan working on a jigsaw puzzle. She is completely dressed up as if she was getting ready to go out for a night on the town with an expensive gown and jewelry. The lighting design is very high contrast with Susan in white, while the background falls to solid black. Susan is in the left foreground of the shot as Kane’s booming voice can be heard saying “What are you doing?” While the…

Wells claimed that is only preparation for directing Citizen Kane was to watch John Ford’s Stagecoach (1939) forty times. Ford’s influence on the film is pronounced, but according to David Cook’s History of Narrative Film, it is equally clear that Welles was steeped in the major European traditions, especially those of German Expressionism and the Kammerspielfilm and French poetic realism. Kane’s narrative economy owes much to “the example of Ford, its visual texture is heavily indebted to the…

Citizen Kane and was produced, co-authored, directed and stared by Orson Welles. The movie was Welles first feature film and was nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories. Furthermore, the film is considered to be the greatest film of all time by critics, filmmakers, and fans. The setting takes place in Xanadu which is a luxurious mansion estate in Florida. The editing uses dissolves as the scene nears the mansion. We can see the lighting is low key and there is low angle of Xanadu.…

his 1941 film Citizen Kane to emphasize aspects of the film he wanted viewers to focus on, and to remove non-essential information from the frame. This was accomplished through various camera tequniques including manipulation of angles and proxemity. Approaching the end of the film there is a scene just after Susan (played by Dorothy Comingmore) has left her husband Charles Foster Kane (played by Orson Welles), where he proceeds to trash her bedroom in a fit of anger. As Kane stumbles around the…

Orson Welles’ first film, “Citizen Kane,” richly realizes the full potential of excellent craftsmanship. Every perceivable element of cinema is expertly utilized to drive the story, themes and tones that “Citizen Kane” present. This is especially apparent in the scene that follows Susan leaving Kane. This scene’s manipulation of mise-en-scène, editing and sound bring together all of Welles’ ideas and drive them beyond the finish line. Mise en scène is what appears in the frame, what the viewer…

Tricks of the Eye I chose to visually compare Michael Crichton’s The Great Train Robbery with Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. I have watched all the movies on the list and thought that two films would have several characteristics to compare. The Great Train Robbery was a revolutionary film that was one of the first in the Western Genres. Citizen Kane’s greatness comes from the fact that it remains relevant over 70 years after its premier. The Great Train Robbery used advanced filming techniques…

Citizen Kane (1941), directed by Orson Welles, is a story about a detective who follows the past life of Charles Foster Kane to solve the mystery of why Kane’s dying word was rosebud. Orson Welles is a well-known actor, screenwriter, director, and producer of radio, theatre, and film. In Citizen Kane, Welles co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in the film, a rare feat (powerpoint slide 18). This shows Welles had a lot of control over the project. It was his vision that made the movie how…