Citizen Kane

1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

Citizen Kane was released in 1941. It was directed, produced, starred and was co-written by Orson Welles. The film is about wealthy newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane, who was born into a poor family in Colorado. At a young age, Charles was forces away from his mother and sent to the east to be educated, also where he would go into the newspaper business at age 25. However, the film Citizen Kane does not begin with Charles at a young age, but instead it begins with Charles Foster Kane’s death, and with Charles’ final word “Rosebud”. News of his death spreads, and newspaper reporters become determined to find the meaning of “Rosebud” and why it was the last thing he said. The Movie follows Reporter Jerry Thompson as he interviews people close to Kane. Each interview leads to a flashback revealing parts of Kane’s life. Those interviewed includes; his friends, business partners, and his second ex-wife, Susan.  

2)  Find a related article and summarize the content.

http://www.decentfilms.com/reviews/citizenkane

“Visually, Welles and legendary cinematographer Gregg Toland forged a dramatic style combining such techniques as extreme deep focus, varied camera angles including low angles revealing set ceilings, and unconventional use of lighting and deep shadows anticipating the film noir style. Individually, most of these techniques had been pioneered in other films, but Citizen Kane masterfully brought them together with unprecedented acumen and maturity.” -Steven D. Greydanus

In Greydanus’ review of Citizen Kane, he points out Orson Welles’ use of cinematography, which in Citizen Kane, is regarded as one of the best examples of cinematography in all of film history. Welles used things like camera angles and lighting to express the happiness and sadness of the character Charles Foster Kane. Welles also used wide angle lenses in order to keep multiple things in a scene in focus at the same time. Also, Welles utilized shadows throughout the entire movie to add more effect to each scene.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.

After reading this article I can recognize how Orson Welles used cinematography in Citizen Kane. In the flashbacks of Charles Foster Kane’s life in his happier earlier years, each scene jumps right on to the next giving Kane a more of a lively feeling. He is shot from a normal angle and with high key lighting, so that you can see his face pretty normally. When he is older, Kane is much more powerful, with that in mind Welles shot him from a lower angle so that it is almost like you are looking up to him. Also in his later years Charles Foster Kane is sad and corrupt, so low key lighting was used to show more contrast.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film

Citizen Kane truly is more that it appears to be. At first glance it is an intriguing movie looking at the life of a wealthy newspaper publisher who learns first hand that money can’t buy happiness. However when you watch the film a few more times, you begin to see all of the little things that Orson Welles did. Everything in citizen Kane has some sort of significance, from the color of the clothing to the scenes inside the palace of Xanadu that seem to drag on. It is this attention to detail that Orson Welles possessed that made Citizen Kane a work of art.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Robert Moroz_____________________________  Date: 11/20/2013____________________________