INTRODUCTION Citizen Kane is a drama, mystery starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore. The 1941 firm was written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles. Moreover, the film was directed by Orson Welles. The film was distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. Citizen Kane is considered to be the greatest film of all time ranking number one on “AFI's 100 GREATEST AMERICAN FILMS OF ALL TIME”. (SOURCE: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/ http://www.afi.com/100years/movies10.aspx) PLOT SUMMARY A team of reporters are trying to decipher the word “Rosebud”, the last spoken word by the millionaire newspaper magnate, Charles Foster Kane. A reporter from the team starts to interview those from Charles Kane’s past in hopes to learn the meaning of Rosebud. The reporter first learns that at a young age, Kane was sent to a boarding school after his mother struck it rich because of a mining claim that was signed over to her in lieu of rent. Later in Kane’s life, at the age of 25 he had great fortune and bought a newspaper company and became a newspaperman to indulge his idealism. Kane’s newspaper company grew to one of the biggest in America and he became even richer than he was before. The reporter is then brought through Kane’s first marriage with Emily Norton, the niece of the President and his political career. Kane ran for Governor of New York and was winning the election until the scandal came out that he was having an affair with the “singer” named Susan Alexander. After
In fact, during the newsreel documenting Kane's life at the beginning of the film, the reporter declared that Xanadu contained "the loot of the world. (Citizen Kane)." Furthermore, both men were known to use their mansions to host extravagant Hollywood parties that catered to the elite of America. The similarities in their estates aided in illustrating the resemblance between Charles Foster Kane and William Randolph Hearst. This, in turn, reinforced the movie's message that wealth and power are destructive to human values because viewers could refer to a real life example of the main character.
Citizen Kane by Orson Welles is a story that was made for excellence. However, since it was about William Randolph Hearst, it did not do too well. Many movies didn't want to play the film because they were scared of Hearst and his power. Although, many could not see the movie it still became one of the greatest films ever made through its uncommon angles, montages, and lighting.
The film was made in 1941 and won best screenplay at the Oscars and was also nominated for best picture, best director, best actor and best cinematography. It was directed by Orsen Welles and its main actors were Joseph Cotten , Dorothy Comingore and Agnes Moorehead. The film has aged incredibly in the last 75 years from its release and has defined film in how good it really was. Citizen Kane changed the way movies are made because it became the starting point for many filmmakers first learning about how films are made and how a director can give a film a particular style. The editing (by Robert Wise) was as innovative as the cinematography by Gregg Toland - add these two talents to the talent of director Orson Welles not knowing how to direct properly and you have stylistic flourishes and a film that still impresses today. It didn't immediately change how movies were made citizen Kane was actually a somewhat forgotten film for several years until it was rediscovered in the late 50s - but it was definitely ground-breaking and many of the techniques used were copied and used by later directors.
Citizen Kane also showed how the American Dream isn’t all that people make it out to be. The movie revolves around the life of Charles Foster Kane, a very wealthy entrepreneur. In the beginning of the movie, you see Charles as a young boy in a low class family. His family own some property but you can see that they want him to be removed from the
Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane is a revolutionary film. Although it might not look like much to the modern viewer, many aspects of the film were the first of their kind to appear and are still used today.
Why was Citizen Kane so different from the traditional Hollywood Films? Citizen Kane defies the traditional narrative and classic elements of Hollywood cinema by uniquely setting up the story in a different fashion from what the typical storyline would usually follow. It took on an approach of arranging the events of the story as it unfolds in a nonlinear pattern, while using multiple narrators while leaving the suspense of what did the meaning of a dying man’s last word open to the audiences’ interpretation.
Orson Welles’ 1941 classic film Citizen Kane tells the story of Charles Forster Kane. The turning point of the film is when Jim Gettys attempts to blackmail Kane. The scene demonstrates Kane’s fall from grace through pride. His reactions to the other characters in this scene (Mrs. Kane, Susan Alexander, and Mr. Gettys), the angles that are shown in his perspective, and the lighting of the scene helps to demonstrate this point. It is after the blackmail scene that, in desperation, Kane tries to regain his credibly with the public and
The camera holds on Susan’s face in a look of despair while the audience hears the diegetic sound of a woman. Kane says that he is not sorry for what he has done. The camera holds again on Susan and at this same moment we hear the woman screaming. Sound is also crucial here. The diegetic sound helps to illustrate Susan’s inner voice and her position of oppression due to Kane’s overpowering character. This stands as another example of how Kane’s demand for power ruins his relationships and chases the people that love him away.
A well-known film that had top ratings and many awards globally, called Citizen Kane, was released in September of 1941 in theatres across the United States. Orsen Welles played a significant part in the film. Welles was the producer, director, and star of Citizen Kane. Orsen Welles helped to describe the American Dream by using literary devices and symbols throughout the film. When American’s think about the American Dream, many relate to one another on their views, which is to live a successful and happy lifestyle. Few Americans might have some exceptions to the others, but success and happiness is the general idea of the American Dream. Citizen Kane on the other hand, understands that the “dream” is not as simple as everyone thinks it is. Orsen Welles presents the American Dream as a successful and enjoyable
Citizen Kane is one of the world's most famous and highly-rated classic film masterpiece. Although it was not a commercial success at the time of its release it has always been praised by film critics. The film had a budget of $800,000 and was directed, produced, as well as acted by the twenty five year old Orson Wells. Wells used innovative and unique cinematic techniques in Citizen Kane that would influence the film making for all eternity.
When discussing the greatest films of all time, Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles, usually comes up. It’s influence in American cinema can still be felt today, but at the time the film was not released without controversy. The main character in the movie, Charles Foster Kane, is undeniably based of the real life figure of William Randolph Hearst, a famous American newspaper publisher. Hearst was very aware of this fact and tried to hinder the success of Welles’ picture by denying it any sort of press in his newspapers. Despite the smear campaign Kane’s influence lives on through Welles’ revolutionary filmic techniques and its presence in pop culture.
A reporter has been assigned to discover the significance of Charles Kane's last word, "Rosebud. " The reporter takes a look back at Kane's life to dissect his political career and love affair to find the answer.
There are many reasons as to why Citizen Kane has been lauded as one of the best, if not the best, film of all time. Orson Welles's Citizen Kane has had a lasting impact on cinema and continues to influence directors to this day. Visually striking, Citizen Kane helped to usher in a new era of cinema through its innovative techniques and use of mise-en-scene.
Citizen Kane brought the aspects of a newspaper tycoon in the 1940’s to life in a form of a dramatic narrative. This film is based on a true story of a newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst and based off of some aspects of Orson Welles(Writer and Director). This filmed has been named, “The best American film of all time” due to the fact that, during the time of its making, it was the first film to take on many new techniques of cinematography. Citizen Kane is a revolutionary film not only in the drama genre, but in filmmaking of all forms.
To help create his debut film Citizen Kane, Orson Welles assembled a talented group of artists and technicians who together produced a film that redefined cinema forever. During the film’s production process, Welles himself stated that making a film “is the biggest electric train set any boy ever had.” By this he meant that the production studio was his playground and he intended to use every tool at his disposal. Starting from the film’s very first shot; he proves this to be true. As the film begins, the camera silently cranes up over the fences that surround Charles Foster Kane’s mansion and then slowly transitions to a montage of palatial estate. In this unique sequence the viewer understands that they are watching no ordinary film! Since its release in 1941, Citizen Kane consistently is called one of the greatest films ever made. It also is one of the most analyzed films ever created as well. In watching the film, a person can select from a countless number of famous scenes on which to review, comment, admire, and draw conclusions. For this assignment, I chose my personal favorite scene from the film to analyze in depth. The scene occurs near the end of the film just as Kane’s second wife Susan Alexander leaves him for good. The scene lasts about 3 and a half minutes in length, consists of 12 shots, contains almost no music, and just one word of dialogue is spoken. However, even with these limitations, the scene has more impact and film techniques packed into it