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Film Composition And Mise-En Scene In Orson Welles Citizen Kane

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Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941) is considered one of the greatest films of all time. Through his unconventional use of film composition and mise-en-scene, Welles’ clever manipulation of the camera and the scene before it effectively captured audiences in a manner that was unprecedented in American cinema storytelling. A significant filmic element of the assigned sequence of Citizen Kane would be its consistent use of deep focus. Shallow focus is used to emphasize one part of an image over another, and Citizen Kane fails to do so the entire time. This is what makes the film one-of-a-kind. If one were not to watch the movie in its entirety prior to viewing this particular sequence, the viewer would quickly start to wonder where they are …show more content…

Quick one-second cuts between shots #26 through 28 definitely amped up the pace that we’re used to seeing with typical Hollywood cinema. It certainly sets the tone for the rest of the sequence. Another good shot would be #32 in which the band members are playing their trumpets for about one second. The shot alone would leave one confused, however the next would show Kane’s guests drunkenly pretending to play trumpets with their hands, also adding to the celebratory feel of the sequence.
Citizen Kane would not have been what it was without its mise-en-scene. For example, the film’s lighting techniques were used to give shots or characters a particular meaning. Despite the fact that the sequence was always in deep focus, the lighting would frankly tell you what to focus on. Welles became aware that lighting, along with shadows could affect people and their emotions, thus constructing another avenue for creative and effective …show more content…

In particular, shot #8 in the sequence has the banquet table and guests in full view, along with two human head-shaped figures; perhaps ice. It appears to have been strategically placed at the bottom of the frame in order to set up for the next shot, which was entirely the case. Shot #9 includes Jed and Jerry sitting right in front of ice sculptures of themselves with their respective names attached to them. A lot of information is conveyed just by the placement of these figures and of the characters in front of them. Knowing that Kane has an obsession with statues, it would then make sense for the next important characters of the film to have their own made out of ice. Even the placement of Kane standing at one end of the table, with Jed and Jerry being at the other signified the power structure that resonated throughout the

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