Citizen Kane
Many people consider Citizen Kane to be one of the greatest films ever made. Orson Wells was age 25 when he directed, produced, and starred in this film. There are many particular aspects to Citizen Kane is a memorable film. One of the primary reasons the film was a success is that it focused on a controversial topic. The fictional life of William Randolph Hearst, a powerful newspaper publisher, has an interesting relationship with a mistress. Many people feel that events in the film may be based on events that actually happened in Wells life.
This movie tells the story of the life and death of Charles Foster Kane. Kane is narcissistic newspaper runner, politician, and a wealthy millionaire. The symbolism and the cinematic effects in the movie are one of the most appealing aspects to the movie. Wells uses creative techniques within cinematography which really brings this film to life. Furthermore, symbolism has a colossal role in this film. "Rosebud" is the last word that is spoken by Cane. He then dies and takes his secret to the death which is followed by the story of the reporter who is on a quest to search for the truth.
Another storyline in the film follows the newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane as he spends his life in solitude. Even though he was married twice, he is portrayed as always alone. The loneliness is most likely a result of incapacity of felling love, which often results from an insecure childhood. Kane was separated from his mother at an early age. This could explain the reason Kane turned into the type of narcissistic man that he is. Kane only felt safe was when he was under the care of his mother and she was the only person he ever was able to show feelings for. After their separation this deeply impacted Kane.
His psychological disposition helps explain why all of the
Kane's last word before he died was "rosebud"; Rosebud was the name of the sled he was riding before he was separated from his family and therefore he placed a lot of emotional baggage in this sled. The sled represents his innocence he felt during his childhood and his last happy memory was when he was playing on this sled. However, as an adult Kane traded money and power for love. He would demand love by smothering the people closest to him and if this didn't work the individuals would develop feelings of anger towards him. Kane would also try to use his money to control all the various aspects of his life. Despite all of his power and his wealth, this strategy does not get the results that he was hoping for. Kane believed that he could buy love and happiness but that wasn't the case.
Despite the story being so rich and interesting, there are also other aspects to this film that make it interesting. One such aspect is the diverse techniques of the camera that were used. Even with limited technology, the film used simple camera shots and different angles for effect that were brilliant. Even with all the advantages of the modern technologies that film makers have access to recreating such a perspective is still difficult. How the film is shot on camera is a vital part of the experience. The use of the camera in this film can either enhance the whole movie experience, or if it is not done right then it can simply confuse the storyline.
There are a few points in the film where the scene transitions and changes of camera angles almost had a chaotic effect. This makes it necessary for the viewers to pay attention and many people have to watch it multiple times to appreciate the full effect. Other techniques that made the film unique is the use of unconventional lighting which results in interesting shadowing effects as well as the variety of camera angles used.
Sound in Cinema
Before film had sound, there was only what was…
