simply dialog.
The film is filled with Capra quips, parts of business, and artistic tropes such as the invisible baseball game Willoughby performs when discussing fixing up his arm. Norton constantly cleaning his glasses and a duet between John and his fellow tramp the Colonel with the harmonica and ocarina are just some of the memorable and charming scenes Capra became well-known for. Capra also did, much like Welles, an assortment of montages and self-parody. Meaning, Capra had vertically challenged people signifying the "little people" in promotional photos for Doe.
The setting and set design of "Citizen Kane" was quite lush and grandiose. Everything from the animals in the zoo and the fake octopus puppet were larger than life. Music seemed narrate the movie just as much if not more than the dialog. Even when in the newspaper setting, Kane delivered his lines formally, with an air of grandeur. The theme of plush regality was evident in the entirety of the film even with Emily and Susan's dresses. Everything was rich and lush except for the childhood scenes.
When Kane has a fast forward montage with Emily and times speeds up, (53.06) the scenes added to humor to an otherwise emotional and dramatic movie. The lighting was dark and sparse with many shadows. A good instance was when Kane asked Susan to sing for him after she discussed her mother and opera singing. Here one sees the tie in again with music and words. The same is said of the shadowy scenes and the slow zoom ins. They appear often and usually begin at the start of a scene that involves a confrontation or drama.
"Citizen Kane" is a stark contrast from "Meet John Doe" and "His Girl Friday." The speech of the actors are slow and relaxed vs. The frenzied and swift pace of the other two films. Music...
The story mainly focuses on Kane and not secondary characters like with Mitchell in Doe and Hildy in Friday. Furthermore, the lighting for the most part is dark and sparse leading to many shadows and intimate moments.
Technical aspects of the film "Citizen Kane" are numerous. Citizen Kane made cinematic progresses on countless fronts, and its most noteworthy impact to cinematography came from the use of a method known as deep focus. Deep focus denotes having the entirety of all the things within the scene in the frame including background, in focus all at the same time, in contrast to having only the actors and props in the forefront in focus. The technique involves the cinematographer combining lighting, arrangement, and style of camera lens to yield the preferred effect. With use of deep focus, a director like Welles can vehicle corresponding actions, and mise-en-scene turns into something more serious.
Successfully deploying the mise-en-scene for this technique dynamically engrosses the entire
space of the frame devoid of confusion for the viewer. Welles uses deep focus he wants to demonstrate Kane's loss of sanity or control and his private loneliness because it offers the
audience a pure view of the space Kane dominates and the space he feels no
power in. Another
innovation within the film was the use of the technique known as the "wipe," where one picture/image is "wiped" or replaced by another picture/image.
"Meet John Doe," "Citizen Kane," and "His Girl Friday" have stood the test of time. Frank Capra with his slow pans and reaction shots show the world of news and
politics through the lens of a tramp and everyman. Orson Welles demonstrates the dramatic with the life of Charles Foster and his
famous "Rose Bud" sled. Howard Hawks brings intensity and rapid fire dialog to
comedy. Each one with unique styles, yet still show the world the trends and styles of the era. They are all great films in history directed by talented directors.
References
Welles, O. (Director). (1941). Citizen Kane [Motion picture]. United States: Warner Home Video.
Hawks, H. (Director). (1940). His girl Friday [Motion picture]. United States: Columbia TriStar Home Video.
Capra, F. (Director). (1941). Meet John Doe [Motion picture]. United States: Alpha Video Distributors.
