On both the first AFI top 100 films list from 1998, and the most recent list released, the film Citizen Kane is ranked at number one. Containing innovations in camera movement, utilizing shot types that were either obscure or non-existent before filming, and having an incredibly different plot structure that adds complexity to a film in a time where many features were told in a linear and chronological way, the film brought many new things to the industry. Although these traits are what sets it apart and earns it a spot in the top 100, its influence on the film industry and the public is not as deserving of the first place position as some other films that have been more influential. Released in 1941, Citizen Kane was not a largely popular …show more content…
1, the movie did not perform as well when it came to box office revenue. Just because it did not make a large amount of money does not mean it was a bad movie, but typically the movies that are liked make large amounts of money, and the films that do not gross nearly as much are not seen as good in the eyes of the consumer. Although there might be a discrepancy with advertising and the use of famous actors, the income a movie generates is usually directly proportional to its popularity among the people. What truly makes Citizen Kane different from these two influential movies is the appeal of the story. Citizen Kane had trouble catching the interest of the public because of its largely uneventful story. People have always seemed to be willing to spend money on movies that take them on a journey and keep them in suspense like what was seen in Interstellar when it was released in 2014, or with the film Casablanca which was released only a year after Citizen Kane. Even compared to a film from the same time period Citizen Kane still heavily underperforms financially. As seen in fig. 1, even after everything is adjusted for inflation, all of the other films make Citizen Kane look like a passion project instead of a …show more content…
A recent movie like Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 is not just seen as good because people appreciate it, but they also like it because it is new and modern. Over time however, the opinion surrounding the movie will probably change. When asked about old movies people have seen, common responses range from The Wizard of Oz, to The Godfather, to Gone with the Wind, but very rarely are people going to remember Citizen Kane. When it comes to maintaining popularity and also influencing modern pictures, The Wizard of Oz almost seems to be the obvious candidate compared to Citizen Kane. Not only was The Wizard of Oz released just over a decade after the addition of sound to films, but it was also innovative in its use of color. Colored movies were not around long so an incredibly colorful film with a plot driven by the colors and setting was perfect to test the limits of the new technology. It was also one of the first films to have a musical driven theme, making it one of the major films that kicked off the musical genre. It also displayed the ability to tell a story using personifications as characters instead of people. Although it had a rocky start, the Library of Congress says that The Wizard of Oz is the most watched movie of all time.(Parade.com citation) Films such as Psycho and The Godfather are iconic because they leave an impact on the viewer.
Citizen Kane is the life story of a powerful newspaper magnate, Charles Foster Kane. It is a fictionalized biography of the ruthless publishing baron, William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951). In actuality, the characters in the movie are composites, drawn from the lives of several famous American tycoons, but Hearst was the most obvious. Photography Gregg Toland, the cinematographer for Citizen Kane, considered the film the high point in his career & thought he might ‘learn something’ from the boy genius (Welles).
“Citizen Kane” was produced in 1941. In the year 1941 there was a lot going on throughout America such as getting over the great depression with FDR. Hitler’s run in Germany also affected the US with WWII, but that didn’t stop the young director Orson Welles. “Citizen Kane” was Welles first Hollywood film and he was only 26 years old when he directed it and acted in it. Welles was known before this film because he had a popular radio broadcast called “War of the Worlds.”
The Rise and Fall of Charles Foster Kane through Cinematographic Effects Citizen Kane has been considered as one of the best films ever created. Since its release in 1941, the magnificent film is still influencing the movie world today and its infamous “Rosebud” quote is still one of the top film quotes of all time. Orson Welles was the director, producer, star, and co-writer of the film. He based a big portion of his protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, on the big time Newspaper Publisher William Randolph Hearst. When realizing what the film was based on, Hearst threaten movie theaters into not featuring the film and he greatly limited the advertisement of it.
The Film Citizen Kane was a groundbreaking film in the 1940’s, the way Orson Wells depicts his film with different lighting, cinematography, choice of camera shots and mise-en-scene throughout this movie truly showed the masterpiece that this film is. In the Film Citizen Kane, it was the first movie that went against true Hollywood cinema by introducing flashbacks throughout the movie to show us how Charles Foster Kane changes throughout the movie. Throughout this movie the audience can see how Charles Foster Kane undergoes a variety of physical and emotional changes from when he was just a young boy all the way until his unfortunate death. Power, that’s all that Kane wanted in the start of the film. In the beginning of the film Kane gets ownership of the struggling New York Daily Inquirer, Kane suggests that he wanted to use journalism to apply to the public and protect the interest of ordinary people.
Directed by Orson Welles, the 1941 motion picture “Citizen Kane” is the story of the rise and fall of a great, influential man. The opening scenes of “Citizen Kane” are quite different from what follows during the rest of the film. Fading in and out of different landscapes instilled mystery. This mysterious vibe was carried on during Charles Foster Kane’s death through the use of shadows, quiet music, and close up shots. Isolated in his vast empire of a home, Kane uttered only one word before he passed: “rosebud.”
He took great pride in his radio success and ultimate film success. Welles was pleased to be the cutting edge creator of Hollywood film sound. The outstanding sound works displayed in the film Citizen Kane would not be challenged until the
The movie, ‘Citizen Kane’, is a memoir that describes the life of businessman, Charles Foster Kane. The uses of mise-en-scene elements reinforced isolation and loss as a recurring theme throughout the film. This is shown through depth, character placement, and camera framing. As the film continues on, a nondescript reporter collects personal recounts about Kane from his many acquaintances.
Another thing to keep in mind while watching this film is that “Special effects are everywhere in Citizen Kane, but in most cases are hard to identify” (Special Effects in Citizen Kane 3). For example, when Charles Kane was standing by the fireplace in the hotel he rented and when he went up to it, the viewers realized that it was abnormally big for a fireplace. Another example of this is when he went up to the window in Bernstein's office and it was huge compared to an average window. It is just so impressive how they knew how to angle the lighting to make things like the window and fireplace look normal at first glance and then realizing that it is really big, also it is impressive how they had all the right makeup and other supplies to make Welles look older and younger than his real
Citizen Kane by Orson Welles is a cinematic classic, released in 1941. Citizen Kane challenged traditional narrative and technical elements of classic Hollywood cinema. Kane was narrated by several people that include their take on Kane’s life. The story unfolds by many flashbacks and is told by different perspectives over the years through different narrations. Charles Foster Kane was a millionaire, head of newspapers and died saying “rosebud”.
Citizen Kane is particularly praised for its cinematography, music, and narrative structure, which were innovative for
Citizen Kane story is using different points of view and is making a classification of narrative in the film. This movie is a revolution for Hollywood in the idea of a singl story teller and uses multple narrators to expose Kane's life. In every shot of the movie we see the different part of Charles Foster Kane's life in the different narrator story parts. A singl narrative in the bigining of the movie is follow with the different narrative which tell the Kane's life in different shots. Too many storis arrange and understand Kane's life and in this point narrative is a way of structuring, to engage us with cinematic structure.
In the film, Citizen Kane, the director put a lot of intention into what was being shown. It may not have been obvious on the surface, but once you look more in depth you see that everything the director did had meaning and a purpose. One thing the director, Orson Welles, did to bring more depth to the film is incorporating the use of motifs. Motifs are repeated narrative elements that support the theme or idea of the story. They can be seen through sounds, objects, costumes, the lighting, and even the camera angles.
In this essay I will be comparing the themes and the narrative techniques used in both films. Starting off with the film “Citizen Kane” as mentioned it is a story of a millionaire, Charles Foster Kane. It begins with Kane’s death and speaks a single word: “Rosebud”. The reporters in the hunt to know
“Citizen Kane” is a tale of the “Charles Foster Kane”. “Citizen Kane” was one among the major controversial movies continually built up. Kane was one of the most controversial films ever made. Hearst, affronted from his representation, presented RKO a diminutive chance to wipe out the movie. When that attempt did not work, newspapers of the Hearst go aboard on an operation of denouncement in opposition to Welles, therefore demonstrating that the dishonesty of the press and the condemnation of the power in film were specifically the aim.
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film directed, co-written, produced, and starring Orson Welles. The film, which is considered a masterpiece of American cinema, was Welles's first feature film and was released by RKO Pictures. It tells the story of Charles Foster Kane, a powerful newspaper publisher whose life and legacy are explored through a newsreel-style narrative and a series of flashbacks. The music for Citizen Kane was composed by Bernard Herrmann, who was an American composer known for his work in film and television. Herrmann's score for Citizen Kane is widely regarded as one of the greatest in the history of cinema.