Taylor Bullock--Citizen Kane

1)      “Citizen Kane” is one of the most influential films ever made. Discuss this statement.

 Citizen Kane was Welles first film. This film is considered to be the best film even 70 years later which is incredible in itself and should say a lot to the audience. He had his influence in about every part of the movie. He produced, co-wrote, chose the cast and crew, did the music and editing. He used a lot of deep focus shots and spot lights to create depth perception. throughout the movie. Since he was in radio before he made this film, he could create a lot of his own sounds from the knowledge he had through radio. He used many techniques all in one film the most directors did not do and also brought back techniques that people stopped using. Welles did all of this when he was only 25 years old.

2)      What had Orson Welles done in his first 23 years of life to warrant the Hollywood Film Industry offering complete creative control to a first time filmmaker?

When Welles was only fifteen years old he dropped out of school and went and traveled to Europe. He found his way to the Gate Theater in Dublin where he told them he was a Broadway star, they did not believe him but hired him anyway because he was so blunt and confident. He traveled to America three years later and toured with Broadway star Katherine Cornell in plays. He was considered by many a prodigy by the time he was 20 years old. In 1937 Welles and Houseman started the Mercury Theater. Welles kept it running by the money he made in his radio. He did so much by the age of 25 that most of us could only dream of.

3)      Pick an extended scene or sequence from “Citizen Kane” and discuss the storytelling technique by analyzing and combination of its component parts (direction, writing, performance, cinematography, production design, art direction, editing, sound, score, ect).

The scene I chose to analyze  is the scene where Kane is signing his declaration of principles. This scene uses a good foreshadowing concept. When he is reading the principles his face is completely shadowed until he signs his paper. Because of the shadowing of the face it shows the audience that the principles might not stay with Kane forever.