Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane is lauded as one of the greatest films made due to its ground-breaking techniques of "montage, deep- focus photography, wide-angled lenses, key lighting, long tracking shots and sets with ceilings"
.

The most evident technique used in Citizen Kana will be the deep-focus shots.   The technique of depth of field was used to perfection.   It allowed the cinematographer Greg Toland to capture backgrounds with as much precision as foregrounds.   It also allowed the actors or subjects to remain in focus, regardless
of how far they were from the camera.

Long and uninterrupted shots and lengthy takes of sequences provided the audience with greater realism, instead of cutting the scenes into shots in edit.
Together with Toland, Orson Welles, developed ground-breaking methods of lighting that removed the obligation of avoiding low-angle shots in fear of getting the lights in shot.   With this freedom, it was possible to achieve great low-angle shots, which were accentuated with greater reality by capturing the ceilings in shot.   Ceilings in shot gave a more 3D look to shots and better depth.

Daring angles were made possible by digging a trench in concrete floor, and this allowed the camera to be placed below the norm of 180 line.
.

Other notable technique handled will be the use of subjective camera shots, dissolves and wipes, flashbacks and overlapping dialogues.


[2] The contribution that Citizen Kane made to the motion-picture industry at the time and place it was produced.
Citizen Kane was an unsentimental drama during an era of love and romance stories.   In 1941, Citizen Kane paved the way for such tough stories.

Orson Welles was a young man in his mid-twenties and Citizen Kane was his first motion-picture.   The name Orson Welles and Kane became synonymous to legendary Hollywood history.   Orson Welles was "central to the French auteur critics, championed by independent filmmakers, cited by anyone who wants to make an argument... [continues]

Read full essay