Citizen Kane

In Citizen Kane, Gregg Toland's cinematography was revolutionary. The combination of montage, black-and white lighting, wide-angled lenses, deep focus photography, long tracking shots and sets with ceilings, redefined American film narrative. Deep focus allowed everything in the frame, foreground and background, to be in focus at the same time. The story was told by means of composition, camera angle, and visual styles, just as much as it was told by plot and dialogue. The entire tale was told in flashback, and used fading transitions to show the passage of time. Worth mentioning in a research paper that it had an enormous impact on the movie industry, as the camera took positions that were previously unknown. Before "Citizen Kane," the camera tended to film "context shots." The audience would be exposed to things that a human observer may not have noticed, but seemed natural on screen. Citizen Kane introduced a camera view that no human would see otherwise. It would notice two things at once, exemplified in the scene where Mr. Bernstein is discussing the influence of the new employees with Mr. Leland, and Mr. Kane can be seen in the mirror reflection dancing with the showgirls. Not only did this film influence the look of studio pictures of the 40s, but it also set the tone for the future of cinema, proving that the were boundless possibilities and that the camera could record any conceivable image. As a tribute to popular culture, the movie was a satirical account of the cliche; "American dream" of fame and fortune. It portrayed a man, who had everything, and yet nothing to show for it. Mr. Kane was an egocentric, tormented man. His loyalty to friends, his constant desire to buy gifts for his wives, and his public service, all promoted one objective - to secure the love of others. Kane's weakness was not that he needed to be loved, but that he did not know what it meant to feel or show love for others.

As Mr. Leland put it, he wanted love "under his own terms". This could be seen as the main theme of the movie. His incapability to offer pure love is synonymous with his unhappiness. It was because of this that his second wife, Susan, left him, and that he eventually lost everything, even his precious "rosebud." We may provide you with a custom essay focusing on symbolism, which is a significant and evident aspect of this film. The picture, in a way, begins at the end, with Mr. Kane's death and his final word - rosebud - as he releases the snow globe he had been holding on to, from his grasp. The audience is sent on a search to find out who, or what, rosebud is. Though this is a clever prop to drive the plot of the movie, it is also a symbol of his lost childhood. The globe and "rosebud"- which we eventually discover is a sled - represent the loss of his childhood and his innocence. Rosebud was an emblem of the security, hope and innocence, which he spent his entire life trying to regain. It represented a life unfulfilled, and as it burned, it further enforced the theme of deprivation of childhood and of love. Though rosebud was a blatant symbol, less obvious ones were used throughout the movie. Examples of this would recall scenes where Tolland used deep focus to falsely convey the true scale of the set. As Kane was signed away the control of his empire in Thatcher's office, relatively average windows could be seen in the background. As Kane walked towards them, however, the audience could see that these windows are abnormally large, and highly placed. Beneath them, Kane looked small and vulnerable, properly portraying his recent loss of great power. A similar effect was used in a later scene, where Kane stood in front of Xanadu's great fireplace, and the audience was shown its real size, as well as how small of a man Kane truly was.