The film Citizen Kane was produced on September 5th 1941. The lead actors were Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton and Dorothy Comingore. The film was directed by Orson Welles who was also the lead actor in the film. The head of cinematography was Gregg Toland. Charles, the lead actor in the film, is depicted as a man who is so engulfed in his search for material things that he loses his humanity and soul and becomes a greedy man . The plot of the film is developed through the eyes of the young Charles, giving the audience a window into the life of Charles after his demise. As evident throughout the film, the use of cinematography is one of the key elements that are effectively used to bring out the film’s plot.
One of the cinematography techniques used in the film is deep focus, which is a technique in which the cinematographer stresses on the foreground and the background at the same time. The purpose of this technique is to make everything on the scene relevant to the viewer. Deep focus is used in a number of scenes in the film. In the first scene of the film, deep focus is used to show the audience a dying Charles; Charles’s friends are on the foreground and Charles is visible in the background. Deep focus compels the viewer to focus on the entire life of Charles Kane despite the lead character’s death at the beginning of the film.
Another cinematography technique used in the film is positioning. Positioning of characters in the film is used to demonstrate their relative position and control in a given situation. In the scene where the young Charles is about to be taken away, the camera is at level with his mother and the man who is about to take him away . Charles is centrally positioned between his parents, an indication that he is the main focus in the film. The window on the scene through which the boy is seen further carries the theme of the film which is developed by viewing life through the eyes of the young Charles Kane. In the scene, Charles’s father is alienated from the rest and so is his opinion. Charles’s father has a different opinion and motive for the young boy, but he has the least control over the situation. In a later scene where Charles is discussing the financial crisis of his company, he is seen standing outside a large glass window which diminishes his image . It shows the little control that Kane has over the situation at the time. Charles later moves away from the window and his image enlarges. Charles gains control over the situation as his image enlarges and he is able to negotiate some allowances.
The crane shot technique is also used in enhancing the film’s plot. The crane shot, which is a technique used to lead the viewer up and away from the characters, is used at the end of film to bring to the viewer the meaning of the word rosebud and at the scene of the evil touch . The focus is shifted from the characters and brought to the word “Rosebud.”
In conclusion, cinematography in the film Citizen Kane plays a major role in the development of the film. The cinematographer uses various techniques such as deep focus, crane shot and positioning to develop his characters and control the situation at the same time. Positioning in the film is very deliberate with characters close to the camera being depicted as having the most control. The images used by the cinematographer, big or small, are an indication of the amount of control that the character has over the situation.
Works Cited
Citizen Kane. Dir. Orson Welles. 1941. Film.
Crowther, Bosley. "Orson Welles's Controversial 'Citizen Kane' Proves a Sensational Film at Palace -- 'That Uncertain Feeling' at Music Hall -- 'Great American Broadcast' at Roxy." New York Times 20 April 2016: 1. web.
