Orson Welles and Citizen kane Citizen Kane and Orson Welles: An Introduction Orson Welles and Citizen kane

Orson Welles May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985 Somewhat rocky childhood Mom and dad both die early Brother institutionalized Sister runs away Inherits small fortune Ventures to Europe Faked his way onto Broadway by suggesting he had acting experience.

Starts the Mercury Theatre Company Performs War of the Worlds New York City – 1937 Performs War of the Worlds Most actors from this company will go on to be in Citizen Kane Widely considered a “Boy Genius” Given complete control (unprecedented at the time – studio system – and for the most part still today)

Citizen Kane Charles Foster Kane Media mogul Dying word is a mystery One reporter’s quest to get the story Kane’s life told though people who were close But (from our perspective, who is telling the story and are they reliable)?

Awards Nominated for 9 Oscars Best writing Best actor Best art direction Best cinematographer Best director Best editing Best music Best picture Best sound Only win

The Inspiration: William Randolph Hearst Newspaper tycoon “Hearst turned the newspaper into a combination of reformist investigative reporting and lurid sensationalism”

Yellow Journalism scare headlines in huge print, often of minor news lavish use of pictures, or imaginary drawings use of faked interviews, misleading headlines, pseudo- science, and a parade of false learning from so-called experts emphasis on full-color Sunday supplements, usually with comic strips (which is now normal in the U.S.) dramatic sympathy with the "underdog" against the system.

Hearst Castle

William Randolph Hearst Charles Foster Kane Both Characters are wealthy newspaper tycoons who amass power, money, and influence through the newspaper media. Both people/characters are wealthy newspaper tycoons who amass power, money, and influence through the newspaper media. The film’s most iconic image bears a strong resemblance to a photograph taken of Hearst. The film’s most iconic image bears a strong resemblance to a photograph taken of Hearst. Both men were caught in extra-marital affairs with opera singers. Marion Davies (left) bears a good deal of similarity to Susan Alexander (right), the character in the film. Both men were caught in extra-marital affairs with opera singers. Marion Davies (left) bears a good deal of similarity to Susan Alexander (right), the character in the film.

The Best Movie of All Time? The story doesn’t seem that groundbreaking Awards? Not really. Blockbuster/commercial success? Not at all. Then WHY?

A Milestone in Cinematic Development Welles decided to try and combine every imaginative technique into one film And somehow it worked He used things like ….

Unconventional Lighting

Deep Focus

Deep Focus

Make Up Tricks Kane ages from 25 to 75

Montage Sequences (Montage: a series of shots are edited together to tell a shory in a short period of time – in this case, the story of Kane’s 15 years of marriage is told in about 2 or 3 minutes) 6 cuts = 15 years

Montage Sequences

Use of Ceilings

Matte Paintings

Extreme Camera Angles

Additionally, Welles Used… Subjective POV Inventive shadows Sparse use of close-ups Elaborate camera movements Overlapping talk and sound effects (radio) Aging characters Out of order story telling Flashbacks, flash forwards, flash forwards INSIDE flashbacks … Seamless transitions between fake sets and real sets Long, uninterrupted shots