Citizen kane still image analysis By: Danica Sanchez

Dominant Image The dominant image consists of the two of the three adults in the foreground: Mrs. Kane and Mr. Thatcher. They are closer to the camera compared to Charles and Mr. Kane. Mr. Kane is in the middle ground and is aware, yet opposed to Mrs. Kane giving custody to Mr. Thatcher. While Charles is in the background, with no power or awareness about what lies ahead.

Subsidiary Contrast The subsidiary contrast is Mr. Kane and Charles. After the audience notices the adults in the foreground, arranging for Charles to live with Mr. Thatcher, their eyes would immediately go to Mr. Kane, then Charles playing in the snow. Mr. Kane is a subsidiary contrast by wearing lighter clothing compared to the other two adults. He is opposed to the idea of giving Mr. Thatcher custody of Charles. Charles is unaware of what is taking place between Mrs. Kane and Mr. Thatcher and is shown as small in comparison to the other characters. He is also put into brighter lighting which symbolizes innocence.

Framing The framing is tight around the three adults. There is not much space between the edge of the frame and one other character. Charles, although displayed in a long shot—which usually allows loose framing and freedom—is trapped. He is trapped in a box, made by the window, and has no power over his current situation: being handed off to Mr. Thatcher.

Color Values Although this film is not in color, there are noticeable aspects with the shades of clothing the actors are wearing, along with the shade of color of their backgrounds. Two out of the three adults in the foreground: Mrs. Kane and Mr. Thatcher are wearing darker shades of clothing. Mr. Thatcher’s are the darkest, representing his power and wealth. They are the main two people arranging for Charles to be handed off to Mr. Thatcher Mr. Kane’s clothes are lighter in on the top. This represents his opposition to giving his son away to Mr. Thatcher. The backgrounds also has contrasting shades: the house has a darker shade to it, giving off a shady feeling and one of secrecy, while Charles is surrounded by a bright background of snow, representing innocence and naivety.

Composition Composition in this still is mainly based on vertical and horizontal lines, and utilizes deep focus. Vertical: The pattern on the walls and all of the characters are based on vertical lines Horizontal: The ceiling along with the top and bottom of the window frame (and Charles’ “box”) are horizontally based.

Character Proximity Mr. Thatcher and Mrs. Kane’s characters are closer to each other because they are the ones arranging the deal. Mr. Kane on the other hand, is further away but is almost as big as they are on the screen. He is aware of it, but is reluctant to give Mr. Thatcher custody of Charles. Charles, is small and is placed in the middle of the characters to show that the situation revolves around him and he has no power over it.

Angle The angle of this shot is low which makes the adults in the foreground appear bigger. Low angle shots represent power and authority, which is what this shot is trying to convey.

Character Placement Mr. Kane, Mrs. Kane, and Mr. Thatcher are placed closer to the camera and appear bigger in the shot to establish power and authority. Charles is the furthest away from the camera and looks small to the viewer. This symbolizes his inability to control what is being displayed in the foreground.

Density The shot is balanced well and is not too cluttered or has much negative space. The four characters are in the center of the frame. The background (besides Charles) is simple and does not add to the amount of objects in the frame.

Depth Citizen Kane utilizes deep focus in this scene. The characters closest to the camera are in focus. But unlike shallow shots, the background and their surroundings remain in focus (including Charles). Charles also remains in focus because of his backstory’s importance to the main device that drives the plot.