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

2. 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.

3. 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)

4. 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)?

5. 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

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

7. 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.

9. Hearst Castle

10. 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.

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

13. 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 ….

14. Unconventional Lighting

15. Deep Focus

16. Deep Focus

17. Make Up Tricks
Kane ages from 25 to 75

18. 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

19. Montage Sequences

20. Use of Ceilings

21. Matte Paintings

22. Extreme Camera Angles

23. 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