1. Citizen Kane Orson Welles, 1941

2. A group of reporters are trying to decipher the last words ever spoken by Charles Foster Kane, the millionaire newspaper typcoon: “Rosebud.” The film begins with a news reel detailing Kane’s life for the masses, and then from there, we are shown flashbacks from Kane’s life. As the reporters investigate further, the viewers see a display of a fascinating man’s rise to fame, and how he eventually fell off the “top of the world.” (imbd.com) -known for some uncomplimentary parallels to real-life newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. Citizen Kane (1941, Welles)

3. -Known for experimental cinematic and narrative techniques -Considered a feat of innovation in photography and editing -Recipient of nine Oscar nominations and one win - Best Original Screenplay (Mankiewicz and Welles). -The other eight nominations included Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director, Best B/W Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Recording, Best Dramatic Picture Score, and Best Film Editing. -With his four Academy Awards nominations, Welles became the first individual to receive simultaneous nominations in those four categories. Citizen Kane (1941, Welles)

4. -Legacy of milestones in the development of cinematic technique: Cinematography: -point of view shots -unconventional lighting (lead the way into the film noir era): back lighting, heavy contrast, darkness and shadows -incredible depth of field and use of deep-focus -many low angled shots--used to reveal ceiling and scope of location -elaborate camera movements -long, uninterrupted shots and sequences with no breaks Narrative Structure: -montages of picture with associated sounds -cast that is made to age throughout the film -flashbacks/flashforwards, non-linear plot elements -transition wipes or disolves -sound: layered sound/overlapping dialogue/simultaneous talking Citizen Kane (1941, Welles)

5. -does not quite fit the film noir style, really goes above and beyond it; in many ways, pre-dated the style, but manages to be highly innovative with it -story of tragic demise of a once-wealthy man told through many, often unreliable perspectives--thematically similar to many film noir pieces -pessimistic themes of self-destruction, corruption of innocence and good will, desire to fulfil the American Dream crushed by reality -while audience understands the meaning of “Rosebud” by the end, none of the characters are privy to that information---again, themes of all this work and effort, really for nothing. Citizen Kane (1941, Welles)