If you're into movies, you might be aware the Citizen Kane regularly ranks in the top 3 of the greatest movies of all time. When I first saw it, I was 15 or so, and while I liked it, I didn't think it was better than The Godfather or The Empire Strikes Back or Casablanca or Shawshank Redemption or any other all time classic. That is because I could not appreciate it completely. I simply did not have the knowledge and competency to fully grasp its importance and effectiveness. What these two readings have done, in addition to reading the relevant section in Film Art and seeing the film again as a 21 year old, is given me a much better understanding and greater appreciation for Citizen Kane as a film.
When I saw this movie for the first time, about it seemed different from the other few movies I had seen from the 1940s. I couldn't say what it was that made it different. It was black and white and that's all I could really see. What I know now is that there are many things that set this film apart from almost all others. It is a masterpiece in the strictest sense of the word. Orson Welles masterfully created this piece of art. It is totally innovative. Welles' creative streak was evident in Carringer's review of the Heart of Darkness debacle. Welles sought to do things that had not been done before. Things that had previously seemed technically impossible. Things that would obviously be very expensive. That did not stop Welles from doing them, instead he would end up thinking of even more creative ways to accomplish what he wanted to. Welles was a man of the theater and a star of the radio. He was one of the most highly regarded names in entertainment. It was only natural that he would play an important part in the history of cinema as he played an important part in the history of live visual performance and auditory performance. It seemed like the natural conclusion for him to eventually have a career in the arena where technology, sound, and performance meet, which is film. The most impressive part to me is his high level of involvement on every single level of the film. He is an excellent example of an auteur. He was a perfectionist and knew exactly what he wanted. He was probably unbearably difficult to deal with but also probably undeniably a genius. He was so focused on detail and meaning that there does not seem to be a single shot in the entire film that was not thought thoroughly planned out in every facet of filmmaking. Composition, staging, framing, editing, mise en scene, camera angle, camera movement, lighting, narration, narrative structure, and just about every other formal element of film is so carefully constructed in this film it is a wonder that Welles did not go crazy. In fact, he probably already was to a degree. Most geniuses are. The meaning he creates with every shot is so deep and there are so many layers. In our shot exercises in class I was under the impression I could look at one shot and just peel back layer after layer and find more and more new and different meanings. Some of it could have been a reach, but there are so many things to think about in Citizen Kane. It is no surprise to me that Laura Mulvey was able to write this book from just one perspective of film analysis. As we discovered in class, there are a number of different ways to analyze a film and the best way to practice these approaches is to take a look at Citizen Kane. I remember times in English classes where I felt as though my teacher was reaching for a meaning in the text that probably was not there. I cannot say Mulvey was doing a lot of reaching.
I really enjoy reading about the production history of films. I have always thought about getting involved in film production myself. Carringer's reading made it seem pretty intimidating in a lot of ways. The amount of work and thought Welles put into this film himself is astounding and overwhelming. The amount of practical and technical efforts that had to be made in order to successfully produce this film is incredible. The fact that they got so creative in order to come in at a reasonable number on their budget that they actually innovated and did fantastic things is amazing. It is truly a work of art and imagination. There are so many more things I would like to say about this film but I simply do not have the time to go through them all. I feel as though I have written so much and yet said so little of what I wanted to say.
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