The media portrays people from different perspectives which leaves individuals with the need to dig into their true character and the hidden complications in their reputation. Citizen Kane, produced and directed by Orson Wales, is one of the most loved and famous films in the world and surrounds the mysterious life of Charles Kane. The film uses remarkable narrative techniques, scenes, and cinematic innovations to present its argument and meaning. Two fascinating themes were developed in the film. First of all, it concerns the weight given to material wealth and the humiliation of the personality of a public figure. These themes were incorporated to bring irony to the story of an American figure whose story of success turns to loneliness, feelings of nostalgia, and ultimately death. The characters in Citizen Kane are used to develop the personal theme through verbal statements while the visual implications help develop the theme of materialism. These distinctive styles together reveal the shape of the mysterious story that revolves around the tragedy of a millionaire journalist, called Kale. Kale builds his reputation by being the person the underprivileged can look up to. However, he becomes greedy for power, wealth and immortality, which completely corrupts his personality. Kane believes he can buy anything he didn't have, as shown when he attempts to offer his second wife material goods in exchange for her love. The visual brilliance of Citizen Kane, demonstrated through the camerawork and direction of Gregg Toland, makes the film excellent in depicting its meaning as described by Carringer. These include lighting, camera movements, screen frame size, and deep and long shots. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The main form of the film is the use of flashback and deep focus to show the plot and allow the audience to understand Charles Kane's last words through interviews with the fundamental people in his life before his death. Flashbacks reveal the ultimately unhappy life Kane lived, particularly with Emily, his first wife. In one scene, the couple are sitting next to each other when Emily starts accusing him of not having enough free time. The occasions follow one another with rotating camera techniques introducing them, the last showing the couple sitting far apart. This highlighted the possibility of a separation between them and gave the public the idea of ​​a divorce. Conversations are characterized by being filmed from a lower angle, giving viewers the opportunity to see only one face of the characters in the scene. The character's perspective alone brings the idea that the story had multiple truths. In most cases, the camera pans upward toward the strongest characters in the film and downward toward the others. In instances where Kane is speaking to his wife Susan, the camera places her in a subordinate position, angled in such a way that he looks down on her. On top of this, a dark shadow crosses Susan's face beneath Kane, showing the audience that she only existed in Kane's shadow. As the story progresses, Kane begs Susan not to leave her, with the camera filming him at eye level, thus putting them on the same level. As Susan walks away to leave him, light appears around her, illustrating that she has gained some power and left Kane's shadow looming over her. The film uses camera positions to highlight the psychological effects andartistic, the detachment existing in Kane's life, with the opening sequence of the first scene revealing the world in which Kane lived. In the opening scene of Citizen Kane is a shot from which a sign written "NO TRESPASSING" is revealed. According to Carringer, the camera shows a close-up of the fence and the ban, showing that the public will see into the forbidden place. A fade effect introduces a second shot by tilting the camera onto the fence, seemingly large enough to give viewers the idea that they can see what is behind it, thus creating an illusion. The cinematographer continues to move the camera vertically, revealing a shot through which we see a door marked "K" at the back of a castle. This shows a deep focus of the camera which gives us the view of two elements at the same time, namely the castle and the gate. This shot dissolves into another showing two other elements, the castle and a cage which replaces the portal. The dissolution continues, eventually revealing the major element with the background of the castle represented by the light emanating from its window. This is the castle owned by Charles Kane and the no property sign on the fence tells the public how he had isolated himself from other people. All shots are composed of music and photography, where the music cuts out with the light from the castle window going out in the last shot. All of these shots and the revealed elements express the realism of the film's theme, the materialism and the functional significance of entering Kane's room. The technique and the accompanying tired music play the role of attracting the viewer's attention and setting the tone of mystery. The image of a snowstorm is created to allow the viewer to see the glass ball, which is quickly enlarged, rendering it invisible, signifying how important it was. . The zoom out on the glass ball is a metaphorical representation of Kane's internal conflict that was yet to be resolved. The camera then closes in on Kane's face, his ambiguous character revealed by the viewer's inability to see his facial expression. The camera focuses on his mouth to emphasize the word "Rosebud." When the word is spoken by the dying Kane, it is barely heard. The sound of Kane, the noise and silence that reigned before his death, tells viewers about the importance of the word in the film's plot and increases their suspense over its mystery. The glass ball falls immediately after passing with a change in camera angle allowing viewers to see it. Tumasulo described his upset illustrating the grief Kane was experiencing at that time. The next shot shows a nurse entering the room through the broken window from a distorted angle and another illuminating the dead man's body. These two shots continue to contribute to the feeling of uncertainty in which the dead man finds himself, thus hiding his identity and reinforcing the mystery of the story. All the stylistic techniques used in this first scene are intended to establish certain reactions that Orson expects from the viewers, capturing them from the beginning of the film and keeping them eager to uncover the whole mystery. Sound editing is another widely used technique that was used along with camera angles in the film, especially in the flashback scenes, to symbolize the time gaps in the linked scenes and the character's emotional situations. Orson lets a character start a sentence and then takes a long time to end it in a completely different place. On other occasions, one character begins a sentence and another completes it in the same way. First, after the nurse entered the room to tend to the body ofKane, the scene suddenly cuts and the news announcements begin. There is loud backing music that takes the audience from the first scene into Kane's castle and makes them forget about it. Throughout this scene and others, the word rosebud is repeated several times where bass clarinets, bassoons and flutes are used to represent it and create a sense of mystery, vagueness and darkness among the audience. Second, another scene begins with the camera panning up and down focusing on a statue. Miss Anderson's voice is heard before she appears in the photo. The photo then shows the size of the room, with Thompson and Anderson in the same frame. This was to reveal MissAnderson's character which was cold and strict. As Miss Anderson left the room, the sound of the door and the mixed music transitioned to another shot. Mr. Thompson then goes to a club where Kane's wife was sitting after her husband died. As he walks towards the club, thunder and heavy rain are heard by the audience, demonstrating tension, sadness and anger. Kane's wife refuses to speak to him and while screaming, she tells him to get out of the club. These screams show how upset and mad she was about her husband's death. Third, a scene shows Kane becoming an adult in two shots. This happens when his guardian hands him his sleigh and Kane wishes him "Merry Christmas" and, waiting, the scene cuts to another showing Kane about fifteen years later. The sentence is then completed with “and a happy new year”. This gave the audience the idea that they had grown up thanks to the sequel to the soundtrack. The film used many blends to create stability between passages of time. In another scene, Kane and Susan are seen in a tent arguing when suddenly Susan is slapped by her husband. At this precise moment, the viewer is subjected to the voice of a woman screaming in the background. This soundtrack expresses Susan's inner voice and emotion after the slap. A similar soundtrack is used in the case where Susan attempts suicide after being humiliated as an opera singer. The soundtrack is pale and signifies Susan's feelings of humiliation. Orson Welles used original music and sounds to bring reality to Citizen Kane. In most cases, music is used for times and places of transition. For example, the first time Kane visits Susan at her home, she is shown singing and playing the piano. The scene suddenly changes and the audience sees her in different clothes but singing the same song still in her house. These soundtracks are used to emphasize the stressful lives of the characters. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article now from our expert writers. Get a personalized essay. Citizen Cane is undoubtedly a brilliant film considering the form used to bring to tell the story of Charles Kane. The character performance and storyline are enhanced by the cinematic technique used in each scene. Different camera angles and shot lengths are used extensively to reveal versions of the truth and depict the perspectives through which the audience can follow Kane's story. This technique is dominated by the first scene of the film which introduces the audience to the life of Charles Kane. From the beginning, the mysterious life surrounding this character is not hidden from viewers, creating suspense in an effort to grasp the truth through flashbacks and interviews. Throughout each flashback, visual storylines from the film orchestrate the conversations and reveal the film's thesis.