Kane Keynote Copy 2

For next time:
2/8

View The Grapes of Wrath

Take Chapter I Quiz on textbook DVD.
Email me the results- ascurato@gmail.com
No CD? Answer # 3 on p. 18. as it applies to
Citizen Kane. Email your answer to me.

Read Chapter 2- Thematic Elements p. 20
Choose Maker/Shaker for your report.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

The American Dream


The Real Life Cast Of
Characters


Orson Welles
Birth name
George Orson Welles
Born
May 6, 1915
Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died
October 10, 1985
(aged 70)
Los Angeles, California,
U.S.


Orson Welles Birth name
George Orson Welles
Born
May 6, 1915
Died
October 10, 1985
(aged 70)
U.S.

Welles had been considered a “boy genius” at
everything he tried—painting, writing, acting.


George Orson Welles
Born
May 6, 1915
Died
October 10, 1985
(aged 70)
U.S.


In New York, he acted, directed, and wrote. He
became well-known for his work in the Federal
Theater Project, especially a version of Macbeth
done entirely by black actors.


George Orson Welles
Born
May 6, 1915
Died
October 10, 1985
(aged 70)
U.S.


In New York, he acted, directed, and wrote. He
became well-known for his work in the Federal
Theater Project, especially a version of Macbeth
done entirely by black actors.

He also did work in radio. He was most
well-known for Mercury Theater and
especially “The War of the Worlds.”


outro: “....listeners across the country panicked.”


The attention Welles received from this broadcast
accelerated his recruitment to Hollywood and ﬁlm-
making


William Randolph
Hearst
(16 April 1863 – 14 August 1951) ......a leading newspaper publisher.

............."yellow journalism"--sensationalized stories of dubious veracity.

...........was elected three times to the U.S. House of Representatives,

.........was defeated in 1906 in a race
for governor of New York


William Randolph
Hearst



....... became involved in an affair with popular ﬁlm
actress and comedienne Marion Davies (1897–
1961), and from about 1919, he lived openly with
her in California.


William Randolph
Hearst



her in California.
Beginning in 1919, Hearst began to construct (and never
completed) a spectacular castle on a 240,000 acre ranch at
San Simeon, California, which he furnished with antiques, art,
and entire rooms brought from the great houses of Europe.


William Randolph
Hearst



her in California.
Beginning in 1919, Hearst began to construct (and never
completed) a spectacular castle on a 240,000 acre ranch at
San Simeon, California, which he furnished with antiques, art,
and entire rooms brought from the great houses of Europe.

.........used all his resources and inﬂuence in an
unsuccessful attempt to prevent the release of
Citizen Kane.

Marion Davies (1897–1961)

Considered by many to be a talented actress
and comedienne.

Her talent was perceived as secondary to the fact that she was Hearstʼs
mistress.
Hearst formed Cosmopolitan Pictures solely to produce starring
vehicles for her. His relentless efforts to promote her career instead
had a detrimental effect.



and comedienne.

mistress.

Her career was often overshadowed by her relationship with the
married Hearst and their fabulous social life at San Simeon.



and comedienne.

mistress.

Her career was often overshadowed by her relationship with the
married Hearst and their fabulous social life at San Simeon.

It was perceived the character of Susan Alexander in Citizen
Kane was most offensive to Hearst as it insulted Daviesʼ as a
person and as an actress.


Herman J. Mankiewicz
(November 7, 1897 in New York City—March 5, 1953 in Hollywood, California)

........ legendary Hollywood screenwriter

..........a one time social acquaintance of William Randolph Hearst

........best known for his collaboration with Orson Welles on the
screenplay of Citizen Kane, for which they both won an Academy
Award and later became a source of controversy over who wrote
what.


Gregg Toland
(May 29, 1904 - September 26, 1948)

..........a highly inﬂuential American cinematographer
noted for his innovative use of lighting and techniques
such as deep focus:


Gregg Toland
(May 29, 1904 - September 26, 1948)

such as deep focus:
(...a photographic and cinematographic technique incorporating a
large depth of ﬁeld. Depth of ﬁeld is the front-to-back range of focus
in an image — that is, how much of it appears sharp and clear.
Consequently, in deep focus the foreground, middle-ground and
background are all in focus.)


Gregg Toland
(May 29, 1904 - September 26, 1948)

such as deep focus:
(...a photographic and cinematographic technique incorporating a
large depth of field. Depth of field is the front-to-back range of focus
in an image — that is, how much of it appears sharp and clear.
Consequently, in deep focus the foreground, middle-ground and
background are all in focus.)

During the 1930s, Toland became the youngest cameraman
in Hollywood but soon one of its most sought-after
cinematographers. Over a seven-year span (1936–1942), he
was nominated five times for the "Best Cinematography"
Oscar, including a win in 1940 for his work on Wuthering
Heights.

Citizen Kane (1941) is widely
considered to be one of the
greatest films of all time.

•groundbreaking camera techniques
•innovative narrative devices
•inspiration and influence it had and
continues to have on other films.


The most defining stylistic element of Citizen Kane is the lighting. Welles meant
for it to be a dark picture, unlike anything that had been filmed up to that time, so
he used single source lighting. The object was to make the lighting seem less
artificial, but also to use simple lighting devices in order to give the scene a
certain ambience, and in some instances to further develop the characters with
the use of shadows.


Low angle shot

*
a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for
example by the irrational juxtaposition of images.

Low angle shot

Shows the details (ceilings etc.) and combines the realism
with a sense of surrealism* in the environment

*

Low angle shot

Shows the details (ceilings etc.) and combines the realism
with a sense of surrealism* in the environment
Also contributes to character....showing Kane as
vulnerable and isolated--
*

Camera draws closer to the window of Globe introduced as running imagery
Xanadu. The window stays in the
Opening title- had never been done before. Snow introduced as running imagery
same place but it gets closer as we
pass many of the items that will be The nurse is seen in the broken glass of
mentioned in the newsreel to come snow globe.
“No Trespassing”
The camera and the viewer ignore the sign. Image fades on same lit window
Kane's lips say, "Rosebud."


The most defining stylistic element of Citizen Kane is the lighting. Welles meant
for it to be a dark picture, unlike anything that had been filmed up to that time, so
he used single source lighting. The object was to make the lighting seem less
artificial, but also to use simple lighting devices in order to give the scene a
certain ambience, and in some instances to further develop the characters with
the use of shadows.

News On The March

Single source lighting

A take on Time Magazine’s The March of Time
Backward ﬂashback obituary

The characters are indistinct, at best a silhouette.




The reporters are not primary characters. Even Thompson
-- who through his pursuit of Rosebud is the catalyst for the
rest film -- is not important enough to light
Single source lighting adequately. This is restated by his not being photographed
directly throughout
the rest of the film, until the very end when he essentially
gives up on his pursuit of Rosebud.



The reporters are not primary characters. Even Thompson
-- who through his pursuit of Rosebud is the catalyst for the
rest film -- is not important enough to light
Single source lighting adequately. This is restated by his not being photographed
directly throughout
the rest of the film, until the very end when he essentially
gives up on his pursuit of Rosebud.

The way this scene is lit also says something about
the filmmaker's view on members of the media. In
many ways, the film is a condemnation of the media,
with Hearst being its primary target. By casting all of
the reporters in shadow, Welles diminishes their
overall importance, not just as characters, but also as
an institution.


Use of Shadows....Declaration of Principles



Shadow is used to express the ethical
value of a character; they cast doubt on a
character's integrity, or by the absence of shadow,
display a character's innocence or good intentions.



Shadow is used to express the ethical
value of a character; they cast doubt on a
character's integrity, or by the absence of shadow,
display a character's innocence or good intentions.

Kane is cast in shadow only
as he reads the declaration
aloud, and once he has
finished reading he is cast
back into light.


But who was this man, really?

And what does “Rosebud” mean?


Reporter Thompson is charged with
ﬁnding the answers.


Jerry Thompson - Played
by William Alland. The
reporter in charge of finding
out the meaning of Kane’s
last word. Thompson's
investigation of “Rosebud”
is the catalyst for everyone’s
recollections in the movie.


Thompson investigates various people
in Kane’s life
* Thompson's visit to Susan Alexander Kane;
* Thompson's visit to the Thatcher Library;
* Thompson's interview with Bernstein;
* Thompson's interview with Leland;
* Thompson's interview with Susan Alexander Kane;
* Thompson's conversation with Raymond;
* The Finale.

As the audience, we witness the results of
his investigation through a series of
ﬂashbacks.


Flashback 1

Walter Thatcher - Played by
George Coulouris, the banker
who becomes Kane’s legal
guardian.


Snow Motif Ceilings “Charles!”
Doors and windows to frame his
Father- moving away from characters
Scenes in one
the camera Sled
Close-up on Mary and
Deep Focus Mary Kane close-up at Charles
Actor angles for focus window Timelapse


How To Run A Newspaper


Thatcher’s ﬂashback. The witness to the
event is always in the lower right of
screen.

How To Run A Newspaper


screen.

How To Run A Newspaper Deep Focus. The
foreground and background
are in both in focus. Quite
revolutionary

Hearst Direct. You supply the prose
poems, I’ll supply the war
screen.

foreground and background
are in both in focus. Quite
revolutionary

Hearst Direct. You supply the prose
poems, I’ll supply the war
screen.

Line angle. The angle of focus among the foreground and background
actors was utilized to give prominence to are in both in focus. Quite
whatever was important in the scene. revolutionary

Flashback 2

Mr. Bernstein - Played by Everett Sloane,
Kane’s friend and employee. Bernstein, a
bespectacled Jewish man, is the only
character who loves Kane unconditionally.
He completely overlooks Kane’s faults and is
loyal to him regardless of the circumstances.


Famous shot of reporters seemingly coming to Unusual use of musical
life out of the photo comedy number in a dramatic
ﬁlm.
Original scene was set in a brothel but the
censors forbid it. Deep focus allows clear illumination
of entire room. Footlights can be
Same set as newspaper ofﬁce. seen behind the chair.


Flashback 3

Jedediah Leland - Played by Joseph
Cotten, Kane’s college friend and the
first reporter on Kane’s paper. Leland
admires Kane's idealism about the
newspaper business when they start
working together. However, their
principles quickly diverge, and Leland
becomes more ethical as Kane becomes
more unscrupulous.


The What elements suggest the deterioration of the
marriage?
Breakfast
Scene


marriage?
Breakfast
Scene
•Dissolve from Leland
to breakfast. Almost a
crossfade as from the
theatre.


marriage?
Breakfast
Scene
theatre.

•Tells the story of a
marriage.


marriage?
Breakfast
Scene
theatre.

marriage.

•Written by Welles.


marriage?
Breakfast
Scene
theatre.

marriage.

•Written by Welles.
•Notice ﬂash-pan
technique to show
time elapse.


From a toothache.....

Connection
to his
mother

Globe
Use of Sparing but effective use of
shadow close-up

Flashback 4

Susan Alexander Kane - Played by
Dorothy Comingore, Kane’s mistress, who
becomes his second wife. When they meet,
Susan seems soft and sweet to him, but her
true nature turns out to be whiny and
demanding.


Contrast Susan’s voice from previous
scene.

Take notice of other sound
elements.

Flashback 5

Raymond - Played by Paul Stewart, Kane’s
butler at Xanadu. Speaks with Thompson
about Rosebud near the end of the film.


Watch for: Depth of staircase,
Cockatoo, Globe, Mirrors

An ornate doorway frames Kane and is reflected in a mirror. The mirror causes the
image to repeat infinitely. Deep focus is used to enhance the repetition, which adds
to Kane's loneliness as an old man and to
his isolation.

Single source lighting and creative use of shadows and light
inspired an entire genre of films called noir.

Framing with doors, windows, or other set elements is a common
directorial style today.

Deep focus is seldom used in film these days, because it was
primarily a device for black and white film, but Toland's work still has
plenty of influence on modern cinematography.


In your group:
1) Reflection on the
final scene

2) Define the essential
relationship between
your assigned character
and Kane.

3) Recall at least one
effective film technique
utilized in your assigned
character’s flashback.
How did it’s use
advance the story?

4) Prepare and present
a short eulogy that your
assigned character
might have delivered at
Kane’s funeral.


In your group:
1) Reflection on the final scene

2) Define the essential relationship
between your assigned character and
Kane.

3) Recall at least one effective film
technique utilized in your assigned
character’s flashback. How did it’s use
advance the story?

4) Prepare a short eulogy that your
assigned character might have delivered at
Kane’s funeral.

Kane Keynote Copy 2

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from ascurato

More from ascurato (17)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Kane Keynote Copy 2