Citizen Kane is viewed as one of the most innovated and artistically original that it was a mile stone in all of film making. And I have many things to write about for Citizen Kane being so creative in my viewing guide, and Mr. K. also said to refer to it to help find some guidance. Well unfortunately Mr. K. also had us turn in those viewing guides with my notes in today. So I will do my best to remember.
The narrative in Citizen Kane is very creative. It is the story of this man’s life without any one person telling it. Instead it is a reporter talking to people that were in Charles Foster Kane’s life recapping their memoirs of Kane. But since it is the story of one man’s life you would think there would be someone telling to overall story. Instead there is no main narrator, just flashbacks of Kane’s life some of the same moments just from different perspectives. Like Susan’s first opera show, when it was Jed’s view it was just Susan’s open and two stagehands making fun of her. Where as Susan’s view was much more detailed showing the audience and more of her performance.
Also the movie really started from the end. Kane dies in the opening scene of the movie then Thompson the reporter is instructed to find out what rosebud is, Kane’s dying word. So from there Thompson digs into Kane’s past finding out what his life installed, interviewing Kane’s friends, wives, and coworkers. He even reads Thacher’s (the man who raised Kane) memoirs showing what his childhood was like. So it’s like you already know what is going to happen; now you just have to find out how he got there. With this style it gives a new way to tell a story, bringing the audience in more to find out why this happened the way it did. And it was Orson Welles who played Kane in throughout the years, so he knows what he wanted and he could put it to action with the way he played Kane. It made the narrative easier to understand and get a feel for what is happening.
The narrative in Citizen Kane is very creative. It is the story of this man’s life without any one person telling it. Instead it is a reporter talking to people that were in Charles Foster Kane’s life recapping their memoirs of Kane. But since it is the story of one man’s life you would think there would be someone telling to overall story. Instead there is no main narrator, just flashbacks of Kane’s life some of the same moments just from different perspectives. Like Susan’s first opera show, when it was Jed’s view it was just Susan’s open and two stagehands making fun of her. Where as Susan’s view was much more detailed showing the audience and more of her performance.
Also the movie really started from the end. Kane dies in the opening scene of the movie then Thompson the reporter is instructed to find out what rosebud is, Kane’s dying word. So from there Thompson digs into Kane’s past finding out what his life installed, interviewing Kane’s friends, wives, and coworkers. He even reads Thacher’s (the man who raised Kane) memoirs showing what his childhood was like. So it’s like you already know what is going to happen; now you just have to find out how he got there. With this style it gives a new way to tell a story, bringing the audience in more to find out why this happened the way it did. And it was Orson Welles who played Kane in throughout the years, so he knows what he wanted and he could put it to action with the way he played Kane. It made the narrative easier to understand and get a feel for what is happening.
Picture from www.laurahird.com/showcase/alanbissett.html
1 comment:
Mr. K did not tell us to refer to our viewing guide he said we should look at our notes, I do think you have a point there with the narration i didn't really notice any narrator but now i realize that all along the people in Kane's life told the story
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