Citizen Kane: Exposing the Truth about William Randolph Hearst
analytical Essay
3867 words
Citizen Kane: Exposing the Truth about William Randolph Hearst
Many have called Citizen Kane the greatest cinematic achievement of all time. It is indeed a true masterpiece of acting, screen writing, and directing. Orson Welles, its young genius director, lead actor, and a co-writer, used the best talents and techniques of the day (Bordwell 103) to tell the story of a newspaper giant, Charles Kane, through the eyes of the people who loved and hated him. However, when it came out, it was scorned by Hollywood and viewed only in the private theaters of RKO, the producer.
Nominated for nine Academy Awards, it was practically booed off the stage, and only won one award, that for Best Screenplay, which Welles and Herman Mankiewicz shared (Mulvey 10). This was all due to the pressure applied by the greatest newspaper man of the time, one of the most powerful men in the nation, the man Citizen Kane portrayed as a corrupt power monger, namely William Randolph Hearst.
One cannot ignore the striking similarities between Hearst and Kane. In order to make clear at the outset exactly what he intended to do, Orson Welles included a few details about the young Kane that, given even a rudimentary knowledge of Hearst's life, would have set one thinking about the life of that newspaper giant. Shortly after the film opens, a reporter is seen trying to discover the meaning of Kane's last word, "Rosebud." He begins his search by going through the records of Kane's boyhood guardian, Thatcher. The scene comes to life in midwinter at the Kane boarding house.
Kane's mother has come into one of the richest gold mines in the world through a defaulting boarder, and at age twenty-five, Kane will inherit his sixty million dollars (Citizen Kane)...
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...r himself by abusing the most potent weapon and shield of his day, the free press. "If I hadn't been very rich, I might have been a really great man." (Orson Welles, Citizen Kane)
Bibliography
1)Bordwell, David. "Citizen Kane," Focus on Orson Welles. Prentice-Hall,1976.
2)Cowie, Peter. The Cinema of Orson Welles. De Capo Press, 1973.
3)Citizen Kane. dir. Orson Welles. With Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore. RKO, 1941.
4)Mulvey, Laura. Citizen Kane. BFI, 1992.
5)Reflections on Citizen Kane. dir. Unknown. Turner Home Entertainment,1991.
6)Robinson, Judith. The Hearsts: an American Dynasty. Avon Books, 1991.
7)Swanberg, W.A. Citizen Hearst. Scribner, 1961. Bantam Matrix Edition, 1967.
8)Zinman, David. Fifty Classic Motion Pictures: The Stuff that Dreams are Made Of. NY Crown Publishers, 1970. NY Limelight Editions, 1992.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that hearst's maneuvers involved embellishing and exaggerating the news to get circulation, and stealing talented newspapermen from other newspapers, which annoyed joseph pulitzer to no end.
- Analyzes how bernstein's narration ended with kane announcing his purchase of the largest diamond in the world.
- Explains zinman's fifty classic motion pictures: the stuff that dreams are made of.
- Analyzes how orson welles used the best talents of the day to tell the story of a newspaper giant, charles kane, through the eyes of people who loved and hated him.
- Analyzes how leland, one of kane's only friends, explained how no one could understand him because of the contradictions in his beliefs and life.
- Analyzes how orson welles based his movie around the life of william randolph hearst, a fact which upset him to no end.
- Analyzes how orson welles' criticism of hearst was the way in which he used his immense power over the people of the country to gain personal power.
- Analyzes how orson welles directed, starred in, and helped to write possibly the greatest film of all time to denounce william randolph hearst.
Related
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- Citizen Kane By Orson Wellsanalytical essayBy many, Citizen Kane is one of the greatest films ever made. Orson Wells, at age 25, directed, produced, and starred in this film. Citizen Kane is a memorable film for countless reasons. The film brought about controversy because it fictionalized the life of William Randolph Hearst, a powerful newspaper publisher. The film draws remarkable parallels with his life and his relationship with his mistress. There is also speculation that the film is loosely based on Wells’ life as well. This movie tells the fascinating story of the life and death of Charles Foster Kane, a narcissistic newspaper runner, politician, and a wealthy millionaire. What makes this movie spectacular is not only the acting of the actors, but the symbolism and cinematic effects. The techniques used by the cinematographer brought this film to life. This is what sets Citizen Kane apart from other films.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that citizen kane is one of the greatest films ever made. orson wells, at age 25, directed, produced, and starred in this film.
- Analyzes how symbolism plays an enormous role in the tragical existence of powerful newspaper tycoon charles foster kane.
- Analyzes how the cinematographer of citizen kane catered to the story better by simplistic camera shots, rather than overdone special effects. the use of the camera was just as significant as the lines spoken.
- Opines that citizen kane is one of the greatest films ever made. it broke barriers of film for its time.
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- Opines that orson well’s citizen kane is considered one of the best films of all time.
- Analyzes how the person he is closest to isn't genuine and foreshadows his isolation and loneliness later in life.
- Analyzes the contrast between his energy and excitement throughout the rest of his speech.
- Opines that kane is foreshadowed by the camera movement, just before his reveal when he is talking about.
- Analyzes how the actor's life in this scene and the movie in general cannot be overstated.
- Analyzes how the mise-en-scene serves an essential function in presenting kane to the viewer.
- Analyzes how the scene doesn't jump to a shot of kane speaking, but jumps mid-sentence to the shot where he finishes the activist's sentence.
- Analyzes how the camera always captures kane’s poster, a symbol of his ego, without any obstructions in front of it.
- Analyzes jim gettys' charisma, booming voice, and grand proclamations about his support for the poor, though his speech is humorous.
- Analyzes how kane's stance is wordlessly undermined by the fact that every single one of the men on the podium, presumably his closest supports, is a well-dressed wealthy man.
- Analyzes how kane's montage of his life states that he "often supported, then denounced" public men, over a shot of him with hitler.
- Analyzes how kane speaks as a political rising star amongst his supporters, despite the fact that many close to him, such as his newspaper staff, wife and child, are in seating or balconies far away from him.
- Analyzes how jim gettys' view of kane makes him seem more like an assassin than a spectator.
- Analyzes how kane's use of low angle shots earlier in the speech made him look more powerful and imposing, just like gettys' downward look and the high angle shot of
- Concludes that kane's rally is a goldmine of meaningful uses of mise-en-scene.
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- Analyzes how the story of charles foster kane was timeless. born in poverty, he was given away with the promise of having a better life.
- Describes how welles was hailed as an outsider by people in the movie industry at the time. hearst was opposed to the film's creation from the start and threatened to wage a battle against hollywood if they were to support it.
- Analyzes how welles' use of cinematography techniques gave viewers a new perspective on filmmaking. he recorded shots with unique camera movements and elaborate angles that allowed the movie to flow.
- Analyzes how welles' lighting and musical soundtracks helped convey the emotion of citizen kane's story.
- Analyzes how orson welles created the understanding of his character through flashbacks told by those closest to him. the film's long timeline allowed the cast of mercury theatre actors to age as the film went along giving it a more realistic feel.
- Analyzes how orson welles' use of mise en scene and cinematography gave it the visual of an era.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that citizen kane is a 1941 american film, written, produced, and starred by orson welles.
- Analyzes how orson welles uses speech, noise, and music to create the world of a film.
- Analyzes how orson welles used different elements of mise-en-scene to illustrate the story of "breakfast montage." emily's outfit kept changing after every cut to symbolize her lack of interest in charles kane.
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694 wordsRead More - Film Analysis: Citizen Kaneanalytical essayThis form of storytelling remains today , worthy of praise , since many useless dialogues are worth something to make us believe . Welles convinces us without saying anything . Why Citizen Kane is considered one of the movies that live in the pantheon of cinema. For all that Citizen Kane is a consistent work in all its terms , and therefore will remain the most influential work in the film world . So what I did was to actualiz...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that citizen kane is one of the best films achieved in the history of cinema. it is also the riskiest film is conceived within a film.
- Analyzes how welles convinces us without saying anything, and why citizen kane is considered one of the movies that live in the pantheon of cinema.
- Explains that citizen kane is a film with flashbacks, will show the story of charles kan, who at that time you could say that was very powerful. the story revolves around the word i said just before die " rosebud "
- Explains that charles kane was a tycoon who from childhood his parents decided their future by having money. he was sent to study so that he could return millionaire. it grew and became very influential among the people.
- Explains that rosebud in spanish means 'rosebud', meaning a sled that was small when his parents sent him to study, which means all the past that charles kane could never have as lack of affection
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256 wordsRead More - Citizen Kane: The Story of Failureanalytical essayIf one observes Charles Foster Kane’s life, they will find an underlying common cause of his actions: to be in control. The movie starts out in Kane’s childhood home, before his life changed forever. His family is visited by a rich bank owner named Jerry Thompson (William Alland) who, for unknown reasons, wants Kane to grow up as his own. Kane ages, learning the trade of investing and owning businesses. He eventually becomes the owner of the New York Inquirer, an old newspaper company. He keeps the newspaper company so he could be on the people’s side and influence their beliefs. Later in the movie, he creates slanted headlines to bring more views to the paper, as well as hiring his competition’s crew. He does not care to bring honesty to the people, as he insists when he first comes into owning the newspaper. He hires from his competitors, makes up dramatic headlines, and betrays his...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how orson welles' citizen kane is an allegory to the careless luxury of the 1920s and the great depression.
- Analyzes how charles foster kane's life revolves around his desire to be in control. he ages, learns the trade of investing and owning businesses, and becomes the owner of the new york inquirer.
- Analyzes how welles uses different film shots to enhance the struggle for control in the movie.
- Analyzes how kane's childhood sled, rosebud, symbolizes his struggle for control of others and himself. the failure of the reporters to figure out his deepest treasure gives him the control he has been vying for.
- Analyzes how kane sets himself up as a powerful and all-controlling man, but he is just deceiving himself.
- Analyzes how the movie citizen kane shows the futility of pushing oneself onto others. it is doubly futile if one also convinces himself that his way is the only way.
- Analyzes how the filming techniques used throughout the movie create a stark, jagged feel that underlines the harsh reality beating down kane’s wish for control.
- Analyzes how welles' editing keeps the storyline interesting and geared towards the overall message of striving towards control.
- Analyzes how the snowglobe symbolizes the psychological connection between susan and kane's mother. the statues are a response his subconscious knowledge that his attempts at controlling those he interacts with are failing.
1752 wordsRead More