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Tuesday 25 September 2012

Citizen Kane Opening Notes


How does Welles create an air of mystery in the opening to Citizen Kane?

 

Dramatic music, metal fences/cages, No Trespassing sign- sense of entrapment, foggy/misty, the shots fade between each other, extreme close up on man’s mouth, doesn’t show who he is.

Who is the man that dies?

Why does he say ‘rosebud’? What is ‘rosebud’?

Why does he have a nurse?

Why is the house so secure?

What is wrong with the man?

Why does the light suddenly turn off?

Who turns the light off?

What does the snow globe symbolise?

Why is nobody else in the house?

 

Mise-en-scene

Sound

Diegetic- Snow globe smashing on the ground.

Non-diegetic- Very dramatic, powerful music.

Set and Props 

The large house and the fences are very intimidating and adds a sense of mystery and danger to the house.

The snow globe plays an important role in the opening. It adds to the mystery and it anchors the story together.

Cinematography

Shot type- The camera tilts up the fence.

Shot composition- The light in the top corner is always in the shot, this add importance to the light and adds mystery to it.

Lighting- The lighting is quite dark. The light rises from the window which dramatizes the scene.

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