Citizen Kane -Hot Take

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Citizen Kane (1941 US) Quasi biographical film exploring the life of media tycoon Charles Foster Kane. Kane was loosely based on William Randolph Hearst And Joseph Pulitzer. This film is often at the top of best films ever made lists. There are many things to note here but one of my favorite things is the cinematography. The shots and lighting are just beyond stunning. Greg Toland won for Best Cinematography with his deep focus style. Deep focus being where the foreground, middle ground and background are all in focus. It tends to really open up the shot where the director can add little stuff to inform the audience. This is one of my favorite styles although it can be expensive because you have to fill the space. That's why ultra low budget films shoot in shallow focus where just the foreground is in focus. You don't have to mess around with the background that much. Director Orson Wells really took advantage of deep focus whether it was too show the backgrounds architectural lines or add a sub scene behind the main shot. That can get tricky. Wells won an Oscar in the directorial and acting categories. He was quite the over achiever. Herman Mankiewicz or more fondly referred to as Mank, wrote the screenplay in collaboration with Wells. He won an Oscar for that script. Mank had issues with Hearst's Murdoch style media empire and was not afraid to voice that. Its unfortunate that Kane has begun to drop off the scene a bit and is not viewed as much as it should because it is still quite relevant. So pass this on to the next generation. Find it on HBO or for rent on most streaming.
 

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