Citizen Kane Is A Quarry For Filmmakers - 1572 Words

As esteemed film director William Friedkin once said; Citizen Kane is a quarry for filmmakers. It is undeniable that Citizen Kane is the epitome of the great American film. It was initially released in 1941 and was met with great criticism . However, since its release many years ago it is evident that the film made advancements in cinema techniques which were well ahead of its time . The foremost reason Citizen Kane is considered one of the great American films ever created is due to the innovative film techniques that director Orson Welles brought to life .These techniques include new methods for cinematography, lighting, and sound . The cinematography in Citizen Kane is one of the primary reasons it is viewed as one of the most celebrated works in cinema. The initiation of new approaches to cinematography is greatly credited to cinematographer Greg Toland. Toland who was known for his work as director of photography for such films as Dead End (1937), Wuthering Heights (1939) whic h he won an academy award for, The Grapes of Wrath (1940), and many more. The collaboration between Welles and Toland broke the traditions of atypical 1940 s film. Essentially, this meant that there should not be great attention to participation of the camera. However, Welles and Toland attempted to attract as much attention to the camera as possible, by using dramatic angles and unusual shots. As Martin Scorsese said; Welles was not afraid to be self-conscious with the camera. To