yeah! orson welles was 25 when he made citizen kane, and i really feel all his youthful arrogance in this film. he knew german theater techniques, but he didn't know how cameras works nor how film acting works, and he sort of didn't care. the film is filled with all these crazy shots and weird camera angles that no one else would do.
dramatically, i think welles had a really good instinct for when a theatrical effect starts getting boring. for instance the opening sequence: it starts with some melodramatic music and with charles foster kane whispering rosebud. pretty much at the moment i get bored of the scene, it cuts to the news reel segment, which both sets up the story, and is very stylish and energetic. pretty much the moment i get bored of this bombastic tone, the scene cuts to the group of news men sitting in the dark debating how to work the angles on this kane story. this scene has its own distinct rhythm: the reports are all talking over each other. the moment that becomes annoying to listen to, the film cuts again to a new style... and so on and so on. i'm amazed every time i watch this that a 25 year old first-time direction could exert so much control over their work.
TBH, i find myself unsurprised by Welles having been 25 at time of filming. i've been listening to (ofc) keith johnstone's Impro, inc. all the sections about how excessive (mis)education dulls youthful creativity.
I love Citizen Kane more every time I watch it
can you elaborate! :D
yeah! orson welles was 25 when he made citizen kane, and i really feel all his youthful arrogance in this film. he knew german theater techniques, but he didn't know how cameras works nor how film acting works, and he sort of didn't care. the film is filled with all these crazy shots and weird camera angles that no one else would do.
dramatically, i think welles had a really good instinct for when a theatrical effect starts getting boring. for instance the opening sequence: it starts with some melodramatic music and with charles foster kane whispering rosebud. pretty much at the moment i get bored of the scene, it cuts to the news reel segment, which both sets up the story, and is very stylish and energetic. pretty much the moment i get bored of this bombastic tone, the scene cuts to the group of news men sitting in the dark debating how to work the angles on this kane story. this scene has its own distinct rhythm: the reports are all talking over each other. the moment that becomes annoying to listen to, the film cuts again to a new style... and so on and so on. i'm amazed every time i watch this that a 25 year old first-time direction could exert so much control over their work.
TBH, i find myself unsurprised by Welles having been 25 at time of filming. i've been listening to (ofc) keith johnstone's Impro, inc. all the sections about how excessive (mis)education dulls youthful creativity.