It is no mistake that the 1941 film, Citizen Kane, was nominated for nine Academy Awards. Often considered to be one of the finest films ever produced, there were a myriad of innovative strategies that director, producer and writer Orson Welles executed to produce, arguably, the greatest film ever made. Before I touch on the cinematic techniques that Welles employed in his work, I wanted to focus on the metaphorical and symbolic significance of the “No Trespassing” sign that introduces us to the film, and that Welles leaves us with to conclude his film. The story chronicles the life of Charles Kane, a man who, throughout the progression of the film, fails to get passed his insecurities and resents individuals who attempt to come into his life. This is seen from the start, in the scene when Thatcher attempts to develop a relationship with young Kane, and he utterly rejects all attempts. The “No Trespassing” sign, along with the fence that it hangs on seem to act as some kind of a metaphor that demonstrates Kane’s protective behavior that blocks others from his life.

One of my favorite scenes, also having symbolic significance, was when Kane took the podium, and the strategic filming was truly remarkable. Using a deep focus shot, Kane himself stood in the foreground in front of his crowd, while his own image was captured in the background, through the use of deep focus. There was also a low angle shot used in this specific instance, which captured the significance of Kane’s figure. All the while, however, the increased size of Kane’s face in the background indirectly communicates that Kane viewed himself as a larger, more potent figure than how important he, in reality, was. The nuances of this film are what makes it arguably one of the best. Not one of its scenes, characters, or symbolic devices can, or should be overlooked.

Photo courtesy of: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Orson_Welles-Citizen_Kane1.jpg