1942 Oscar for best original screenplay
US National Film Protection Agency designated collection
Greatest recognized film history film, is downright genius Orson Welles directed at the age of 26 knitting made screen debut. A newspaper reporter passed away alone in the giant house. In order to explore the true face of his life, a magazine reporter collected different opinions from many people, but in the end he still couldn't put the information together into one result. The protagonist Kane deliberately projected the American newspaper magnate Hearst.
The theme of the film has become confusing due to the development and presentation of the plot, and everyone can find their own opinions. But there is one point of view that is consistent, that is, it destroys the vision of a dream. It mocks many Faustian figures in American society and sells their souls for the desire of the whole world. Although it is the history of the success or failure of a big man, it is a thumbnail, covering people who are pursuing desire satisfaction in the entire material world, and it is also the most discussed film in the history of film.
As far as the film is concerned, "Citizen Kane" is not without flaws. It can only give 70 points for the exquisite structure, but Wells's strength, bravery, ruggedness, entertainment and personal experience can be scored above 90 points. In terms of technique application, the "depth-of-field lens" photography technique is still quite fresh from today's point of view.
Synopsis: The
film is based on the American journalism magnate William Randolph Hirst at the beginning of this century, and uses novel artistic techniques to express the life of a newspaper magnate.
Kane died after leaving the "last words" of "rose buds" in Sauna Manor. A young journalist was commissioned by news newspapers to investigate the meaning of these words. Learn about Kane’s youth experience and the difficult life experience of his mother by consulting relevant memory materials.
The chairman of the newspaper Bernstein introduced the history of Kane and the history of creating public opinion that involved the country in the Spanish-American War of 1897. Kane’s former friend Leland recounted his marriage to the American president’s niece Emily; his encounter with his two wives, singer Susan, and his failure in the presidential campaign. Susan introduced her and Kane's transition from lover to husband and wife life in the nightclub; she wanted to enjoy the music scene with Kane's support, and after losing, she lived with Kane in seclusion in the fairyland-like Sanatul Manor.
It was only when Kane’s old furniture was finally burned that "rose bud" was originally carved on a sled that he had cherished in his childhood.
Detailed plot:
In 1940, a deserted manor in Zenadu, Florida, was submerged in the dark night. Only one room had a window with lights on. This was the bedroom of Charles Foster Kane, the newspaper magnate. . Kane lay peacefully on the bed, and the glass ball crystal in his hand flashed a marvelous view: pieces of snow fell on a farmhouse...
Kane's aging and low voice sounded in the silence: "Rose bud!" His hand slowly released, the glass ball fell, and the magical snow scene inside the glass ball disappeared.
Kane was dead, so bleak, there was no family beside him except the nurse and the servant.
Kane’s death has busied the press. The headlines of newspapers reported his death, and there were mixed reviews of him. Some are called "patriots" and "democrats", and some call them "war mongers" and "traitors." People can't figure out what kind of person Kane is. But the "rose bud" that Kane said at the end of his death aroused the interest of reporters. What is the meaning of this sentence? They speculated.
The reporters decided to visit those close to Kane, those who loved him, and those who hated him. An experienced editor Thompson undertook this arduous investigation mission as a reporter.
One drizzle night, Thompson came to a crappy nightclub in Atlanta.
The nightclub was filled with smoke. A woman in her fifties sits alone at the table drinking. Her hair was dyed yellowish, and she was wearing a cheap evening dress. This is Kane's second wife, Susan Alexander. She will perform twice in the nightclub every night. Under the introduction of a local captain, Thompson sat down at Susan's table and wanted to talk to her, but Susan yelled angrily and asked him to get out. Thompson had to leave angrily, ending his first visit.
Thompson decided to consult the archives of Kane’s guardian Walter Taich. In the diary of the late Mr. Taic, Thompson finally found the record of Taic’s first meeting with the six-year-old Kane:
Kane’s parents were originally the owners of a small inn that provided board and lodging. One year, a The tenant who had no cash gave Kane's mother a title deed that seemed worthless for the abandoned gold mine. Unexpectedly, this magical waste paper really brought wealth to the Kane family in the future. After becoming a huge wealth, Keith’s mother commissioned the financial giant Walter Tai to manage her property and acted as the guardian of Kane.
When Mrs. Kane and Mr. Taic were signing the power of attorney in the living room, Little Kane was throwing snowballs out of the window. After a while, he was standing in the snow with a sled and watching his mother, father and the coming towards him. The unfamiliar Mr. Tai Que. When he knew that he was going to live with Taicho, he hit the guardian in the stomach with a sled unexpectedly. That night, Little Kane followed Mr. Taiche on the train.
Before Kane came of age, all of his property was managed by Taike's bank. When Kane reached twenty-five years old, he was in charge of himself. During his tenure as guardian, Tai bought a lot of family properties for Kane, and also bought him the "Inquirer" in New York. This is how Kane's newspaper started.
At the editorial office of the Questioner in a skyscraper in New York, Thompson visited Bernstein, the general manager of Kane. Although Bernstein could not solve the mystery of the "rose bud", he still knew Kane well.
It was 1891. Burststein and Kane’s close friend Jed Lilant assisted Kane in making a series of innovations in the newspaper’s policy, from the title, layout to content, and the retail price was reduced from three to two. . In 1895, the main competitor of the "Inquirer" was the "Documentary", which had a circulation that greatly exceeded it. Kane managed to win over the nine capable members of the editorial department of the other party's New York bureau, which caused the number of publications of the "Inquirer" to rise suddenly, overwhelming the "Documentary".
In 1900, Kane married Emily Zurden, the niece of the President of the United States.
When talking about Kane’s personality, Bernstein said one thing. It was in 1914 that Kane’s second wife, Susan, failed to perform an opera, but no one dared to write critical articles. Li Lante, a drama commentator of The Questionnaire and Kane’s close friend, was very conflicted, but he still wrote articles criticizing Susan in order to respect the facts. Because he was drunk, he fell asleep on the typewriter. When Kane saw this unfinished manuscript, in order to prove that he was a man of integrity, he used Li Lante's style and used the most harsh words to complete the article for Li Lante and published it in all In the newspaper. Afterwards, Kane gave Li Lante a check for 25,000 yuan, dismissing Li Lante.
Bernstein told Thompson: "Mr. Kane is a man who has almost lost everything."
Thompson listened to Bernstein's advice and found Li Lan on a hospital platform. He has looked very old.
When it comes to Kane, Lee Landt believes that "Kane is a very talented person... I have never seen a person who can express such contradictory opinions... He doesn't believe in anything except himself. Throughout his life, he firmly believed in his beliefs, loved himself, and did not love others." He recalled: Two months after Kane and his first wife, Emily, had been married, they had almost only met at the breakfast table. Their relationship is getting colder and colder. Later, he met Susan. Susan is a single woman who works for Sligman. Her mother had hoped that she could be a singer. She sang quite sweetly, with a low voice and without training, but it was very good, and Kane was deeply moved by it.
The newspaper giant Kane's wealth is spread across all states in the United States, but he is not satisfied with being an entrepreneur. He also wants to get involved in politics and ambitiously run for governor. Originally, Kane had an absolute advantage in the election, but his main opponent, the capitalist Edward G. Rogers, forced Susan to write a note to Mrs. Kane, publicizing her relationship with Kane and exploiting Kane’s private life. Gave him a fatal blow. Kane lost the election.
Emily left Kane with her son and died in a car accident two years later. Kane and Susan are officially married. He accompanied Susan to Chicago and spent three million yuan to build a Chicago Opera House exclusively for Susan. But Susan failed in her first performance.
Thompson visited Susan again. Still in the nightclub. Susan told Thompson: "I don't want to build this opera house. I don't want to sing. This is his idea... Everything has to be done according to his wishes. It has always been. There is only one exception, that is, I leave. When he was.”
Thinking of the night of the first performance, Susan still has lingering fears. In the audience hall, laughter came and went one after another. Susan said she would never sing again. But Kane said: "You have to continue singing, I don't want to make people laugh." "What about me? I have to sing! Hush is because I was booed by others, why can't you just..." Susan pained To answer. Kane insisted: "You have to sing!" Susan's merciless look frightened Susan. She lowered her head slowly and gave in.
"The Questionnaire" advertised for Susan, but none of this can change the audience's evaluation of Susan. She felt that the audience didn't need her. She was in extreme pain and swallowed a lot of sleeping pills. Fortunately, she found out early that Kane agreed to retreat from the music scene.
Kane spent hundreds of millions to build a palace-like manor for Susan in Zenadu, Florida. He and Susan live in this palace that has not yet been fully completed, isolated from the world, and bored. Susan is very tired of this monotonous and rigid life, she yearns for the prosperous city life. The relationship between her and Kane has also become unharmonious, and each other often hurt each other in a rough tone.
One day in 1928, the two had a dispute over whether to invite guests for a picnic. Susan no longer wanted to endure all this, and finally left the suffocating manor.
Susan talked a lot with Thompson, but she didn't know anything about "Rosebud". She suggested that Thompson go to Zenadu Manor and talk to the housekeeper Raymond, because he knows something that others don't know.
In Zinadu Manor, Raymond told Thompson: After Susan left, I saw Kane smashed everything in Susan's bedroom in grief, and only picked out a glass ball with floating snow inside, it was Kane. The glass ball held in his hand when he was dying.
When Thompson was about to leave Zinadu Manor, he stumbled upon a sleigh that Kane had played as a child.
There is a rose bud painted on the sled, and there are a few half worn words underneath: "rose bud". This is the sled that Kane used to hit Mr. Taiche's stomach.
On the "Citizen Kane" immortal
Wen / Zhou Liming
Britain "as the hearing" magazine since 1952, every ten years by the world's top directors and critics the greatest selection of ten films. Except for the first time, "Citizen Kane" (Hong Kong and Taiwan translated as "大民") topped the list every time, while works in other rankings were different each time. In other words, in the past 40 or 50 years, the most qualified film critics in the world could not reach a long-term consensus on which film was in the second or third place in the arts, but they agreed that "Citizen Kane" was the greatest. Movie works.
This is not the reason or motivation for me to like "Citizen Kane". I remember when I watched the film for the first time, I got a feeling of "but so". The second time I watched it was a very accidental situation. After watching it, I felt like being struck by lightning or seeing God. At that time, I firmly believed that this was the greatest movie I have ever seen. Every time I look at it in the future, this belief becomes stronger. After that, I checked all the information about the film in detail, and every time I read a book, it proved that the results of the authoritative person's selection were extremely correct.
What happened between the first time I watched the movie and the second time? I really can't remember it. But one thing is certain: it's not that "Citizen Kane" suddenly changed from mediocrity to extraordinary, it must be my own nerves.
After returning to China, I never heard this sentence from no less than ten people on different occasions: ""Citizen Kane" was indeed very good at that time, but it seems outdated now." In my opinion, this sentence is quite Yu "Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was regarded as the highest level in the first half of the 19th century, but now it sounds really late." Can you imagine what kind of repercussions this sentence will cause among music fans? But most of the people who commented on "Citizen Kane" are senior movie fans or professionals, because ordinary viewers would not go to see a black and white film produced in 1941. I’m not saying that you can’t have your own unique evaluation criteria and selection results. It’s okay if you rate "Apocalypse Now", "2001 A Space Odyssey", "Rashomon", etc. as "the greatest", but "Citizen Kai "Well" "outdated"? If you can cite a place that is outdated, I believe I can give you ten rebuttal evidence.
Many classic old films had major breakthroughs at the time, but now it seems that there is a clear brand of the times anyway. "The Birth of a Nation" pioneered the narrative technique of the film, but modern people will feel that the rhythm is procrastinated, not to mention the racial prejudice contained in the theme; "Battleship Potemkin" pushes the art of montage to a mature and perfect state. But the performance inside now looks too exaggerated. Of course, this does not detract from their historical status. But there are a few films that are shocking even if they are premiered now (provided they have never been shown before). The two most prominent examples are "Citizen Kane" and "2001 A Space Odyssey", they have a kind of free time The timelessness of the bond. "Citizen Kane" has risen to a whole new level in every aspect, some of which were later imitated and abused, but some have not yet dared to break through. Just imagine that works such as "Pulp Fiction," "Lola Run," and "Fragments of Memory" have only made breakthroughs at a certain level or point, and they have been strongly sought after by everyone, and "Citizen Kane" is at every level. All have greatly broken through the original expression methods of film art, and some have almost reached the height of "no newcomers". (Otherwise, no one can surpass it in 60 years?)
If you understand every point of the film’s excuses and still think it is “outdated”, then I have nothing to say. If you feel that it is unfair or dismissive of the "greatest" every time, then I want to remind you that the selection is not the "greatest" in the past ten years, but the "greatest of all time." ". If we have selected "The Greatest Novel in Chinese History" every year for nearly a hundred years, I believe that the result will be "A Dream of Red Mansions" every time. For friends who admire Jin Yong, Qiong Yao, or the best-selling novel of the year, I can only say something apologetic: "The writers and works you like are very good, but they are not as good as Cao Xueqin and his "Dream of Red Mansions"." Then play with music. For example, you may have listened to the radio broadcast of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony a hundred times, and you are tired of the theme of "fate is knocking at the door." Friends who are bored with "En" actually haven't watched (or understood) the entire film carefully. They feel bored, more because the "greatest" comment has become so cocooned.
"With so much praise, what is so good about "Citizen Kane"?" You will definitely ask. Because this is a subject taught for the entire semester of the Film Academy, I can't compress it into a short and succinct film review article, so I can only use NetEase's treasure to analyze each aspect.
◆Onion-like narrative structure ◆
Speaking of the overall structure of "Citizen Kane", many people would disagree when watching it for the first time: "Isn't it just flashbacks of the protagonist's life through the memories of a few characters? I have watched a lot of this kind of movies. Even the Yugoslav film "The Eighth is a Bronze Elephant" screened during the Cultural Revolution also used this technique."
Yes, "Citizen Kane" does consist of six flashbacks, which together reflect the publisher Charles Foster? Kane's life. But there is a strong internal logic inside. These flashbacks are not part of a puzzle, but onions peeled from the outside to the inside. If you don’t believe me, do a little experiment: you start from the first paragraph and stop and think about it after reading a paragraph. You will find that your understanding of Kane is quite comprehensive, but after reading the latter paragraph, your understanding will deepen. But even if you only read the first few paragraphs, your understanding of the characters is still complete, but it is not in-depth enough.
The whole film has a very simple framework: Kane said the word "Rosebud" before he died, and the editorial department of a newspaper sent reporters to interview Kane's relatives and friends during his lifetime, trying to find the meaning of the word. The reporter did not find out the truth from beginning to end, but the last scene of the film tells the movie audience the "truth"-that is the name of the sled that Kane played in his childhood, symbolizing his deep desire for innocence and purity The more wealthy and powerful people are the most reluctant when they die, but the nostalgic items with the least material value). We will talk about the origin of the term "rose bud" later, but many viewers have been fooled by the editor and director, believing that there is a major "mystery" about the film hidden here. In fact, it only provides a "framework". The essence of the film is not in this frame, but all in the six flashbacks attached to the frame.
The first segment is a nine-minute documentary. It is a short news film inserted before a common feature film in the United States before the advent of television. Don’t underestimate this documentary. It is very informative. After you watch it, you will learn about Kane’s major events, including his construction of the Xanadu Palace, his political views, his political career, his achievements in the publishing industry, and his His life experience and personal life, such as his two marriages (the first time he married the president's niece, the second wife was a commoner, he tried to promote her as an opera star) and so on. It is no exaggeration to say that many biographical films are not as deep as this documentary on the description of biographical characters. For example, a dozens of episodes of a famous painter's biographical TV series in the 1980s in China actually missed his marriage. Another characteristic of this documentary is that it does not sing praises blindly. While affirming Kane’s achievements and status, it points out that he is a controversial figure. The promoter of democratic reform, and he himself repeatedly emphasized that he is "an American" (which contains an interpretation of the American dream). You won’t see this in most contemporary TV obituaries. Ordinary obituaries are basically resumes plus meaningless clichés and cookie-cutter praise.
In the second part of the film, a reporter checked the library materials and learned about Kane's life experience from the manuscript of the banker Mr. Thatcher's memoir. Kane's mother originally ran a small village guest. A passing guest couldn't afford to pay for the house and took an abandoned mine as collateral. As a result, the mine later dug up gold. Kane's mother handed the five-year-old Kane to Thatcher's custody and sent him to the best school for education. But when Kane grew up, he was not interested in his own worth. Instead, he wanted to run a newspaper to justify the poor.
The third segment of the film is an interview with Mr. Bernstein, the manager and business partner of Kane. Bernstein was full of admiration for Kane. He revealed a lot of the early days of Kane's newspaper, and Kane began to show his collecting habits, his influence on international politics, and his first marriage.
The fourth part of the film is an interview with Li Lunde, a good friend of Kane and a drama critic of his newspaper. Li Lunde knows Kane very well. They are classmates and have followed him since the beginning of his business. But as Kane evolved from an enthusiastic youth to an arrogant reporter, his attitude towards Kane began to fully support him. , To doubt the conflict, and finally parted ways completely. Li Lunde provided reporters with more insider information about Kane's first marriage, his encounter with his second wife, the disillusionment of his political career, and the details of his final rivalry with friends for his wife's opera career.
The fifth segment of the film is a reporter interviewing Kane’s second wife, Susan. Susan told about her painful experience when she was forced to practice opera, her fiasco on stage, her suicide attempt, her days in the "palace" (party and loneliness), until finally she made up her mind to leave Kane.
The sixth paragraph of the film flashes back to Raymond, Kane's butler. Raymond witnessed the bleakness of Kane's loneliness after Susan left. He also heard Kane muttered to himself a few times the word "rosebud", but he didn't understand who or what it meant. This paragraph is short and leads directly to the end.
For many great people, we all know what he (or she) did in his life, but how many people know exactly who this person is, and what is his (or her) inner world? With the help of searching for the meaning of "rose bud", the film explores Kane's mental journey and the successful experience of the United States represented by Kane. The structure of the film is not only non-linear (that is, it is not straightforward), but each flashback has overlaps. For example, Li Lunde talked about Susan's debut from his perspective, and Susan later mentioned it from another perspective. The same thing.
It needs to be explained that the non-linear narrative technique is not the first of "Citizen Kane". Several Hollywood movies have tried it before, but "Citizen Kane" takes the form of "stacking houses" to the extreme. Every period of time The jumps and overlaps are large, some plots are very imaginary, some are very detailed, and many visuals, dialogues and themes are echoed in different paragraphs. Personally, I have not seen any movie with a more complicated and superb story frame than "Citizen Kane"-the only exception is "Mulholland Road", which can be said to be more complicated, but whether it is more superb It's hard to say. The structure of "Rashomon" also has the shadow of "Citizen Kane", especially each person's narration has a stronger personal touch; in this respect, "Rashomon" has made a revolutionary leap.
To measure whether an art form is "perfect", one should not only look at how difficult it has to show off, but whether it can be the most suitable form to reflect a particular content. Let's think about it, what story structure can more effectively embody Kane's public figures than an onion-like layering? What the common people see and hear are his words and deeds in public; his legal guardian has some details of his life experience that are not known to others, but it is like the parents' understanding of adult children is often limited to the surface. The guardian cannot understand his inner motives; his colleagues have a more comprehensive understanding of him, but they are not as good as close friends who can push their hearts; however, some private details are only known to those who share the same bed; finally, for some superiors For big people, the people who have the most chance to see their other side are neither family members nor friends (they have been abandoned by him, or have abandoned him), but the servants around them.
A few years ago, someone overseas claimed to be the illegitimate daughter of a late great man in our country and wrote a very thick memoir. I took a look and found that about three-quarters of the pages were materials from ordinary history books, and the other quarter was about her own experiences and the occasions when she saw great men once or twice. To apply "Citizen Kane" is a lot of documentary footage, and Susan said about her own affairs, only a few things are related to Kane. The reader cannot judge whether what she said is true or false, nor can it deepen his understanding of the great man. This book doesn't even have the level of onion skins. At best, it just shows you a box of onions, and then takes out a small piece of stuff, maybe part of the onion core, maybe not onion at all.
◆Characterization and performance◆To
say that the characterization of "Citizen Kane" is very successful is tantamount to nonsense. The film uses a variety of techniques in this regard, and some of them have reached rare heights in film art, which is worthy of analysis.
The highlight of course lies in the character of Kane. What kind of person is he? Is it a positive character or a negative character? We can explore layer by layer like the reporter in the film.
When Kane was young, he was determined not to be affected by his huge family fortune, and was determined to run a newspaper to bring justice to the oppressed and toiling people at the bottom of society. In the film, he has two unconcealed enemies. One is Mr. Thatcher, the banker who was entrusted by his mother to raise him, and the other is his political opponent when he ran for governor of New York. Thatcher is an elite in the American financial world and a JP Morgan-like figure. You see, the library named after him is more magnificent than the Presidential Library; but in Kane’s eyes, he is a typical capitalist exploiting the working people. . Kane’s initial inconspicuous "Consultant" with a circulation of only tens of thousands of copies launched a series of investigation reports, exposing the misuse of public funds by trusts in the Traction industry, the refusal of real estate owners to remediate slums, and Wall Street's support for copper mining fraud Stockholders and other incidents, some of which involve Thatcher's interests.
Kane's "righteous killing of relatives" not only harmed his guardian, but also directly caused the fire to his wife and even himself. He used newspapers to attack the president's policies, and his first wife was the president's niece ("He was a mistake when he became president, and this mistake will be corrected in the near future.") Kane also explained his duality: On the one hand, he is a major shareholder of a public transportation company and owns 82364 preferred shares of the company. On the other hand, as a reporter, he represents the interests of the people, so he spared no effort to expose the company's shady. Kane has a line that sums up his idealistic thought: "My pleasure is to see that the hard-working and upright people in this society have not been squandered by a bunch of money-robbing pirates, because there is no one. Take care of the interests of the people at the bottom. If I don’t take care of the unprivileged class, maybe someone else will show up, maybe those people don’t have money or property, then the situation will be worse!”
This passage is that he is in front of Thatcher. Said. Thatcher reminded him that his politically-based newspaper method caused him to lose one million dollars a year (note: that was the figure at the end of the nineteenth century). Kane replied sarcastically: "At this rate, 60 Years later, I may be bankrupt."
Kane’s "revolutionary pride" is fully reflected in this bold statement. His hatred of capitalism and his care for the working people are sincere, but they also appear in a condescending manner. He said very clearly to Thatcher: If property owners like him do not stand up and call for reform and wait until the proletarians start the revolution, then it will not be a matter of gentle wind and drizzle, but head down. Therefore, some people call him a "Communist Party", while others think he is a "reformer."
The conflict between him and the current Governor of New York, Getty, is even more incompatible. Even when the latter used a scandal to threaten him, he still shouted: "I will not cover up the consequences of my crime like a cheap, corrupt politician. Getty , I will send you to prison!"
However, Kane is not a pure revolutionary, and his idea of running a newspaper is not so much like "Southern Weekend", but rather like a tabloid sensationalist. It should be pointed out here that "yellow journalism" in English does not mean "yellow journalism" in Chinese. When Kane’s reporter in Cuba reported back that there was no war in the area, he replied: "You will provide prose poems, and I will provide war." Another example is the disappearance of a local woman in New York, who made headlines by him. , Because Kane’s news principle is: “The news is as big as the headline is.”
Whether you agree with or oppose Kane’s political views, it is undeniable that he has outstanding charisma. He can use money to dig out all the gold medal reporters and editors of his rival "Chronicle". He has a great affinity for the subordinates represented by Bernstein, but his most complicated relationship is with his second wife Susan and friends. Li Lunde.
When I first watched the film, I felt that Susan was a Monroe-like woman, a little pure and stupid. Later, I discovered that Susan's image is not simple, she contains the national character of the United States. At this time, I noticed a seemingly inadvertent line in the film: "Susan is a cross-section of the United States." The relationship between her and Kane, in addition to the superficial relationship between husband and wife, also hides Kane's belief that he needs him. Protect the relationship of the "working masses". In literary works, when a character has a typical meaning, his personality is often greatly weakened, and eventually reduced to a symbol, especially when it shows the relationship between a big figure and a certain class, this kind of processing is very difficult.
Susan's appearance when Kane's political career fell from the peak to the valley was also the fuse that ended his political career. Kane never dismissed her from being humble, and showed sincere care and love for her, but his love was fundamentally selfish. When he vowed to promote Susan as an opera star, he didn't consider Susan's needs, more from his own standpoint, and wanted to prove his strength by making stars. When they made their debut as newlyweds, facing the media, he said: "We will become opera stars!" A "we" expresses his subtle control over Susan's life, that is, Susan is only one way to realize his new ideals. way.
The most direct line of the film appeared when he failed in politics and was about to become a star. After drinking, my friend Li Lunde confessed: "You talk about the people as if they belonged to you, as if they belonged to you. My God! Since I can remember, you have been talking about empowering the people, as if to give them a representative The gift of freedom, in return for service... Remember the working people you said?... They will organize and demand their power, not as a gift of reward. When your precious oppressed unite, they Will be higher than your privileges. I don’t know what you should do then, sail to a desert island and be the leader of the monkeys?... You don’t care about anyone except yourself. You just have to convince everyone and make them believe you Love them very much, so they should return you with love. However, your love is set by you, like a game where you make rules and play in your own way."
Li Lund is Kane’s Classmates, they both had common ideals and pursuits at the beginning. But when Kane's personality swelled and cult of personality, Li Lund was suspicious of his friends' actions. At the newspaper party where the showgirl danced the thigh dance, everyone was happy to applaud and sing. Only Li Lunde's expression and applause were a little reluctant. After a showdown with Kane, he asked to be transferred to Chicago, but Susan’s opera premiere was scheduled for Chicago (where Kane built the opera house specially for her). As a drama critic, Li Lund faced the admiration of the boss’s wife. Painful duty, drunk. He knows how his comments will end: "Miss Susan Alexander, a beautiful and hopeless singer who is not a professional singer, made her first performance for the brand new Chicago Opera last night. Thanks to her singing skills. It is not within the scope of this department's report. Regarding her performance, it is really impossible..."
Kane followed Li Lund’s thinking and finished writing this comment that seemed impossible to appear in Kane’s newspapers, but at the same time he informed Li Lund that he was fired; however, he gave Li Lund a large amount of dismissal at the time. Fee (US$25,000). These contradictory behaviors reflect Kane’s inner world: as a newspaper boss, he does not admit that he suppresses the most sacred spirit of freedom of speech in running newspapers (although his policy of running newspapers has never been fair); he uses the most slanderous This article was completed with language to prove his great demeanor. At the same time, he could not tolerate other employees’ behaviors, so he fired his friends; but he was unwilling to carry the words of “preferring colors and depraving friends and treachery”. Fame, so he uses money to balance his mentality.
The details of Kane's standing ovation in Susan's performance resemble the practice of a leader of the former Soviet Union (at least in the rumor that he did it). On the bright side, it is a mainstay, and on the other hand, it is self-deception. The more he reached his old age, the more he divorced from reality, and he began to immerse himself in the psychedelic palace of his own building. He was lonely in his later years. As Li Lunde said, "I am Kane's friend. If I can't count his friends, he will have no friends."
As for his collecting addiction, it is also one of his ways to make up for his psychological emptiness. By this means, after he bought many valuable cultural relics, he didn't even open the boxes. Therefore, when Susan broke up with him, saying that he "gave me nothing", not material things, but spiritual care and communication.
In the script manuscript, in the plot of the palace party, Susan falls in love with a certain guest, which makes Kane jealous and harms the man. Orson Wells deleted this paragraph, freeing the characters from the good guys and bad guys with clear love and hatred. Kane is not a common figure among the common people. His temperament and character have obvious shadows in many leaders. His charm and shortcomings are complementary and complementary.
From the perspective of Freud's psychoanalysis, Kane's lack of childhood maternal love is the crux of his personality. His hatred of Thatcher (the surrogate father) and his attraction to Susan can be attributed to the Oedipus complex to some extent. If we look at it from the macro standpoint of the meaning of life, Kane subconsciously pursues a snowy cabin and a childhood sleigh, but he can only balance his inner world by amassing wealth. Some psychologists have found the implication of "maternal body" from the glass paperweight and the shape of the rose on the sleigh. From the emotional point of view, Kane, who was very "flower" when he was young, was very serious about both marriages. The first time he fell in love with Emily, he had no high-level purpose (otherwise he would not attack this desperate backer); Falling in love with Susan for the second time, there is no intention to play with each other. This, to a certain extent, makes the characters thicker and more difficult to categorize easily.
If the evaluation of Kane's principles of life comes from Li Lunde, then the macro-examination of his life pursuit comes from a sentence that seems to have nothing to do with the plot. When Bernstein met the reporter for the first time, he said of an "incidental encounter" in his youth: "One day in 1896, I took a ferry to New Jersey. When the ship was off the shore, another ferry was sailing into the port, and there was a The girl was waiting to disembark. She was wearing a white dress and holding a white parasol in her hand. I only saw her for a moment, she didn't see me at all, but after that I would think of her every month."
Life is so wonderful, it can be transformed into eternity in an instant, and having everything is equivalent to losing everything. The most worthless gadgets that people in a rich and enemy country miss before dying are the worthless gadgets that they played when they were young. This may be the tragedy of many big figures in the world.
The other characters in the film have different scenes, some only have one or two scenes, but the image is three-dimensional. Kane's first wife only appeared in two or three games such as the breakfast scene and facing Susan, but her aristocratic characteristics were undoubtedly revealed. Kane's mother only has one scene, but the refinement of the lines and the ability of the actors provide endless background materials for the role. Even Kane's father, who has only one line, is not monotonous-he is an extremely incompetent father, who is overwhelmed by the wife of a strong woman. There is also a comedic character in the film, that is, the former editor-in-chief of the "Consultant". He is a bit pedantic and a bit upright. He looks like an old intellectual in our minds. When he faces a new boss to implement a new policy, he doesn't know what to do. How to adjust your behavior. In my mind, only the role of Kane’s son cannot be considered a success, without a hook.
There is also a role in the film that is extremely heavy but will never impress you, and that is the reporter Thomson throughout the film. He often appears in shadow or from behind, deliberately preventing the audience from seeing him clearly. This imaginary figure is the incarnation of the audience (or the masses), and its symbolic meaning is far greater than specificity. His "imaginary" contrasts with Kane's rich layers.
The performance of "Citizen Kane" achieved amazing results in the casting stage. Almost all the actors in the film have no experience in film acting, but these characters seem to be tailor-made for them. Not to mention the protagonists, even the butler Raymond, the politician Getty, and childhood Kane have distinctive characteristics. Most of the actors in the film come from the Crystal Theatre Company in Wales. The troupe is good at radio dramas and stage plays. It is reasonable to say that the first film will have a tendency to go overboard; but except for a few close-ups, all the actors’ performances are very natural. No unnecessary exaggeration.
The main characters in the film have a large age span, from youth to old age, such as Orson? Wells only just took over the newspaper. The scene is his real age (25 years old), but he acted realistically. The demeanor of middle-aged and old age. However, the actor's superb performance can not arouse the applause of the ordinary audience. The reason is that there is no scene in the film that allows the actor to "show off" his acting skills, but conversely, when you read the script carefully, you will find that the actor is really indispensable.
"Citizen Kane" is not a monologue by Orson Wells, there are many heroes who made it a handed-down work. But if you can compare across industries, Orson Wells, as the director, undoubtedly made the greatest contribution. Not to mention his changes to the script, even if the final version is compared with the film made, Orson Wells's genius is still unobstructed.
"Citizen Kane" has a lot of revolutionary innovations in film art. To cite the simplest example: usually a scene is explained by the panorama of the environment, and then the development of the plot is promoted through the close-up of the dialogue of the characters, and finally the scene is finished with the grand panorama. But "Citizen Kane" does the opposite. It often starts and ends with close-ups. The middle part likes to use long shots and changes from time to time, using the positions between the characters to create a "triangular composition." This classical composition method also gives full play to the connection between the foreground and the background, creating a unique "deep focus" effect.
Wells’ sense of space probably comes from his experience of stage art, but the film has no stage accent. In terms of the transition of the scene, Wells showed off his skill like flowing water. The same image can span space, and the same line can connect decades of time.
We will analyze the highlights of photography in the next article. Here we will talk about the handling of some dramas for the time being. The most interesting thing is which ones have been taken in one stroke, and which ones have heavy colors and thick ink. People usually pay more attention to the cinematic treatment of those transitional scenes, but they don't realize that those drama-like scenes are also different from the traditional ones. For example, when Mr. Thatcher came to claim Little Kane, the rough look is not important, but the whole process showed ups and downs; while Little Kane grew up with Thatcher but was basically ignored. The lives of Kane and his first wife are reflected in a set of very simple but superb montages, but the small details of the whole process of getting to know the second wife are not overlooked. Kane’s conflicts with political opponents, Susan and Li Lund are reflected in traditional theatrical techniques, but this technique is used very carefully in the film, so unlike our common TV series, there are rounds of "quarrels". ", its conflicts are all used on the "knife."
◆The Lens of God ◆
Hollywood has several excellent films with a high overall level every year, but from the perspective of the director's approach, there is not necessarily an eye-catching treatment in a year. And there are all such genius pens in "Citizen Kane", and the above highlights a few of them.
1. The breakfast scene
This two-minute scene shows the subtle changes between Kane and his first wife Emily from the intoxication of the newlyweds to the different dreams in the same bed. It condenses the nine-year marriage process. It is concise and unique. It is not difficult to shoot. , Is completely the crystallization of the ingenuity of the choreographer.
At the beginning, it was a panoramic view. It was the night, or early morning, just after their wedding. Emily was sitting at the dining table, Kane came over, kissed her, and sat down opposite.
Emily: I don't understand why you want to go directly to the newspaper.
Charles (Kane's name): You shouldn't marry newspapermen, they are worse than sailors. I admire you so much!
Emily: Oh, Charles, the newspaperman has to sleep too.
When they had a conversation, the screen began to switch between single shots, but they kept looking at each other affectionately. Emily's care and Charles' humor radiated from their tone.
The film uses a flashing effect similar to looking out the window from a fast-moving train, symbolizing the passage of time, that is, using space to express time. This method is used for all six paragraphs.
The content of the second paragraph is similar to that of the first paragraph. It is still the wife's gentle accusation of the workaholic husband.
Emily: Do you know how long you made me wait last night? You said go to the newspaper for ten minutes. In the middle of the night, what work do you have to do in the newspaper?
Charles: Emily, my dear, your only reporter is the "Consultant" (note: the newspaper run by Kane).
Regarding this paragraph, the content is too similar to the first paragraph and lacks progress, but it follows the next paragraph. The transition is natural. This must be a recent marriage. Thinking about it, Emily couldn’t have been ignorant of the newspaper’s operating rules at that time.
In the third paragraph, the relationship between the husband and wife has taken a turn for the worse, and from the structural point of view, they have entered a "turn" of combining the beginning and the end. Emily began to express her dislike of Kane's political views, but she still maintained her aristocratic restraint.
Emily: Sometimes, I think I prefer a flesh and blood opponent.
Charles: Emily, I don't spend much time in the newspaper.
Emily: It's not just a matter of time, it's what you posted-attacking the president...
Charles: You mean Uncle John.
Emily: I mean the president of a country in the United States.
Charles: After all, it's Uncle John. His motives are not bad, but his brain is too stupid to let a bunch of high-pressure crooks manage the government. The whole oil scandal...
Emily: Coincidentally, he is the president, not you.
Charles: This mistake will be corrected in the near future.
This dialogue is very exciting, it not only tells the difference between the two (also the main stumbling block in their marriage), but also reflects the mentality of Kane who wants to be eager to try in the political arena.
The next paragraph is more subtle and ostensibly discusses a gift from Kane’s accountant Bernstein to their son. But Bernstein is a typical Jewish surname, and the film deliberately fails to explain what gift he gave. Therefore, it is generally guessed that this is a Jewish gadget such as the "Star of David". In Emily’s eyes, this It's a rebellious thing.
Emily: I don't allow it to be placed in the baby room.
Charles: There is nothing inappropriate for Mr. Bernstein to visit our children from time to time.
Emily: Does he have to see the baby?
Charles: Of course.
In this paragraph, Charles appears to be very open-minded, while Emily, who is from a prominent family, is narrow-minded.
The next paragraph fully embodies Kane's self-inflated character. Like the previous paragraphs, the lines can be connected with the previous paragraph, as if it were the same dialogue.
Emily: People will think...
Charles: (Interrupting her) Whatever I ask them to think, they will think!
There is no dialogue in the last paragraph. Emily is reading the Chronicle (Kane's opponent's newspaper), and Kane is reading his own "Consultant", the two have fallen into a stalemate in their marriage. The camera was pulled out from Kane and returned to the original double shot, like a bracket, "enclosing" the marriage in its entirety. (This method is also used at the beginning and end of the whole film, which is the so-called "front-end echo".)
In addition to lines and performances, this breakfast scene that has allowed generations of directors to talk endlessly also highlights the credit of makeup. The filming of this scene is reversed. First, the two actors are dressed up to look like they will look like nine years after marriage, and a layer of makeup is removed for each segment to make them a few years younger (the actual age of the actors is closer to the role of the newlyweds. age). In addition, the costumes and props in each segment are slightly different, suggesting the passage of time.
Two, poaching
This is another cutscene that shows the passage of time. In the movies just after the end of the Cultural Revolution in China, episodes are often used, and there are some montages that have been used tens of thousands of times. The technique in this section of "Citizen Kane" has been repeatedly imitated by later generations, so everyone may not feel unfamiliar. But in all similar treatments, this paragraph of "Citizen Kane" has not been replaced by later generations, at least in terms of difficulty.
When Kane wrote the "Newspaper Manifesto" in front of his friend Li Lund and accountant Bernstein, the three of them had to face the reality that they were just a tabloid with a circulation of more than 20,000, while their opponent "The Chronicle" It has a circulation of close to 500,000. How to surpass the opponent? This kind of process is the most difficult to show in the movie. Its trick is not to be wordy, but not too general.
The first shot: The three Kane are behind the windows of their newspapers, and the words "The Consultation News 26,000" are printed on the glass. There is also a scene of pedestrians passing by in a hurry on the glass.
Second shot: The three of them stand in front of a glass window with the words "The Chronicle" has a circulation of 495,000". It turned out that this time they came to the door of the opponent's newspaper and looked at a photo in the window. Those were nine ace reporters and editors recruited by the newspaper over 20 years.
The third shot: a close-up of the photo. Bernstein said: "With these people, it is not difficult to increase circulation." Kane agreed. Subtle changes appear in the photo, and the sharpness increases. Kane said: "Six years ago, I saw a photo, it was the best newspaperman in the world. I seem to be a kid standing in front of a candy store. Six years later, tonight, I got my The candy, all the candy." Kane stepped into the screen. It turned out that it was a photo-taking scene, showing that all the nine reporters had moved to Kane's site.
The lens was pulled out further, and the old-fashioned flash fired. Kane said: "Print one more and send it to the Chronicle."
"The Tragedy on the Nile" also used the method of photo transition, but it was much simpler and more obtrusive. However, "Citizen Kane" is like a comedy "burden", which has a surprise effect when shaken off, and the lines show the true qualities of Kane and Bernstein.
3. Susan premiered
Susan was "forced to Liangshan" by Kane and starred in an opera in Chicago. This passage appeared twice in the film, and the one that Li Lunde recalled was the most impressive.
Close-up: Susan is practicing singing. When the camera was pulled out, we saw the vocal teacher lecturing on the side. At this time, there is a prelude to the aria. The camera continued to pull out, and someone on the left put a hat and headgear on Susan. The camera shook up suddenly, and a close-up of stage lights appeared; it shook down again and returned to Susan. The camera slowly pulled out, and we saw chaos on the stage, with Susan and his party in the middle, and people in front of and behind them were hurriedly walking around. Switch to the stage panoramic lens, the foreground is in the dark. At this time, the picture gradually shines from bottom to top, suggesting that the curtain is slowly rising.
Susan sang. The camera moves up, across the canopy, into the dense poles and ropes on top, and finally rises to the suspension bridge of the stage staff. The two staff looked at each other, and the one on the right pinched his nose with his hands.
This last shot can be said to be the Mount Everest in the processing of all the shots that show the reaction to theatrical performances. I deeply doubt that someone can surpass it in the future. First of all, it is a virtual angle. It is impossible to take this shot on a real stage unless you cut the top of the stage along the curtain. In terms of shooting, the shot was collaged by three different shots, which is very clever, the middle one is the model.
Why not use the reaction of a certain audience audience? In Hong Kong costume films, when there are people performing juggling on the street, there are always people nearby cheering or deliberately booing. As for the level of classical music performers, the theater staff have a say more than anyone else, because they are knowledgeable, have a very picky taste, and are well aware of the weaknesses of the big names. In the biographies of singers such as Pavarotti, there are examples of impromptu applause by orchestra or theater staff, especially during rehearsals and when the actors are not famous, because this is regarded as a high honor in the industry. Secondly, arranging the two staff members at the top of the "high above" stage has a symbolic meaning, implying that they have a "god" vision. As for pinching the nose, it's because people say "It stinks" to bad things in English, so this action occurs.
The sound effect of this section is also very appropriate. As the camera went up, the singing became more and more empty, as if it had been transmitted from another world. Think about it carefully, it is impossible for Li Lunde sitting in the box to see these scenes from this angle. The perspective of this segment is between the audience and the performer. To be precise, it is the angle of the big screen, and it is also an objective and fair view." "Invisible God" perspective.
Susan’s memories repeated this paragraph, but the camera was aimed at the audience from the stage, and a row of lights in front of the stage prevented her from seeing anyone under the stage. The reactions of Kane and others in the audience (Kane was nervous, as if he was acting; Bernstein fell asleep and applauded warmly after waking up; Li Lund tore through the program list) reflected the three attitudes, but the reaction of the real ordinary audience It is reflected through the voice-over and Kane's expression.
4. Childhood drama
If the previous paragraphs give full play to the expressive power of the film, then the childhood drama reflects the director Wells's clever use of stage position and photography's particular attention to composition. Let's start with that long shot. The long shots of many masters will make you keep in mind that this is a long shot. Wells' long shots will not make you feel like a long shot.
Kane's mother stood at the window, looking at his eight-year-old son playing in the snow outside the house. Suddenly, she didn't want her son to live in the valley with her rustic father, so she decided to send her child to the big city through a client to attend the best school.
Kane's father and Mr. Thatcher, the banker who came to pick up the children, are in the distance, just beside Kane's mother, implying the position of their father and surrogate father and the fact that they cannot replace maternal love in Kane's mind.
Kane's mother and other three people walked out of the room next door, the camera turned around, followed, and pulled out again. Outside the house was covered with white snow. In the first triangle composition, Thatcher is in the center, and in the lower right corner is the young Charles Kane, with doubts and suppressed anger on his face. Then, Kane walked to his father in the background and turned around. At this time, his mother and Thatcher were on both sides, forming an inverted triangle. The next composition: Father walked forward, all eyes from the upper left corner to the lower right corner of the little Kane almost in a straight line. Kane knew he was going to go far, and asked his mother if he could go with him. When he knew his mother could not accompany him, a tear appeared on his cheek. He hits Thatcher with a sled ("push" to be precise). His father said that Kane owed him a beating, and his mother held him in his arms.
At this time, the long shot ceased, replaced by a close-up of his mother, and moved the close-up to Little Kane's face. Only then did we understand the impact of his childhood trauma on his life, and why his dying last words were "rose buds" (sled name). No amount of wealth and accomplishment can make up for the lost maternal love.
Next, there are a few wonderful passages of time and space. Feature: The sled fell into the snow and was covered by heavy snow. A close-up of a brand new sled, the camera pulled out. It was a gift from Thatcher that Kane dressed as a little nobleman. But this sled is obviously different from the "rosebud". Kane was displeased. Thatcher said: "Merry Christmas!" Little Kane replied: "Merry Christmas!" Then, 17 years later, Thatcher said: "Happy New Year!"
Although the three-level jump here is not comparable to "2001" The space-time span where the bones and the spacecraft are connected in Space Travel, but its compact rhythm and rich details are unprecedented.
It is no exaggeration to say that every scene in "Citizen Kane" is worthy of such analysis and research, and every scene will amaze people who love the art of directing. One of the best test methods is to read the general content of each paragraph in the script first, and then think about how you would deal with it, or how common movies and televisions are performed, and then compare the Wells skills of the film. Only then can you turn your disdain for the film into dumbfounded.
◆Photography◆
As the saying goes: one hero has three gangs. In addition to Orson Wells’ helper, besides the screenwriter Mankiwicz, who tried to steal the authorship, another important figure is the photographer Greg Toland. When Toland joined the crew of "Citizen Kane", he was already an accomplished photographer in Hollywood, but the difficulty of "Kane" was far beyond his expectations. It is conceivable that when Wells gave orders on the set, the staff behind the scenes might think of him as a layman. (The actors in front of the camera are basically members of the "Crystal Troupe" he brought from New York. He knows how many catties he has.
We all know now that those ultra-low-angle shots were Wells’s idea. When the photographer stated that it had been placed on the ground and could not be lowered, Wells chopped the floor and "buried" the camera in the ground. Regarding the film’s looking up lens, there are many things worth pondering: looking up usually enhances the character's "tall" image. Indeed, Kane has a "tall" side, but his "tall" is also mixed with many negative factors. By artificially lowering the height of the interior roof, the film creates a Kane's "upright" composition in many scenes. But what this conception gives us is not "standing upright", but a sense of subconscious oppression. Kane is extraordinary compared to ordinary people, but his tallness has nothing in common with the pale type in our model play.
Another commendable feature is deep focus: when character A is in the foreground, character B on the background is not blurred, but very clear. This was originally a shortcoming, because there is a distinction between primary and secondary in order to highlight the key points. But the film takes this "stupid feature" that only point-and-shoot cameras have to the extreme. If you look closely at the section between Kane and the banker, you will find that Kane in the background provides a lot of drama information; another scene is that when Kane was writing a review on Li Lunde, Li Lunde came from a distance drunk, and both of them were It has been in a clear state. At this time, the left and right forces on the screen are balanced and full of tension. This break of friendship and ideas is integrated into the picture processing; another example is Susan's suicide attempt. The foreground is a medicine bottle. The middle shot is Su. Shan was lying on the bed feebly, and Kane and others broke in on the background. The usual movie method would focus on the foreground first, and then the background. All the contents here are clear, no need to adjust the telescope. After reading one place, look at another.
A large number of these deep-focus lenses in the film are synthesized using multiple exposures, so it is by no means a "dumb machine" to be lazy, but a painstakingly pursued effect. What are the benefits of this effect? The general approach is like ballet. One group comes to the front desk to perform, while others stand on both sides, making cheering gestures. Deep focus allows several groups to dance at the same time, thus greatly enriching the amount of information in the picture. Wouldn't it be overwhelming? If these groups of dances are different on the surface, but connected internally, it will be worth seeing. This is also one of the reasons why the film gets more interesting as you watch it.
The inspiration for looking up and deep gathering may come from the stage. If you sit in the front row of the theater, most of the actors you see are "high up", and no matter where you sit, the actors on the stage will not retreat out of focus and become imaginary. This was supposed to be the limitation of stage play, but it turned into innovation in the hands of geniuses. I have heard some drama classes in China and emphasized the difference between the stage and the screen. The overall feeling is that there are many limitations on the stage. I went to New York, London, and Berlin to see that stage plays can be more cinematic than movies. This kind of reference and breakthrough is actually It started in Wells’s time, and has been fascinated by Daori in "The Moment" and Marshall in "Chicago".
The composition of "Citizen Kane" is basically classical, many of them are triangles, but what's interesting is that it is not as deliberate as some epics. The shots are often changing, and there is a kind of closeness in the process of change and stay. Natural relaxation rhythm. This is particularly evident in several scenes such as "Kane leaves home" and "Kane clashes with political opponents." I personally think that these treatments are completely "anti-stage" and seem to have the shadow of classical paintings, but from the bones they are extremely cinematic, making full use of the variable perspective of the lens, but they are stable in motion.
The most obvious trace of the stage is actually the lighting: from the reporter editor immersed in a backlight, to the background light used by Kane when he read his "Newspaper Manifesto", there are symbolic meanings-the former implies the abstractness of the characters, the latter It predicted that Kane's grand ideal had a terrible side. However, like the other symbolic images in the film, the symbolism of "Kane" is not deeply inked. It is not as freehand as the German expressionist st
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