What is the writing technique of To Kane?

There are several excellent films with high overall level in Hollywood every year, but in terms of directing techniques, there may not be one that makes people shine in a year. There are many such genius pens in Citizen Kane, and several paragraphs are highlighted above.

First of all, breakfast drama

This two-minute drama shows the subtle changes between Kane and his first wife Emily from infatuation at the wedding to strange strange bedfellows, and condenses the nine-year marriage process. Simple and unique, it is not difficult to shoot. It is the crystallization of the director's ingenuity.

At first, it was a panoramic view, which was the night after their marriage, or early morning. Emily was sitting at the table, and Kane came over, kissed her and sat opposite.

Emily: I don't understand why you went directly to the newspaper.

Charles (Kane's name): You shouldn't marry a newspaper man. They are worse than sailors. I adore you so much!

Emily: Oh, Charles, the reporter has to go to bed.

When they were talking, the picture began to switch to a single shot, but they kept looking at each other affectionately. Emily's concern and Charles' humor are evident in their tone.

The film uses a flash effect similar to looking out of the window from a speeding train to symbolize the passage of time, that is, to express time with space. These six paragraphs are all like this.

The second paragraph is similar to the first paragraph, and it is still the wife's gentle blame for her workaholic husband.

Emily: Do you know how long you kept me waiting last night? You said to go to the newspaper in ten minutes. What do you have to do in the newspaper at midnight?

Charles: Emily, honey, your only reporter is a consultant.

About this paragraph, the content is too similar to the first paragraph, and there is no progress, but the transition with the next paragraph is natural. This must be the latest wedding. Come to think of it, it is impossible for Emily not to know the operating rules of the newspaper at that time.

In the third paragraph, the relationship between husband and wife took a sharp turn and entered a "turn" from the structure. Emily began to express her disgust at Kane's political views, but she still maintained her aristocratic temperament.

Emily: Sometimes, I think I prefer flesh-and-blood opponents.

Charles: Emily, I don't read newspapers very much.

Emily: It's not just a matter of time, but what you published-attacking the president. ...

Charles: You mean Uncle John.

Emily: I mean the president of a country in the United States.

Charles: Uncle John, after all. His motives are not bad, but he is too stupid to let a group of high-pressure swindlers run 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 conversation is very wonderful. It not only shows the difference between them (which is also the main stumbling block of their marriage), but also reflects Kane's political eagerness.

The next paragraph is more subtle, ostensibly discussing the gift from Kane's accountant Bernstein to their son. But Bernstein is a typical Jewish surname, and the film deliberately doesn't say what gift he gave. Therefore, it is generally speculated that this is a Jewish gadget such as "Star of David", which is a big rebellion in Emily's eyes.

Emily: I don't allow it to appear in the nursery.

Charles: There is nothing wrong with Mr. Bernstein visiting our children from time to time.

Emily: Does he have to come to see the children?

Charles: Of course.

In this passage, Charles is very open-minded, while Emily, who comes from a famous family, is narrow-minded.

The next paragraph fully embodies Kane's self-expanding personality. Like the previous paragraph, lines can be connected with the previous paragraph as if it were the same dialogue.

Emily: People will think that ...

Charles: (interrupting her) They think what I tell them to think!

In the last paragraph, there is no dialogue. Emily is reading the Chronicle (Kane's rival newspaper), while Kane is reading her own consulting newspaper. The marriage of these two people is at an impasse. The lens was pulled out of Kane and returned to the original double lens, like a bracket, which completely "contained" the marriage. This method is also used at the beginning and end of the whole film, which is called "echo from beginning to end". )

In addition to lines and performances, this breakfast drama, which has been talked about by many directors for generations, also highlights the contribution of makeup. The shooting of this scene is reversed. First, make up the two actors to look like they have been married for nine years, and each shot is covered with makeup to make them a few years younger (the actual age of the actors is closer to the age when the characters get married). In addition, the costumes and props of each segment are slightly different, suggesting the passage of time.

Second, the poaching drama

This is another scene showing the passage of time. In the films just after the Cultural Revolution in China, episodes are often used, and some montages are used for tens of thousands of times. It may not be surprising that the technique of this passage in Citizen Kane has been repeatedly imitated by later generations. But in all similar treatments, this passage in Citizen Kane has not been replaced by later generations at least in difficulty.

When Kane wrote the Manifesto of Running a Newspaper in front of his good friend Li Lunde and accountant Bernstein, the three of them had to face the reality that they were only a tabloid with a circulation of more than 20,000, while their rival Chronicle had a circulation of nearly 500,000. How to surpass your opponent? This process is the most difficult to express in movies, and its trick is not to be verbose, but not too general.

The first shot: Kane three people are behind the window of their own newspaper, and the words "the circulation of consulting newspaper is 26000" are printed on the glass. On the glass, there is also a picture of pedestrians rushing by in the street.

The second shot: the three of them are standing in front of the glass window, on which the words "Chronicle has a circulation of 495,000" are written. It turned out that this time they came to the door of their rival newspaper and looked at a photo in the window. It took the newspaper 20 years to recruit nine ace reporters and editors.

The third shot: the close-up of the photo. Bernstein said: "With these people, it is not difficult to increase circulation." Kane agreed. Subtle changes have taken place in the photos, and the clarity has been improved. Kane said: "Six years ago, I saw a photo, which was the best newspaper reporter in the world. I seem to be a child standing in front of a candy store. Six years later tonight, I got my candy, all the candy. " Kane stepped into the picture, which turned out to be a photo scene, showing that all nine reporters had switched to Kane's website.

The camera is further reduced, and the old-fashioned flash flashes. Kane said, "print another copy and send it to the chronicle."

The Tragedy on the Nile also uses the technique of photo transition, but it is much simpler and more abrupt. Citizen Kane is like a comedy "baggage", which has a surprise effect when shaken off, and the lines show the true colors of Kane and Bernstein.

Third, Susan premiered.

Susan was "cornered" by Kane and starred in an opera in Chicago. This passage appeared twice in the film, and the one recalled by Li Lunde was the most amazing.

Close-up: Susan is practicing singing. As the camera zoomed in, we saw the vocal music teacher giving a lecture. At this time, the prelude of aria appeared. The camera continued to pull out, and someone on the left put a hat and headdress on Susan. The camera suddenly shook and the close-up of the stage lights appeared; Then I suddenly threw it down and went back to Susan. When the camera slowly pulled out, we saw the stage was in chaos, Susan and her party were in the middle, and people were running around them. Switch to the stage panorama, and the foreground is dark. At this time, the picture gradually glows from bottom to top, suggesting that the curtain is slowly rising.

Susan began to sing. The camera moves up, over the canopy, into the dense poles and ropes at the top, and finally reaches the suspension bridge of the stage staff. The two staff members looked at each other, and the one on the right held his nose with his hand.

This last shot, among all the shots that show the reaction to cultural performances, can be described as Mount Everest. I deeply doubt that anyone will surpass it in the future. The first is the virtual angle. It is impossible to shoot this shot on the real stage unless you cut off the top of the stage along the curtain. In shooting, the lens is composed of three different lenses, which is very clever. The middle one is a model.

Why not use the audience's reaction? In Hong Kong costume films, whenever someone performs juggling in the street, there are always people cheering or deliberately booing. For the standards of classical musicians, the theater staff have a say than anyone else, because they are well-informed, picky in taste and well aware of the weak links of big brands. Biographies of singers such as Pavarotti describe examples of impromptu applause by orchestra or theater staff, especially during rehearsal and when the actors are unknown, because it is regarded as a high honor in the industry. Secondly, it is symbolic to arrange the two staff members at the top of the "high above" stage, suggesting that they have the power of "God". As for pinching your nose, that's because people say "smelly" to bad things in English, so there will be this action.

The sound effect of this paragraph is also very appropriate. As the camera rises, the singing becomes more and more hollow, as if from another world. Come to think of it, it is impossible for Li Lunde sitting in the box to see these scenes from this angle. The perspective of this paragraph is between the audience and the performer, precisely the perspective of the curtain, and also the objective and fair perspective of the "invisible god".

Susan's memory repeated this paragraph, but the camera was aimed at the audience from the stage, and a row of lights in front of the stage made her unable to see anyone in the audience. The reaction of Kane and other three people in the audience (Kane is nervous and seems to be acting; Bernstein dozed off and applauded warmly after waking up; Li Lunde showed three attitudes, but the reaction of the real ordinary audience was reflected by the voice-over and Kane's expression.

Fourthly, childhood drama.

If the first few paragraphs give full play to the expressive force of the film, then "Childhood Drama" reflects the clever use of stage position by director Wells and the emphasis on composition in photography. Let's start with that vision. Many masters' long shots will make you remember that this is a long shot, and it seems that it is not a skill not to bore amateur audiences. Wells' long-range shot won't make you feel like you're long-range.

Kane's mother stood at the window, watching her eight-year-old son playing in the snow outside. Suddenly rich, she didn't want her son to live in a ravine with his rustic father, so she decided to send her child to a big city and attend the best school through a client.

Kane's father and Mr. Thatcher, the banker who came to pick up the children, are here? The place, just on both sides of Kane's mother, implies the status of their father and surrogate father, and the fact that they can't replace maternal love in Kane's heart.

Kane's mother and other three people walked out of the room from the next room, and the camera turned, followed and quit. The outside of the house is covered with snow. In the first triangle composition, Thatcher is in the center and young Charles is in the lower right corner. Kane, there is a puzzled and repressed anger on his face. Then Kane went backstage to his father and made another turn. At this time, his mother and Thatcher are on both sides, forming an inverted triangle. Before Dad walked forward, all eyes looked from the upper left corner to the little Kane in the lower right corner. Kane knew that he would leave home. He asked his mother if she could go with him. When he knew that his mother could not accompany him, a tear appeared on his cheek. He hit (or rather "pushed") Thatcher with a sleigh. His father said little Kane needed a beating, and his mother held him in her arms.

At this time, the long shot stopped, replaced by a close-up of his mother, and the close-up moved to Kane's face. Only then did I understand the impact of his childhood trauma on his life and why his last words were "Rosebud". No amount of wealth and achievements can make up for the lost maternal love.

Next, there are several wonderful time and space connections. Close-up: the sledge fell on the snow and was covered with heavy snow. A close-up of a brand-new sleigh, the lens is pulled out, which is a gift from Kane dressed as a little aristocrat to Thatcher. But this sledge is obviously different from "Rosebud". Kane looks unhappy. Thatcher said, "Merry Christmas!" Little Kane replied, "Merry Christmas!" Then, after 17, Thatcher said, "Happy New Year!"

Although the triple jump here is not comparable to the space-time span of the connection between bones and spacecraft in 200 1 A Space Odyssey, 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 directing art. One of the best test methods is to look at the general content of each paragraph in the script first, then think about how you will handle it, or how common movies and TV plays are performed, and then compare the Welsh tricks of the film. At that time, you can turn your disdain for movies into dumbfounded.

As the saying goes: a hero has three gangs. In addition to the screenwriter Mankiewicz who tried to steal the authorship, orson welles's helper was another important person, the photographer Glegg Tholander. When Tholander joined Citizen Kane, he was already an accomplished photographer in Hollywood, but the difficulty of Kane far exceeded his expectations. It is conceivable that when Wells gives orders on the set, the behind-the-scenes staff at the bottom may regard him as a layman. (The actors in front of the camera are basically members of the "Crystal Troupe" he brought from new york, you know how heavy he is).

We all know now that those ultra-low angle shots were Wells' idea. When the photographer said it was on the ground and could not be lower, Wells cut the floor and buried the camera in the ground. There are many things worth pondering about the look-up lens of the film: looking up usually enhances the "tall" image of the characters. Indeed, Kane has a "tall" side, but his "tall" is also mixed with many negative factors. By artificially lowering the height of the indoor roof, the film creates a Kane-style "indomitable spirit" composition in many scenes. But this idea gives us not "high above", but a subconscious sense of oppression. Kane is unusual compared with ordinary people, but his height has nothing in common with the pale type in our model opera.

Another commendable feature is deep focus: when character A is in the foreground, character B in the background is not blurred, but very clear. This is originally a disadvantage, because there are primary and secondary points to highlight the key points. But the film takes this "stupid function" that only stupid cameras have to the extreme. If you carefully observe Kane and bankers, you will find that Kane in the background provides a lot of dramatic information; Another scene is when Kane is writing a drama review for Li Lunde. Li Lunde came drunk from a distance, and they were always awake. At this time, the left and right forces on the picture are balanced and full of tension, and the rupture of this friendship and concept is integrated into the picture processing; For example, after Susan attempted suicide, the prospect was a medicine bottle. In the middle scene, Susan lies feebly in bed, while Kane and others break into houses in the background. The usual film technique will focus on the foreground first, and then on the background, and it is piecemeal, but everything here is clear, and there is no need to look at one place first and then another like a telescope.

A large number of such deep-focus shots in the film are synthesized by multiple exposures, so laziness is by no means a "fool machine", but an effect that is painstakingly pursued. What are the benefits of this effect? The general treatment is like ballet, one group goes to the front stage to perform, and the other group stands on both sides to make cheering gestures; Deep focus can make several groups of people dance at the same time, thus greatly enriching the information of the picture. Is it not too many things to see? It will be interesting if these groups of dances are different on the surface, but they are related internally. This is one of the reasons why this film is becoming more and more interesting.

The inspiration for looking up and gathering may come from the stage. If you sit in the front row of the theater, most of the actors you see are "above", and no matter where you sit, the actors on the stage will not be out of focus and become empty. This should have been the limitation of stage play, but it turned into innovation in the hands of genius. After listening to some drama classes in China, I emphasized the difference between stage and screen. The overall feeling is that the stage is limited. After visiting new york, London and Berlin, I realized that stage plays can be more cinematic than movies. In fact, this kind of reference and breakthrough began in the Welsh era, and now it is played incisively and vividly by Daoli in The Hours and Marshall in Chicago.

The composition of Citizen Kane is basically classical, many of which are triangles, but interestingly, it is not as deliberate as some epic movies, and the lens is often changing, and there is an almost natural relaxation rhythm in the process of changing and staying. This is particularly evident in several scenes such as Kane's Leaving Home and Kane's Face to Face with Political Enemies. Personally, I think these treatments are completely "anti-stage", which seems to have the shadow of classical painting, but they are very cinematic in nature, making full use of the changeable perspective of the lens, but the movements are stable.

The most obvious stage trace actually lies in the lighting: from the reporter's editor immersed in a backlight to the bottom light Kane used when reading his manifesto of running a newspaper, it has symbolic significance-the former implies the abstraction of the characters, while the latter indicates that Kane's grand ideal has a terrible side. But like other symbolic images in the film, Kane's symbolic meaning is not profound, and he is not as freehand as the German expressionist style in 1930 s.

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