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4. Citizen Kane Assignment and Presentation

Description

Citizen Kane casts a strong shadow over the history of the cinema as one of the most innovative films of the twentieth century. The film has earned this reputation for several reasons.

1. The film uses a unique approach to narrating the story events of Charles Foster Kane.
2. The film uses mise-en-scéne to ground the narrative in a particular time and place, and makes heavy use of deep focus,
3. The film borrows from the films of Jean Renoir, particularly The Grand Illusion and Rules of the Game.
4. The film was celebrated by French film critics, such as André Bazin, who would revive the film in the post World War II years.
5. Upon its release, the film received a lackluster commercial and critical response.

Instructions

Written Assignment

Examine an extended scene from Citizen Kane that reflects one of the statements listed above. Your paper should be about 1,200 words in length (about six pages). Your research should begin with some of the sources listed below.

The written assignment is due on November 27.

Please make sure that you both: bring a hard copy to class, and upload a copy of your paper to the LMS.

Group Presentation

Each group will present their scene from Citizen Kane in class on November 27. The presentation should last about 20 minutes.

Each presentation should include any appropriate visuals, such as clips and slides to demonstrate their argument.

Research Sources

Use these sources to start your research. Feel free to contact me if you need help in evaluating other sources.

• Altman, Rick. “Deep-Focus Sound: Citizen Kane And The Radio Aesthetic.” Quarterly Review Of Film & Video 15.3 (1994): 1–33.
• Bazin, André. Orson Welles. New York: Harper and Row, 1978.
• Bergman, Mark. “HOLLYWOOD IN THE FORTIES Revisited.” Velvet Light Trap: A Critical Journal of Film & Television 5 (1972): 2–5.
• Bilen, John. “Hollywood’s Second Greatest Year.” Films Of The Golden Age 65 (2011): 88–92.
• Braudy, Leo. Jean Renoir. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1972.
• Carringer, Robert L., The Making of Citizen Kane. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1985.
• Chatman, Seymour. “Introducing Narratology To Film Students – Via Citizen Kane.” Quarterly Review Of Film Studies 1.4 (1976): 388–393.
• Cook, David A. “Orson Welles and the Modern Sound Film.” A History of Narrative Film. New York: W.W. Norton Company, Inc., 2004.
• Cowie, Peter. The Cinema of Orson Welles. New York: Barnes, 1965.
• de Baecque, Antoine. “André Bazin In Combat.” Cineaste 36.1 (2010): 10–15.
• Gottesman, Ronald, ed. Perspectives on Citizen Kane. London: Prentice-Hall, 1996.
• Gottesman, Ronald, ed. Focus on Citizen Kane. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1971.
• Heath, Stephen. “Film And System: Terms Of Analysis.” Screen 16.1 (1975): 5–77.
• Henderson, Brian. “Notes On Set Design And Cinema.” Film Quarterly 42 (1988): 17–28.
• Higham, Charles. Orson Welles. New York: St. Martin’s, 1985.
• Kael, Pauline, ed. The Citizen Kane Book. New York: Limelight Editions, 1984.
• Leaming, Barbara. Orson Welles. New York: Viking, 1985.
• Lebo, Harlan. Citizen Kane: The Fiftieth-Anniversary Album. New York: Doubleday, 1990.
• McBridge, Joseph. What Ever Happened to Orson Welles? A Portrait of an Independent Career. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 2006.
• Mulvey, Laura. Citizen Kane. London: British Film Institute, 1992.
• Naremore, James, ed. Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane: A Casebook. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
• Naremore, James. The Magic World of Orson Welles. New York: Oxford University Press, 1974.
• Onosko, Tim. “RKO Radio: An Overview.” Velvet Light Trap: A Critical Journal Of Film & Television 10 (1973): 2–5.
• Paulus, Tom. “The View Across The Court Yard: Bazin And The Evolution Of Depth Style.” Film International 5.6 (2007): 62–75.
• Sarris, Andrew. “For And Against Kane.” Sight & Sound 1.6 (1991): 21–23.
• Sarris, Andrew. The American Cinema: Directors and Directions, 1929–1968. New York: DaCapo, 1996.
• Simmons, Gary. “Smoke And Mirrors in Citizen Kane.” Screen Education 51 (2008): 138–144.
• Street, Sarah. “Citizen Kane.” History Today 46.3 (1996): 48.