What intrigued me the most about Orson Welles film was its plot looking at the part of you that lives on after death. This film, often considered in the media as one of the greatest films of all time, focuses on the idea of legacy and the media, two themes that will forever be relevant within society making it an important and successful piece.
The dark atmospheric opening set the tone for the piece, highlighting the importance of Kane's death and how his final words would set a whole new part of his story into action even after his death. So many questions went through my head when watching this. How do you present someone after death? How do you show who they really are? How much control do you have over your own legacy? A lot of this plot focuses on perception and looking at what shapes a life? All of these questions made for a really intriguing plot and I was surprised by how much I was drawn into it.
The concept of money incorporated into this notion of someone's legacy provided a story that will forever be relevant. The quote that I immediately noted on this subject was "If I hadn't been very rich, I think I might have been a really great man". Links between money and corruption have been dominant throughout history and continue to be today, bringing this piece into modern society. The ideas surrounding the news was also something I noted which again remains relevant in todays society with the media ever growing. The destruction that the news and money causes throughout sits right at the centre of this plot and is something the world has struggled with throughout history and continues to struggle with.
The sets in this film were strong, with class and privilege being clearly represented. I also noted how clever the lighting was at times projecting large shadows of Kane over his lover creating this powerful, threatening even, looking figure. The mirror scene was another clever element with Kane projecting back all these reflections of himself similar to the may different perception of him heard throughout, again thinking back to the ultimate question what shapes a person?
I was really drawn in by this film and its own legacy as it continues to be considered a masterpiece even over 80 years after its production. It lead me to reflect upon both history and the present making it a successful piece of cinematography.
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