Oh, how the mighty have fallen...

Citizen Kane is considered one of the greatest American movies of all time. While this statement is arguable, Citizen Kane has made a lasting impact on film culture as we know it. The eerie saga of a man's rise to power and ultimate downfall is an absolute classic. To explain all of the aspects that make Citizen Kane so phenomenal would take more time than I have, so for now my focus is mise-en-scene.

The lighting in Citizen Kane is blatantly impactful on the film as a whole. Low-key lighting plays a key role (sorry, the pun really wasn't intended) here. The first most obvious occurrence of low-key lighting is when Kane, after taking control of the Inquirer, writes and signs the Declaration of Principles. During this entire sequence, the immense shadows cloud Kane's face. As Leland speaks his skepticism of Kane's declaration, that very skepticism is reflected onto the audience because of the lighting. Kane's face is in deep shadow while he discusses his principles. This really hints to the audience that Kane isn't necessarily going to keep up his end of the bargain. By putting Kane's face in shadow, Kane becomes a bit of a "shady character." The other most obvious example of low-key lighting in Citizen Kane is in the character of Mr. Thompson. Even though Thompson is in many scenes of the movie, his face is never shown clearly. He is always in the shadows and freqently off to a corner of the screen. This helps to emphasize the fact that really, Thompson is not an important character in the film. His presence helps to move the plot along, but his presence ultimately does not affect the rest of the characters. The use of low-key lighting makes perfect sense because at the movie, even after spending two hours learning about Kane's rise and fall, the audience really hasn't discovered anything at all. It is all still hidden beneath the shadows.

The setting is also an important aspect of mise-en-scene in Citizen Kane. At the height of Kane's power, he is constantly surrounded by people. In the sequences at the newspaper, the place seems cluttered and bustling with people. It is almost chaotic the way that people bump into and speak over each other. Kane is also in a mass of people while he is running for political office. It is particularly noticeable after Kane's extravagant speech. As he emerges, he is hardly able to move for the crowd that surrounds him. Flashbulbs go off as reporters take pictures and there is so much hustle and bustle that the audience almost loses Kane and Emily in the crowd. As Kane meets his ultimate fall from power, the opposite affect is presented. Kane seems to become more and more abandoned and alone as the film progresses. After he loses the election, there is the famous scene with Kane and Leland alone in the office. The two men look extremely alone in the room that was once filled with chaos and people. This isolation gives a sense of despair and instills pity in the audience. As the film continues and Kane and Susan live in their mansion, the feeling of isolation only increases. When Kane and Susan have dialogue, their voices echo across the giant empty rooms. Although they are surrounded by beauty and wealth, they have no one but each other. The final moment of abandonment is when Susan leaves Kane. After she leaves, a famous shot approaches. It is the shot where Kane is seen (in deep focus) through two doorways and a giant open room. In this shot, Kane seems utterly and desolately alone. And of course, he is alone. A lifetime of riches and power could not keep him from what he dreaded the most.