Stephen Henderson

TA-135
Classic Movies
Winter, 2014


The breakfast scenes of Citizen Kane

Microtheme #2
[456 words]

February 3
rd
, 2014

Stephen Henderson
TA-135

Citizen Kane is considered by many to be a masterpiece of classic Hollywood form. This
opinion aside, it can definitely be said that many scenes of this movie are masterfully created and
directed to make the audience feel how Orson Welles intended them to feel. One of these scenes
is Jedediah Lelands account of Charles Kanes first marriage to Emily Norton. In this scene
there are many good examples of how the lighting, mise-en-scene, and acting performances
come together to generate feelings in the audience. The lighting is definitely the most important
element in this specific scene.
Lighting is usually quite unnoticeable to the average viewer. However, lighting is
imperative in making the setting and costuming in a film stand out and appear in the exact way
that the director wants. In the breakfast scenes, Welles uses lighting to give us his opinions of the
characters, and make us feel that same way towards them. The first scene uses high-key lighting,
meaning that the entire space is well lit and shadows are dull or non-existent. This is achieved by
the placement of a large wall of windows in the first shot. Every shot after that, the audience
assumes that light is still coming from those windows. The following scenes depict a
transformation in the lighting on both Charles and Emily. From the first time we see Charles or
Emily in a mid-close up shot, it is clear that Charles side of the room is darker than Emilys
because of the wall of foliage behind him. This becomes a pattern that indicates Charles is
becoming a darker character, while Emily remains the light and innocent character. In each
successive scene, the lighting shifts slightly however, so that both Emily and Charles have more
shadow on their faces and background each time.
The shadows on Charles are prominent from the beginning, and become more and more
distinct, while the shadows on Emily dont appear until the third scene, and even those are slight
and unnoticeable. As more shadows appear on the faces of each actor, the audience feels less and
less at ease with the dialogue. While normally a conversation along the lines of what can be in a
childs nursery is innocent and unimportant, the conversation between Charles and Emily about
that topic is turned dark and ominous by the harsh shadows cast across Charles face, giving him
an almost Godfather-esque look. The final transformation of lighting from high-key to low-key
can be seen in the last shot of the breakfast table, while both Charles and Emily read their
newspapers. The whole room has been cast in darkness, where the only light is that coming in
through the window, no longer reflected off any light colored walls.