The Power of Angles in Citizen Kane Anonymous 11th Grade

The movie Citizen Kane depicts the life of the successful businessman Charles Foster Kane through a series of flashbacks derived from interviews of his acquaintances. Through these interviews, Thompson, a newspaper reporter, attempts to solve the mysterious meaning of Kane’s final word, “Rosebud,” and uncover a more private side of Kane. Moreover, during these interviews, the viewer better understands these relationships through sound, via the content of the interview, as well as through sight, via the varying perspectives and positions of the camera. These camera angles are especially impactful within scenes involving Kane and his wives, and are used to depict the more controlling and powerful person within the scene. The positioning of the camera gives the audience more insight into what situations cause Kane to be more dominating when in a relationship.

The strategic use of these angles works to emphasize the power dynamics between Kane and the women with whom he has relationships. During the film, there are several scenes between Kane and his second wife, Susan Alexander, in which the camera is positioned up towards Kane to signify his position of power over Susan. At one point, when Susan is in front of Kane and is having...