Analysis on Citizen Kane Opening Scene

Challenge: Analyse a short extract from a film

Charles Kane - Citizen Kane- Opening Scene 
What is the film about?
The film is based on an inspector investigating the death of Charles Kane, it shows various flashbacks of his life and was a world wide story. It concentrates on his death and the research behind his last words.

Why did you choose this film?
I chose this film because it is so interesting to watch, there is a mystery behind it and its almost like a thriller which makes you feel like you cannot take your eyes of the film! Also because it shows different shots which are good to analyse and talk about.

What is so good about this scene?
This scene displays so many different shots which allow you to create different stories in your head as to why these are being shown. Also the movement between scenes is fantastic, there is an effect which allows you to see all aspects creating a very spooky atmosphere. It also shows the moral of the story which is about the death of Charles Kane, this is the stimulus and its effective as it says one word throughout the whole scene setting a mood and almost a motive to concentrate and pick up on throughout the film.

Analysis of this scene:

The sound in this opening scene is almost typical haunting, horror movie sound which gives the idea that it is going to be either a horror or a thriller, the sound also compliments what is going on in the scene which means that it is diegetic sound. The sound gives the impression that there is more to this place than meets the eye! 

The colour in this scene is very dark, its a very old film therefore it is in black and white but that doesn't mean that there isn't different contrasts. There are different shades of grey which makes it more interesting for the viewer, it also shows the imagery more clearly which makes it more of an atmosphere and even more spooky than before. 

The cinematography of this scene is amazing!
There are many different shots that include:

This shot is a close up shot of the gate, its a CU shot of the gate which is emphasisng the "K" standing for Kane, the main character. Its also a shot which is on a Canted angle which means slightly diagonal in the positioning. This highlights how dark and dull the backround is creating a tense atmosphere. The misty background shows that this is a big place and something which should be explored. You can also see the change (fading out) which is going into the next shot! 

This shot is also a close up shot which you could almost say is like a fixed pan shot. It looks like a BCU shot which means really close. It creates tension and is almost like a warning not only in the film but to the people viewing the film putting you on edge and questioning in your head why it is there. Also it is very abstract and the colours seem old which makes it more scary to watch.