AuteurAuteur

The presumed or actual “author” of The presumed or actual “author” of a film, usually identified as the a film, usually identified as the director. director.

Also sometimes used in an Also sometimes used in an evaluative sense to distinguish good evaluative sense to distinguish good filmmakers (filmmakers (auteursauteurs) from bad ones.) from bad ones.

Can you think of any auteur? You Can you think of any auteur? You may go see his or her films for his or may go see his or her films for his or her “style”.her “style”.

Orson Welles (1915-1985)Orson Welles (1915-1985)

““I started at the top and I started at the top and worked my way down.” – worked my way down.” – Orson WellesOrson Welles

Came from Live Theatre and Mercury Theatre, radio

CBS’s “War of the Worlds”

H.G. Wells’s H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds The War of the Worlds (1898)(1898) Mercury Theatre’s Mercury Theatre’s The War of the Worlds The War of the Worlds

(10/30/38)(10/30/38) War of the Worlds War of the Worlds (2005) fiction-disaster film(2005) fiction-disaster film

Selected filmography for Selected filmography for Orson WellesOrson Welles

19421942 THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (dir, scr., prod.) (Oscar nod THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (dir, scr., prod.) (Oscar nod for Picture)for Picture)

19431943 JOURNEY INTO FEAR (dir., prod., scr.)JOURNEY INTO FEAR (dir., prod., scr.) 19441944 JANE EYRE (prod., act.)JANE EYRE (prod., act.) 19461946 THE STRANGER (dir., act., scr.)THE STRANGER (dir., act., scr.) 19461946 TOMORROW IS FOREVER (act.)TOMORROW IS FOREVER (act.) 19481948 THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (dir., act., prod., scr.)THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (dir., act., prod., scr.) 19481948 MACBETH (prod., act., scr., dir.)MACBETH (prod., act., scr., dir.) 19521952 OTHELLO (dir., scr., act.)OTHELLO (dir., scr., act.) 19551955 MR. ARKADIN (dir., act., scr.)MR. ARKADIN (dir., act., scr.) 19561956 MOBY DICK (act.)MOBY DICK (act.) 19581958 TOUCH OF EVIL (dir., act., scr.)TOUCH OF EVIL (dir., act., scr.) 19591959 COMPULSION (act.)COMPULSION (act.) 19621962 THE TRIAL (dir., act., scr.)THE TRIAL (dir., act., scr.) 19661966 A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (act.)A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (act.) 19671967 CASINO ROYALE (act.)CASINO ROYALE (act.) 19701970 CATCH-22 (act.)CATCH-22 (act.) 19701970 THE DEEP (scr., act., dir.)THE DEEP (scr., act., dir.) 19711971 LONDON (scr., act., dir.)LONDON (scr., act., dir.) 19721972 TREASURE ISLAND (act.)TREASURE ISLAND (act.) 19751975 F IS FOR FAKE (dir., scr.)F IS FOR FAKE (dir., scr.) 19791979 THE MUPPET MOVIE (act.)THE MUPPET MOVIE (act.)

Citizen KaneCitizen Kane (1941) (1941)RKO RKO Budget of $700,000 not lavish Budget of $700,000 not lavish

by 1941 standards.by 1941 standards.

WilliamWilliamRandolphRandolph

HearstHearst

Hearst Castle in San Hearst Castle in San Simeon will beSimeon will beKane’s Xanadu Kane’s Xanadu

10 Reasons Why 10 Reasons Why Citizen Kane Citizen Kane is is Considered One of the Greatest Films Considered One of the Greatest Films

of All Time:of All Time:1.1. Narrative StructureNarrative Structure

Structured like a mystery story, a search to Structured like a mystery story, a search to penetrate a great enigma. The mystery begins penetrate a great enigma. The mystery begins with the misty opening sequence.with the misty opening sequence.

2. Cinematography (Gregg Toland2. Cinematography (Gregg Toland))In scenes depicting Kane as an old man, In scenes depicting Kane as an old man, the camera is often far away, making him the camera is often far away, making him seem remote, inaccessible. Even when seem remote, inaccessible. Even when Kane is closer to the lens, the deep-focus Kane is closer to the lens, the deep-focus photography keeps the rest of the world at photography keeps the rest of the world at a distance, with vast empty spaces a distance, with vast empty spaces between him and other peoplebetween him and other people

Gregg Toland (1904-Gregg Toland (1904-1948)1948)

Gregg Toland (1904-Gregg Toland (1904-1948)1948)

3. Art Design (Van Nest Polglase)3. Art Design (Van Nest Polglase)The film saved money by only showing The film saved money by only showing parts of sets rather than entire rooms. parts of sets rather than entire rooms. For example, the office set consists only For example, the office set consists only of a desk and two walls, yet we seem to of a desk and two walls, yet we seem to be in a huge luxurious office. Similarly, in be in a huge luxurious office. Similarly, in the Xanadu scenes, Welles spotlit an the Xanadu scenes, Welles spotlit an oversized pieces of furniture, a sculpture, oversized pieces of furniture, a sculpture, or a fireplace, leaving the rest of the room or a fireplace, leaving the rest of the room in darkness-as though it were too in darkness-as though it were too enormous to be adequately illuminated. enormous to be adequately illuminated. (The rooms were actually sparsely (The rooms were actually sparsely furnished.)furnished.)

4. Make-Up (Maurice Seiderman)4. Make-Up (Maurice Seiderman) Welles was required to age about 50 years during Welles was required to age about 50 years during

the course of the story. As Kane grows older, his the course of the story. As Kane grows older, his hair grays and recedes, his jowls sag, his cheeks hair grays and recedes, his jowls sag, his cheeks grow puffier, and the bags beneath his eyes grow grow puffier, and the bags beneath his eyes grow more pouch. A synthetic rubber body suit suggest more pouch. A synthetic rubber body suit suggest the increasingly flabby torso of an older man.the increasingly flabby torso of an older man.

5. Musical Score (Bernard Herrmann)5. Musical Score (Bernard Herrmann) Hermann composed the film’s opera, Hermann composed the film’s opera, SalommboSalommbo, in , in

the style of nineteenth-century French “Oriental” the style of nineteenth-century French “Oriental” operas. operas.

6. Casting6. CastingDorothy Commingore’s brilliant Dorothy Commingore’s brilliant

performance of Susan provides considerable performance of Susan provides considerable warmth to an otherwise cold and intellectual warmth to an otherwise cold and intellectual film. She is a study in contradiction, screechy film. She is a study in contradiction, screechy and pitiful at the same time.and pitiful at the same time.

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975)(1911-1975)

7.Editing (Robert Wise)7.Editing (Robert Wise) Budgetary considerations often determined the cunning Budgetary considerations often determined the cunning

editing strategies of the film, which was edited by editing strategies of the film, which was edited by Robert Wise. In the political campaign sequence, Robert Wise. In the political campaign sequence, cutting is used to hide the fact that the thousands of cutting is used to hide the fact that the thousands of inhabitants in the huge hall were not real. By inhabitants in the huge hall were not real. By association, they seem real. association, they seem real.

Time elapses through dissolves-showing parallel images Time elapses through dissolves-showing parallel images of different years. of different years.

8. Sound8. Sound Long and extreme long-shot sounds are fuzzy and Long and extreme long-shot sounds are fuzzy and

remote; close-up sounds are crisp, clear, and generally remote; close-up sounds are crisp, clear, and generally loud. High angle shots are often accompanied by high-loud. High angle shots are often accompanied by high-pitched music and sound effects; low angle shots by pitched music and sound effects; low angle shots by brooding and low-pitched sounds. Sounds are dissolved brooding and low-pitched sounds. Sounds are dissolved and overlapped like a montage sequence.and overlapped like a montage sequence.

9. Special Effects (Vernon L. Walker)9. Special Effects (Vernon L. Walker) Miniatures, matte shots, double and Miniatures, matte shots, double and

multiple exposures, optical printing.multiple exposures, optical printing.

10. Director10. DirectorWelles frequently used lengthy takes in his staging, Welles frequently used lengthy takes in his staging,

choreographing the movements of the camera and the choreographing the movements of the camera and the characters rather than cutting to a series of separate shots. characters rather than cutting to a series of separate shots. Even in relatively static scenes such as this, these lengthy Even in relatively static scenes such as this, these lengthy takes provide the mise en scene with a sense of fluidity and takes provide the mise en scene with a sense of fluidity and dynamic change.dynamic change.

Wells was strongly drawn to the lighting theories of such Wells was strongly drawn to the lighting theories of such theatrical designers as Gordon Craig and Adolphe Appia and theatrical designers as Gordon Craig and Adolphe Appia and to many of the techniques of the German expressionist to many of the techniques of the German expressionist movement. Welles was also influenced by the moody low-key movement. Welles was also influenced by the moody low-key photograph of John Ford’s Stagecoach. photograph of John Ford’s Stagecoach.

Using the “10 Reasons” Using the “10 Reasons” from our discussion on from our discussion on

Kane, and the criteria we Kane, and the criteria we have used already in this have used already in this course, discuss whether course, discuss whether

you feel you feel Citizen KaneCitizen Kane lives lives up to the title as the up to the title as the

greatest film of all time.greatest film of all time.