Citizen Kane is one of the most famous movies for
many reasons, one of the reasons being from the films use of deep focus. Deep
focus means that everything in the shot (both foreground and background) is in
focus at the same time. This can have many different effects on the people
watching the film. The first example of deep focus in Citizen Kane is in the
beginning of the movie, when Kane’s mother is signing the paper and he is
outside sledding. The purpose of deep focus here is to let the audience choose
where they want to look, instead of blurring out part of the frame and focusing
in on one part. Even though the eyes of the audience are free to look wherever
they’d like, Welles pushes them towards looking at the mother by having the
other 2 characters in the foreground looking at her also. There is little
movement in the foreground, and in the background Kane is running around a lot,
which also directs our attention towards him. The fact that our attention is
focused on the mother signing the paper and Kane in the back shows what is
happening in the scene; the mother is “signing away” the control of Kane’s life
to another person. This is the start of the deep focus being used whenever
control is being seen during the film. The deep focus makes the most sense to
be used when it is showing Kane’s loss of control, because it is not just
focusing on him and leaving everyone else blurred out. It shows the whole space
that Kane has lost power over, or never had it to begin with.
I agree with your first example of how deep focus is used in the film. I too think that Welles' use of deep focus while Charles' mother is signing papers inside and he is outside playing in the snow, is useful in its way to allow the audience to focus its attention on either the background, the mother, or the foreground, which has little movement. When you talk about the significance of deep focus in the film as a whole, I find it interesting and justified when you explain how it helps show Kane's loss of control at a particular moment. As I was watching the first scene with deep focus, I did catch myself shifting my attention back and forth between the different proximities of the people, just as you mentioned. Overall, I like how you discuss the role that a deep focus shot plays in the film as a whole and how it contributes to the circumstances Charles Kane is in himself.
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