Welles' Use of Shadows

Welles’ Use of Shadows

            The Film, Citizen Kane, written and directed by Orson Welles, uses numerous visual and auditory aesthetics to alter the viewers’ perception of the film. Welles successfully exploited the elements of light and shadow to represent Kane’s self projected importance as a member of society.

            The use of shadows and shadowing in Citizen Kane convey a plethora of themes and ideologies to the audience about character development and their role in any given scene, as well as in the grand scheme of the plot. In regards to Kane and the shadowing used on him in particular, there are numerous scenes that, when analyzed, can bring about major character revelations that were previously unknown to the audience. In the “Might have been great” scene, both Bernstein and Thatcher are discussing Kane’s personal and professional endeavors; yet, Kane is removed from the immediate conversation and is framed between two tall pillars, which creates the sense that Kane is ‘small’ (unneeded in the conversation). When Kane removes himself from the conversation and closes in on the far side of the room, his physical size greatly decreases, yet the size of his shadow increases. Through the shadow cast by Kane, the viewer can theorize that Kane projects himself as a larger figure than he actually is, this could be attributed to the difference in Kane’s physical size and shadow size in relation to the physical sizes of the men at the table. In comparison to both Thatcher and Bernstein, Kane appears tiny on the physical scale, but appears to be enormous on the shadow scale, which could represent Kane’s subconscious perception that he is greater and more powerful than those around him.