How ignorance leads to innovation

Orson Welles called Gregg Toland the greatest cinematographer.

He told the story of why Toland said he wanted to work for him:

“Because you’ve never made a picture before… and you do not know what cannot be done.”

Toland was not wrong. Welles took chances, he pushed the boundaries of film-making to create a heightened style. Cinema had never seen anything quite like Citizen Kane before, and it hasn’t since. This case study will cover three topics: narrative structure, lighting and composition.

Narrative is one of the most basic elements in storytelling and film-making. It is the backbone of a movie, and Welles broke this convention in his debut feature. While it’s not uncommon for a story to have an unconventional structure these days, it wasn’t so common in 1941. Naturally, there will be spoilers present throughout this case study, so consider yourself warned. Also keep in mind that much of what will be written is based on interpretation, as much of the film’s meaning is left up to the viewer.

The story of Kane is non-linear, and it jumps around in time. The film starts with Charles Foster Kane’s death, and then goes back in time to show his life. It jumps around again, showing different parts of his life. There are no clear cut chapters or acts, which can be confusing for some…