Orson Welles: Big Budget Shakespearean Adaptation Vs. Indie Masterpieces

(Written in December, 2015)

Orson Welles uses many different kinds of film techniques throughout all of his films, but there are some that he uses in both his Shakespearean adaptations as well as his independent productions. In both he uses different kinds of lighting tricks, including using silhouette and shadow. He also uses narration as well as other radio techniques in interesting ways. He also uses different editing techniques to cut for a certain rhythm to the piece. As well as these, there are some differences that will be discussed between these adaptations and independent productions.

            To begin, there are many different lighting tricks and techniques that Welles uses throughout his work. One includes silhouette. When Welles uses silhouette, he usually has the subject backlit and fades out the light in front of the subject. One example of this is as early as The Magnificent Ambersons, when he has the main couple near the door and they are silhouetted as they say their goodbyes. He uses these in several Shakespearean adaptations, such as in Macbeth when he frames the witches in silhouette against the sky near the middle of the film. He also uses it in Othello at the beginning with the funeral procession against the sky. These are used similarly to how a stage play might be lit, and might have come from Welles's experiences on stage plays. Of course with Shakespeare, they can evoke the stage version as well as help increase the tension. With his independent work, it also has a similar feeling to it. Welles uses silhouette in several independent works, but maybe most noticeably in The Fountain Of Youth. There are many transitions from scene to scene where the scene ends with the subject being silhouetted, with multiple times the backgrounds changing behind them or fading out behind them. There is also a scene in F For Fake where Welles is sitting at a park bench and is silhouetted. This technique is used many times by well, and normally evokes the same dramatic feel.

            Welles also similarly uses shadow in both kinds of work. In his adaptation of Macbeth, There is much use of shadow, as in the scene where Macbeth has a speech, and he is looking up at the sky. There is much use of shadow, and it changes throughout the scene and even sometimes is on Macbeth's face. This scene itself is very stage-like, and the lighting reflects that. The use of shadows in F For Fake is also much like that. In the scenes where Welles is sitting in an editing room talking about the story, there are shadows on him and on the background, evoking sort of a set or stage. In Hearts of Age, Welles starts the film by having a shadow of a hand in front of a cross, and there are similar shadows on gravestone crosses later on in the film. The shadows evoke the same sort of lighting as stage, and help create a darkness and mood to the scenes they are used in.

            Welles also has a good use of sound and other radio techniques in both types of works. He used Narration in both, usually of himself. In Othello, there is Narration of the story at many points, and as well there is Narration in Chimes at Midnight. While not Narration per say, there is use of Macbeth's soliloquy being used over other footage in Welles's Macbeth. In the Independent productions, Welles uses narration heavily. The Fountain of Youth is almost all narration by Welles, with pictures being shown over his narration and even sometimes Welles narrating the character's dialogues. In F For Fake There is also a lot of narration, as Welles tells the story, again sometimes over pictures, and sometimes sitting in an editing room telling the story. Sometimes he even has narration, taken from an interview, of one of the people in the story over other pictures or sometimes footage.

            Welles also uses different sound techniques that might have been a holdover from his radio days in both kinds of productions. For example, in his adaptation of Chimes at Midnight, he uses dubbed audio, which works especially well when the character is far away from the camera. He also uses sound to help with the sense of space in Othello, were when the characters go underground there is an echo to their dialogue, and when they are near the ocean waves can be heard in the background. In his independent productions, he uses a similar technique. In The Fountain of Youth, the ticking clock in Mr. Baxter's office reminds the viewer about time, and in F For Fake, Welles does something a little different, and has the sound kind of overlay itself, as footage from Elmyr's party would be under his narration, both giving a sense of the place and explaining the story at the same time, much like could be used in radio.

            Welles uses many editing techniques in both types of productions, and there are some very obvious similarities in the editing style. In the Shakespearean adaptations, Welles tends to use a more traditional editing style, though there are times in Macbeth, Othello and Chimes at Midnight where he uses a more complicated editing. In Macbeth, when Macbeth has his soliloquy where he looks up at the sky, the editing is a little more fast and haphazard. In Othello, during the battle scene where they are firing cannons, the editing is also quicker, with shots of the cannon immediately cutting to other images, and the boats they are firing on. As well, in the scene where Iago kills the man in the bathhouse, there is fast cutting as he stabs to a overlay of the sword going through the floorboards for a few seconds, and the fast cutting and overlay work to add to the scene.

In Chimes at Midnight There are a lot more fast cutting during certain sections where Falstaff and Harry are at the pub area. This shows the fun-loving nature of the scenes, and there is also faster cutting to the trumpets blaring in Henry's court.

            Some of these same cutting techniques are used in Welles's independent productions. He uses it much in Hearts of Age, as there are shots of a bell, a cross, and people's faces, and they switch between these shots and others throughout the film. There is also a part where the same shot is looped three times, and this helps add to the surrealness of the film. F For Fake is full of this kind of editing, as there are shots of the interviewee, then Welles, then the monkey playing around with stuff. Welles uses heavy editing techniques in F For Fake to help add to it, many times using the technique of Soviet Montage to show two elements and create an image in someone's mind, such as when he shows Oja and a picture of El Myr. This helps create images in people's mind and make connections, and he uses it along with quick cutting all throughout F For Fake. He uses it to a lesser extent in The Fountain of Youth, but there are still some times he uses interesting editing techniques. Instead of cutting, many times throughout the production there is a scene transition as if on a stage, with the character changing outfits and a new background sliding in, but then Welles will cut to another view, such as who Baxter was talking to, and then the location has also changed. The same thing is done with transitions, such as when time is being shown to pass, it transitions behind Welles as he narrates. Welles typically uses his editing techniques to help fluidly keep the film going, and with his Shakespeare adaptations and his independent productions you can really see the kind of editing Welles enjoys.

            Although there are many similarities between Welles's independent work and his Shakespeare adaptations, there are also some key differences. In general, the Shakespearean adaptations were a little more Hollywood-style, though done independently. There were large casts, including many extras, which you can see in the armies and background characters in all three adaptations. They are generally larger productions, with extravagant locations, such as a Scottish castle or a battlefield. They also sometimes have poor dubbing, perhaps due to the filming conditions, or perhaps because of a decision on Welles part to help make sure all the lines were understood, but they don't always match up. They still use a lot of independent techniques and shot design, but are generally larger productions than his independent productions.

            his independent productions, in contrast, are usually much smaller. Hearts of Age seems to be predominantly shot in one location, and The Fountain of Youth quite possibly was all filmed on one soundstage. There are more locations in F For Fake, but it never reaches the production value of the Shakespearean adaptations. as well, there are very few, if any extras in these productions. both Hearts of Age and The Fountain of Youth Have a small cast, with no more than ten actors in both. F For Fake has more people in it, but they are mostly from the interviews and documentary aspects, while there are probably still less than ten actors in the acted parts of the film, such as the opening train part and the conversation between Welles and Oja. The dubbing, however, seems better on these productions, possibly because of the small aspect of them, and a more set-based filming.

            All in all, both kinds of productions show the talents of Welles are vast, whether making a small-budget Shakespearean adaptation into a large affair, or making a small, studio-based television show. Welles uses his talents and techniques from radio and stage to help present the stories. Welles seems to have a way with making productions remarkable, and all the while keeping the independent filmmaker's mindset. Shakespearean adaptation and an independent production could be drastically different, but for the most part they are similar when made by Welles, and both seem like something that he had a hand in.

Stylistic Choices in "The Magnificent Ambersons" and "Citizen Kane"

(Written in October, 2015)

Orson Welles used many different stylistic choices when it came to images and sounds in his films, but especially so in "Citizen Kane" and "The Magnificent Ambersons". Coming from a background of theatre and radio, Welles ended up using many of these types of choices when it came to his films. Specifically, he used some lighting choices in both of these films that could be seen to have been derived from his background in theatre, and theatre lighting, as well as his general way of direction and framing characters. As well, his radio background can be seen by the way he uses sound in both films, as well as his use of background noise. A lot of  examples of both of the kind of stylistic choices that he made in "The Magnificent Ambersons" were cut from the theatrical version, but can be seen in Welle's original cut of the film in it's reconstructed form.

           

            Citizen Kane has a lot of interesting stylistic choices when it comes to images. A lot of these seem to be influenced by theatre conventions. One example of which is A scene, late in the film, where Kane, played by Welles, is talking to his wife, Susan, from across a large room in Xanadu while she does a jigsaw puzzle on the floor . The scene has interesting lighting going on, mostly bright, but dark in some areas to add shadow to the scene. But for the most part the scene is light much like a stage in a theatre production might be. Indeed, this scene is mostly filmed in long shots, almost as if the camera is set where the audience might be in a theatrical production, and the characters move far away from each other and the camera, creating a sense of space.

             Another interesting image choice used by Welles in "Citizen Kane" is when Kane is adopted at early childhood. There is a scene of his parents sitting down and negotiating the adoption while Kane as a child is playing outside in the snow. This scene is maybe one or two shots, and the camera mostly stays still. You see, in deep focus, the mother and Thatcher in the front, the father arguing with the mother in middle, and Kane, viewed through a window, playing outside. This is very much an interesting image choice, as it shows multiple actions going on at the same time, just how characters in a theatrical production might be doing many different kinds of actions at the same time. The way this is filmed gives the audience time to look around and see all the different kinds of actions going on, and again sort of gives the visual appearance of being an audience on a stage, with things going on in the foreground and background.

            "Citizen Kane" also has some very good uses of Sound throughout the film as well. Welles uses a very interesting sound technique in one scene between Kane and his first wife, Emily. The scene is a montage of different breakfasts over the years, and he has their lines carry on and finish in the next shot, implying passing of time. This helps links the two times together but also lets the audience know that time is passing, as their subjects change and their happiness sours in their voices as the montage goes on. Aurally, the scene ends completely at a different note than it starts, and the change of opinion throughout the relationship is evident from sound alone, which could be thought of as coming from Welle's background in Radio.

            Another scene that has a good audio choice is the scene where Susan and Kane are on vacation in the Everglades and they are in a tent. They are having an argument, but you can tell part of the location as well as how many people are around them from sound.

You can hear a record playing, as well as people singing along. There is a sort of outdoor party atmosphere, and it is used almost as background noise, if you don't pay attention you might miss it. But it helps build the place in your mind, and add some activity around the characters that isn't necessarily seen on screen. You can even hear screaming in the background after Kane slaps Susan. This is definitely a hold-over from Welle's radio days, and especially with radio dramas, as one good way to define a place in a radio drama is to have the sound of the place in the background to help the audience understand where the action is taking place. Welles uses this in the scene for the same reason, and also to help show that this is not an argument happening in a faraway room, it is indeed taking place in a tent very close to the party.

            "The Magnificent Ambersons" has a few good images choices that can be seen in the theatrical version. One interesting choice is that at the end of the Amberson's dance, when Isabel and Eugene are saying goodbye to each other at the same time that George and Lucy are saying goodbye. They are shown in profile, and they are mostly in shadow, almost silhouetted. This is a very interesting lighting technique, and while not exactly lifted from theatrical productions, there is a definite use of light that could be seen as theatrical in this scene. In fact, there is a lot of shadow in that scene, and it is used very interestingly, with both couples moving in and out of it before becoming silhouetted and saying goodbye. It adds to the romantic element of the story.

            Another interesting visual choice that Welles uses in the Theatrical version of "The Magnificent Ambersons" is in a scene where Uncle Jack goes to talk to Isabel and George is watching, and so is his Aunt above him. Much like the scene from Citizen Kane with Susan and Kane in the large room, this scene is shot with the actors being far away from the camera, and framed almost like a stage. But here Welles does something a little different, as he pans up and reveals that George was watching, Then panning up again to show that his Aunt was watching as well. This scene seems to show that Welles was playing around more with what the camera could do and becoming more of a filmmaker, but his Stage influence can still be seen in these shots.

            "The Magnificent Ambersons" also has some good use of sound throughout it. One good example is when the family and friends are going to go to town, and George and Lucy are riding around on a horse-drawn sled. There is a lot of sound going on here, from the sound of Eugene trying to start the engine, to the various family members talking. The whole scene has a lot of talking going on, including the overlapping of different people asking George if he is alright after the sled flips off the road. This adds a bit of realism to the scene, and also adds some comedy too. It also creates the space much more. That scene wasn't shot outside, but the soundscape as well as the atmosphere created by the family members creates a place, much like the tent scene in Citizen Kane. Another good use of sound is a transition at the end of that scene. That scene is pretty happy, with the family driving off singing a song and having a good time, and then there is a fade, and then there is some ominous music that plays, which then goes on to the funeral of George's father. The transition in tone would be kind of odd if not for the use of sound in transitioning the mood of the audience.

           

            There are a lot of things that were cut out of "The Magnificent Ambersons" for the theatrical release. Orson Welles's original version had some more uses of image and sound than the version released.

            One example of a good use of image in Welle's cut was the buildings in front of the Amberson mansion. According to the reconstruction, there was a scene where The Major and Fanny go outside and see the housing that The Major built to try and get some more money. It is shown that it was not maybe the best investment for him to make. This scene seems to be an almost parallel of the scene where George and Uncle Jack go out in a rainstorm and see the houses being built. These scenes would have added another dimension to the Amberson's wealth decline. Also, the use of the same image, seemingly framed the same way, as can be seen from the storyboards presented in the reconstruction, but at different times helps show the time passing, in much the same way as the breakfast montage in "Citizen Kane" shows the changing moods, those shots would have shown the changing neighborhood where the Ambersons live.

            Another strong visual use that was cut out was the ending scene. In the theatrical cut, there is a scene where George walks around town and sees how the town has changed. In the original cut, the reconstruction shows that a very similar scene would be shown at the end of the film with Eugene, and he doesn't even notice the place where the Amberson mansion used to be. The town has changed that much. This scene would have had a callback to the scene mentioned with George, but also to the whole film to try and show a better vision of the town changing over time, and how things change and people don't even notice after a while. This scene connects logically and shot-wise with the similar scene with George earlier in the film, helping end the film in a more complete way than only seeing it once from one person's point of view did.

            It's a little bit harder to find sound decisions that were cut out of "The Magnificent Ambersons" for it's theatrical release, but there is at least one important omission. The opening scene in both versions has Orson Welles as The Narrator, talking about how things used to be. In the original cut, The Narrator went on about the town some more, and talked about how people thought about money, and savings, and just in general how The Ambersons are, along with how back then luxury was thought of as sinful. This is in the Theatrical Cut, but not so much expanded upon as in the original cut, which is why it's mentioned here. The Theatrical cut in particular goes on about the town, adding in a different way to the scene of place through audio, Welles tells us how people lived, and how they thought, which helps firmly place us in the setting without having to rely on visuals, though visuals are also utilized. The influence from Radio is obvious in this particular scene as it is a narrator setting up the story for the audience.

            Many different kinds of Stylistic choices were used in both "Citizen Kane" and both cuts of "The Magnificent Ambersons", which helped make the films the well-known great films that they are. Perhaps a lot of why they work so well for Welles is because of his background in theatre as well as radio, and knowing showmanship along with a general idea of how things are done artistically.

Film Noir in Orson Welles Films

(Written December 2015)

Orson Welles used many techniques and stylistic choices that could be considered appropriation of film noir, as far back as Citizen Kane. He especially appropriates it in The Stranger, The Lady From Shanghai and Touch of Evil. These films could even be classified as film noir, their appropriation of techniques and style is so heavily influenced by film noir. All three films take some of the archetypes of film noir and explore them in different ways or subvert them completely, ranging from the typical "Spider-woman" femme fatale to the heavy use of shadow and distinct light. All three use these and explore them in different ways.

            The Stranger uses several different techniques and things from film noir to appropriate it. This film in particular uses a lot of good use of shadow and silhouette that was common to film noir. In the beginning of the film, when the man is first getting to Mexico, he is framed as a silhouette on the boat. As he leaves the boat, he is followed by a woman, and another woman is seen in shadow above him, spying on him. The film has more of these as well, such as when Mary is walking in the cemetery and there is a slight silhouette on her. Also, from far away the clock tower is shadowy, and when Franz is working in the clock tower he usually has some shadow or silhouette to him. In fact, during the final scene in the clock tower, there is a lot of use of shadow, from the shadows on the character's faces to the shadows being cast in the background as the action ensues.

            The Stranger also appropriates another thing from film noir, subverting it a little bit. The Stranger plays a little with the idea of a "femme fatale", or a female character that is dangerous to the main character. This appropriation can be thought of in two ways: either there is no femme fatale, and Franz instead is the male version of a femme fatale, a secretive, dangerous individual that the main character is in love with. Another way to think of it is that Mary is indeed the Femme Fatale as she is dangerous to Franz, as he is married to her and she has some power of him and could potentially mess up his plans because of that. Either way, there is indeed an aspect to a dangerous, secretive relationship, which is something seen often in film noir. Franz is hiding many things from Mary, such as being an ex-Nazi and having killed a man and a dog. He is dangerous, but Mary loves him and doesn't know his secrets. This sort of dangerous relationship is a constant tension throughout the film, because it causes there to be different ways that the characters could end up.

            Another character type that is played with in The Stranger is that of the film noir detective. the closest analog to this archetype of character from film noir is Mr. Wilson, the man who is looking for Franz throughout the film. He has the typical fedora-style hat and is constantly seen smoking his tobacco pipe. As he investigates, he questions many of the people around town, and is seen as the good guy in the film, trying to root out Franz and stop him from doing anything to the people of the town, even enlisting Mary's brother to help investigate. This character is very much in the know around town, and indeed he plays a very big part in the ending, where he goes to the top of the clock tower to confront Franz. He also has something in common with Franz, That they both have an obsession with clocks and clockwork, which draws parallels between the two of them.

            The Lady From Shanghai also plays with film noir techniques and ideas. One of the things that The Lady From Shanghai does is play with the film noir trope of being followed. in the film, there are several times where characters are being observed or followed. Once such time happens early in the film where the main character, Michael, is being tailed one night, and he realizes and punches the guy and runs away. This is not something usually seen in film noir, as the main character would not know they were being followed, and if they did, would probably not resort to a quick burst of violence and then running away. Also, later in the story George is observing Michael and Elsa from far away, and Michael doesn't notice. But George ends up just talking to Michael about what he saw, instead of  blackmailing them or anything else that would be expected from the way he was watching them from far away. This film ends up almost seeming like a parody of film noir in those ways, as it so drastically subverts the expectations from the tropes it uses.

            The Lady From Shanghai has a lot of different conversations that are very much secretive conversations, much like you would see from film noir. There is a little bit of scheming between the characters, beginning with Michael and Elsa talking about their relationship, and that it shouldn't happen. From there, there are more secretive conversations, such as when George asks Michael to kill him for $500. Michael and Elsa have another secretive conversation at an aquarium, and another at the Chinese theatre after Michael has been framed for George's murder.

            In The Lady From Shanghai, Welles again plays with the idea of a Femme Fatale. Elsa in this film could be considered a femme fatale. She is dangerous, she had killed George, and she was behind a lot of things that happened in the film. However, this is not really revealed until the end. In most film noir films the femme fatale is a character that is constantly playing with the main character, and her intentions while shady and secretive are usually pretty obvious. Elsa in this film plays the innocent, even at the very end when it is revealed that she had killed George. This was helped by the fact that Rita Hayworth, who played Elsa was not thought of as an femme fatale actress. In the end, she even dies in a way typical of femme fatale, trying to finish things up, and trying to get with the main character. She wants to leave with Michael, and she is killed by Bannister, and Michael leaves, being the only one to survive the mirror maze.

            Touch of Evil, as well, uses many things from film noir an appropriates them and plays with them. One such thing that is done in Touch of Evil is the use of location. Locations are very important in film noir, from shady bars and hotels to detective offices. This film is no different. One important location in the film is the border of Mexico and the United States. The first scene takes place there, where a bomb is planted on a car on the Mexico side and when it goes over the United States side explodes. A lot of the action throughout the next few scenes all take place in and around the border, as the investigation starts to take place. There are shady bars that are visited by the main characters, and a secretive conversation between Hank and Joe Grandi is even had in a shadowy bar. Mr. Vargas' wife is staying in a hotel throughout most of the film, and the sense of the location is very strong. It is a very shadowy, run-down hotel, and there seems something a little off about it, and it turns out later that the hotel is run by Grandi and a few of the Grandi family people come and take Mrs. Vargas's wife away from the hotel.

            Another thing that the film does is play with the film noir aspects of being followed and observed, similarly to how The Lady From Shanghai did. In Touch of Evil, very early on Mrs. Vargas is followed by one of the Grandi family, and instead of being followed for a long time, he then comes up to her and leads her to meet with Joe Grandi. She is also observed from across the way in a room through the window by a man with a flashlight. She notices and tells him to stop and throws something at him. Again, instead of simply being observed or followed as in other film noir, the character realizes they are being followed or observed. Even later in the film, Mr. Vargas and his wife are being followed by Joe Grandi, but when they change vehicles, Mrs. Vargas and a police officer are instead being followed, and the police officer realizes, stops and arrests Joe Grandi.

            Talking about Joe Grandi, he is a type of character that is seen in many different kinds of films, but especially noir ones. He is kind of the big bad villain, he is in charge and creates a lot of the trouble that moves the plot forward. He's an interesting character in this aspect however because he is pretty incompetent. As mentioned before, he was caught following Mr. Vargas's car and arrested for it. Earlier in the film, he is trying to intimidate Mrs. Vargas into asking Mr. Vargas to back off from the Grandis, but it turns out that he is not very good at being intimidating, and ends up not doing too much to help himself. Joe Grandi is even double-crossed by Hank Quinlan, which ends up making Hank Quinlan more of the villain after that in the film. The character of Joe Grandi definitely subverts expectations because he is thought of as the main bad guy, but in fact his underlings are more competent than he is, succeeding in kidnapping Mrs. Vargas and intimidating the night man at the hotel.

            There are many different tropes, techniques and stylistic choices in film noir, and these three Orson Welles Films, The Stranger, The Lady From Shanghai, and Touch of Evil show off and subvert many expectations of these choices. From the use of shadow and lighting, to the different archetypes of characters used throughout the films, there are many different ways that these films play with what is expected of film noir. They are both film noir and not, doing things that are different from the genre while still being within the walls of the genre. These films all appropriate film noir in their own way, some choosing to be more noir-like and others barely having a sense of it spare a few techniques. Overall, these films all show Welle's use of appropriation of film noir in many different ways.

Citizen Kane Scene Analysis: A Vast Distance

Some people can grow distance from the world and people close to them after a while. In Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) slowly withdraws from the world and his second wife, Susan (Dorothy Comingore). This is shown in many different ways in a scene where they are having a conversation near the fireside. The dialogue between the two is strained, making it seem a little tense. The mise-en-scene represents the space growing between them as well as Kane's inner darkness growing. The body language of the actors show what the characters are truly feeling. All of these come together to make a great picture of Kane pushing Susan and the world away.

            The dialogue is very tense. As the scene begins, Susan seems to be slightly bored with her life, as she is not used to so much quiet. Kane seems to be slightly amused by her, and content with how things are going. However when the scene changes, the dialogue is much more strained. Kane seems a little angry at Susan when he talks to her, and she is just being mad back. They are not being angry in their tone, but the dialogue has a feeling of some resentment growing between them. Susan's words seem to have a sting to them, and Kane sounds like he's trying to be controlling and keep her where he wants her.

           

            The Mise-en-scene of the scene also shows them growing apart. In the first half of the scene, they are standing near each other after Kane walks up to her. In the second half, however, he walks past her and sits in a chair, far away from her. The distance, literally and figuratively, is great between them. They aren't being as personal as they use to be, and Kane almost looks lonely on his chair surrounded by so much empty space. The lighting also kind of shows some shadow on Kane, and much more light on Susan. It shows that Kane may be getting depressed or withdrawing because he is moving away from the light in his life, Susan.

            The body language in the scene also shows a lot. The characters both seem to be very bored from their body language. As Susan throws down the puzzle piece and looks up at Kane, she seems to be getting slightly annoyed and bored at the monotony she has been experiencing. Kane, on the other hand is standing up and looks proud of himself. As time goes on, he ends up sitting on his throne, looking like he is in charge of his life, but is seemingly not even looking directly at Susan. Susan at that point looks almost enraged with her body language, slumped over and obviously being beaten down by the boredom she's been experiencing since she started living in Xanadu.

            This scene obviously shows much of Kane's withdrawal from his public life. He seems to be becoming a loner of sorts, a recluse, which Susan isn't wanting to be. The distance between them becomes immense. The film shows many aspects of how this distance is growing. The tense dialogue, dark Mise-en-scene and the body language of boredom from Kane and Susan truly shows a man withdrawing from everyone around him.

(Written in 2012)