Analysis of Orson Welles' Film Noir Works

"What themes are prevalent in Orson Welles work and how are they demonstrated?"

   Despite being celebrated as the “ultimate auteur”, Orson Welles is often overlooked for his massive influence on film noir. Displaying innovative thematic and stylistic consistencies in films such as Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil and Lady from Shanghai, Welles has left an indelible impact and legacy on the classic era of film noir. Welles employed extensive use of light and shadows, low angle shots and long takes to demonstrate and convey the prevailing themes: isolation and solitude, the depravity and decadency of a well respected man, his downfall marked by the character being consumed by the darker side of human nature. 
   Welles’ first feature film Citizen Kane, released in 1941 at the tender age of 25, is consistently ranked as one of the best films ever. Although not strictly a film noir, Citizen Kane manifests several film noir elements, such as low-key lighting, deep focus, Dutch angles and the typical film noir characters (a flawed protagonist, the good woman and the femme fatale). Continuity editing was also executed intelligently, especially the dissolves in the opening shots of the film. The first few shots are extreme close-ups of the fence and the gates, which not only establish the suspenseful and mysterious atmosphere, but also suggest the isolation and loneliness of the protagonist. 
   Deep focus is used extensively in the film, where the foreground and background are all in sharp focus. For example, in the scene where Kane’s mother signs a paper to hand Kane over to Mr Thatcher, all the characters are in focus, even Kane (who is playing outside the house in the extreme background). The use of deep focus emphasizes his isolation, as he is helplessly playing in the snow while his mother turns him over to another man at the same time, in the same frame. 

Deep focus where the foreground and background are all in sharp focus.

   Welles exploited light and shadows creatively to add a layer of meaning and emotion to Citizen Kane by experimenting with low-key lighting and chiaroscuro. In the news reel scene, a strong backlight is used to turn the characters into silhouettes and shadows. Edward Murray writes in his book Ten Film Classics that “in this way, the film-maker forces us to listen to what the men have to say – here the words are more important than the faces – but we listen while looking at a visually interesting screen” . By cloaking the reporter’s facial features, Welles was also suggesting their corruptness and superficiality while enhancing the mysterious mood. 

Backlighting used to create silhouettes

   The chiaroscuro represented the good and evil of human nature, as demonstrated by the shadows flitting on Kane’s face when he is reading the Declaration of Principles, which included promises that he would not be able to keep. Once he finishes reading, the shadows disappear and this foreshadows the downfall of Kane’s mighty newspaper empire. 
   In 1958, Orson Welles released his last Hollywood film, Touch of Evil, which is also considered by many to be the last film noir of the classic era. The use of shadows and low angle shots are dominant and contribute to the central theme of the innate corruption of human nature. The antagonist in this film is Hank Quillan, who is often shot in unconventional low angle shots to portray his dominance and menace. However, all the characters are morally ambiguous and have both light and dark personalities; in this film, looming shadows are employed very often to epitomize the darker side of the characters.

Low angle shots to portray Hank Quillan's dominance and menace.

      The opening scene, a famous long take spanning almost four minutes, is filled with suspense as the audience is aware of the ticking time bomb but does not know when it will detonate. The person who plants the bomb scurries out of the frame, but his shadow follows him and can be spotted on the wall. After the explosion, a hired assassin with a bottle of acid follows the protagonist. Once again, the audience loses sight of the assassin but his shadow is seen rushing across the wall. In both of these two cases, Welles is demonstrating the darker side of human nature through the use of shadows, which propels them to commit crime and murder once they lose their selves in the evil half of their personality. The shadows that are constantly looming over or chasing the characters seem to convey the message that the only thing one can’t run away from is oneself. 
   Through the groundbreaking usage of low-key lighting, low angle shots, light and shadows, Orson Welles has created a legendary, one-of-a-kind directorial style. His prevailing themes, depravity and isolation, are resonated in his various work of arts and demonstrated by his innovative style; making a strong case for being voted as the greatest film director of all time among both directors and critics. 

Bibliography

Works Cited

"Alex Ross: The Rest Is Noise." : Orson Welles. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://www.therestisnoise.com/2007/04/orson-welles.html>.

"Film, Etc." : Auteurist Analysis of Orson Welles. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://film-etc.blogspot.hk/2009/04/auteurist-analysis-of-orson-welles.html>.

"Low-angle Shot." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Aug. 2012. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-angle_shot>.

"Touch of Evil,1958, Orson Welles, Film Noir, Film, Movie, Review, Criticism, Bobby Wise, Cinematic Arts | Bobby Wise Criticism." Touch of Evil,1958, Orson Welles, Film Noir, Film, Movie, Review, Criticism, Bobby Wise, Cinematic Arts | Bobby Wise Criticism. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://www.bobbywisecriticism.com/cinematic-arts/classic-film-noir-touch-of-evil-1958/>.

Reflection 20/9/12

   Ms Wong split the class up into roles today, so I was working with other sound designers to share and discuss our knowledge on this particular area of filmography. I researched online and after synthesizing the information gained, I concluded that sound design is the composition and/or manipulation of audio to create a desired mood or effect. Another sound designer researched on more specific aspects of sound designing, which include creating sound effects, voice overs, foley, ADR etc. Making sure the equipment functions properly is equally important, as the sound designer is responsible for the boom mic, cables and headphones during the shooting process.
   I was a communicator today and shared the acquired knowledge effectively with the other sound designers through allocating work and a group discussion. Ms Wong gave us a piece of information that was extremely important: the overriding priority for a sound designer's work is to represent the director's vision. Sound designers must work with the director's intentions to convey the underlying theme or contribute to the realism; ultimately, the director's decision is final.
   Finally, I also watched some clips of Film Noir Classics such as D.O.A (1950 film) to get a sense of how sound design is employed. I discovered that there is often jazz music being played in nightspots, while the background music evokes suspense, horror and darkness.

Reflection 17/9/12

Shot reverse shot of Al Pacino and Robert de Niro talking in a restaurant, in the 1995 film "Heat". What do these two seemingly simple shots suggest and what film noir characteristics do they portray?

   By framing the two characters almost identically, the audience subconsciously associates the two characters together; since the actors are at eye level, we also infer that their status and power are similar. Although in the film,  one is a cop and the other a robber, perhaps the director is trying to suggest that they aren't as different as expected.
   Also, the restaurant is very busy and crowded, which corresponds with the archetypal claustrophobic atmosphere and the insignificance of the protagonist in the Noir World.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehTY_FgQjKA

   These are some of the thoughts that I had deliberated on when Ms Wong showed us some clips that demonstrated typical film noir elements. This exercise was very helpful as it prepared my brain for the upcoming film project and essay, which will require critical thinking and detailed, in depth analysis. My role is sound design, so I did some research online. In accordance with the settings of the Noir World, common sounds are sax solos and blue cocktail piano, the "wail of a distant trumpet through dark, wet alleyways [and] hot Latin beat oozing like a neon glow from the half shuttered windows of forbidden nightspots".

Source: www.filmsnoir.net/film_noir/the-sound-of-film.html

Reflection 13/9/12

We spent half of today's class watching our classmates' 1 minute edited clips of Double Indemnity. In order to discern its accuracy, Ms Wong played the clips side by side with the actual part of the film. Through this activity, I could easily tell whether the camera angles, framing, mise-en-scene and blocking were the same as the ones employed in the actual film.

    As a reflector in the IB learner profile, I thought that it was very hard to mimic the scene perfectly because of a myriad of factors, such as the actors' heights which would affect accuracy of camera angles. However, my group still did well considering the limited time and resources; one feedback that we received from Ms Wong was to pay attention of the aesthetics of the screen, and to think about negative and physical space as it can be a powerful conveyor.
   In the second half of the class, Ms Wong gave us an introduction on Film Noir. I have always heard the term before, but have never really understood what it meant and its archetypal characteristics. I acquired information on the internal and external settings of the Noir World, the Femme Fatale vs the Good Woman, cinematography, iconography and the quintessential themes (e.g prevailing cynicism, a contemporary world without moral certainty).

Reflection 11/9/12

   We spent today's lesson learning about key editing techniques, then doing an exercise which involved us identifying and illustrating these techniques employed in either the film Double Indemnity or the clips that we shot last class. This activity was very helpful as it gave me a stronger grasp on the plethora of diverse techniques used in cinematography. Not only did I gain knowledge on what each editing technique was, I also learned the effect of each. For example, I learned that dissolve is a transition between two shots in which the first image gradually disappears while the second gradually appears, effectively replacing the former. In addition, I discovered that the main purpose of dissolve is to link the two scenes together, but it can also suggest hallucination or inebriation.
   As an IB learner, I was an open-minded communicator today. After learning and illustrating the several key techniques used in editing, I actively shared and discussed my work with my peers. We had disagreements (such as arguing over whether a specific cut was a cheat cut) but being open-minded, I accepted their views and debated until we reached a conclusion, which was often helped by Ms Wong.

Source used: http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/editing.htm

These three images show dissolve being utilized in Double Indemnity.   

Edited Double Indemnity Clip

                                              Double Indemnity, 00:00-01:00 of Clip 3/9.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJq1auJq_gc
Desaturated on Final Cut Pro.

(There were some issues with the audio during two shots due to the malfunctioning of the boom mic. Next time, I would make sure I test the equipment before shooting to ensure the highest possible quality of footage).

Reflection 4/9/12

   Today was our first practice shoot. Employing the storyboard and shot list that we had finished for homework last class, we borrowed and set up the film equipment in the primary playground, where there was not much noise/people. Due to the limits of the location, we had to use benches instead of couches, but this soon posed a problem for us: Because of the uneven height of benches, one of the character was looking down on the other when it should have been the other way round.
  I was a thinker today in the IB learner profile, and after concocting and analyzing different solutions, I decided the simplest and most effective one was to let the actor who was too tall sit on a lower block. Although this seems like a minute, frivolous detail, the whole purpose of this exercise was to achieve the highest accuracy possible, in terms of camera angle and movement.
   Another obstacle that met us was speaking the dialogue. Due to our limited time, we did not have time to rehearse and memorize the lines; therefore, we had to hold a piece of paper low enough so it would not be in the frame. Consequently, the actors frequently looked down to say the lines and the flow and continuity of the scene was interrupted. Therefore, we decided to let the boom mic holder hold the sheet of paper up as well, so that the actors could be more free in their movement and utterance of dialogue.