The history behind Citizen Kane, Orson Welles' first ever film, which many people regard as the best film ever made despite its poor reception when it was first released. The film was even booed when its nominations were read out at the Academy Awards ceremony, but it is now regarded as a classic. We'll examine Welles' motivations for making the film, and some of its groundbreaking features, and also some of the possible films that he was inspired by when creating it. We'll also look at his background with the Mercury Theatre and how he was drawn into films in the first place. And we'll see why Citizen Kane was so controversial, why it was threatened with legal action and how Welles was even placed in personal danger because of it.
Course aim
An examination of Orson Welles' debut film Citizen Kane and why it is regarded as one of the best films ever made, even though it was a failure at the box office when it was first released.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- This course is for beginners and improvers
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- Give reasons why so many critics and film enthusiasts regard Citizen Kane so highly.
- Give reasons why so many critics and film enthusiasts regard Citizen Kane so highly.
- Give reasons why so many critics and film enthusiasts regard Citizen Kane so highly.
- Give reasons why so many critics and film enthusiasts regard Citizen Kane so highly.
- contribute to group discussion and debate
What else do I need to know?
Some means of taking notes may be useful.
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