¶ … Orson Welles to Visual Arts
One of the most influential motion picture directors and producers of the 20th century was Orson Welles, whose well-known radio rendition of "War of the Worlds" in 1938 panicked an entire country long before September 11, 2001. Shortly after "War of the Worlds," Welles would go on to direct "Citizen Kane" in 1941, regarded by some film critics as the greatest motion picture ever made. Although "Citizen Kane" would remain his crowning achievement, Welles went on to make several more movies, including some of the biggest money-makers of their time. To determine how Welles' career started and what his contributions to the visual arts have been, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature, followed by a summary of the research, important findings, and an assessment concerning what was learned regarding this topic and rationale in support of that conclusion.
Review and Analysis
The contributions to the visual arts made by Orson Welles span a prolific five-decade long career. In recognition for these contributions, in 1975, Welles received the prestigious Life Achievement Award presented each year by the American Film Institute (AFI). In this case, the award was presented to Welles for "one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishments have been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time," by George Stevens, Jr., AFI director (Stevens 398). Another biographer reports that Welles was born in 1915 and began his acting career during the early 1930s (Welles 51641). By 1937, Welles had started his directing career (Benamou 187), followed by his radio production of "The War of the Worlds" in 1938 that caused...
Luis Bunuel and Orson Welles: Influential and Revolutionary Filmmakers in Film History In the history of film, two important directors are recognized all over the world because of their great contribution to the development of film throughout the years. These two directors are Luis Bunuel, director of the Surrealist film "Un Chien Andalou" (An Andalusian Dog) and Orson Welles, director of the American classic film, "Citizen Kane." Both directors have given
Reflecting the greater audience sympathy stirred in Five Kings and its cinematic incarnation Chimes at Midnight, the Welles saga ends with Hal pardoning Falstaff for disturbing his coronation, thus showing a more loving tribute to Falstaff than utterly rejecting him, as in the original Shakespeare. Falstaff's potentially seditious views of honor and the importance of the individual's life over sacrificing it for the collective are thus validated very clearly in
Orson Welles' Film Citizen Kane (1941) on Expression in Film; the Film Industry; and on the Theory of Director as "Auteur" The expressive meaning of the cinematic masterpiece Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles in 1941, cannot be summed up succinctly. Within Citizen Kane, everything is significant; not a single frame is wasted or extraneous. Each separate portion of the film contributes to its overall impact as one of the
45). There are also important racial issues that are examined throughout "A Touch of Evil"; these are accomplished through what Nerrico (1992) terms "visual representations of 'indeterminate' spaces, both physical and corporeal"; the "bordertown and the half-breed, la frontera y el mestizo: a space and a subject whose identities are not fractured but fracture itself, where hyphens, bridges, border stations, and schizophrenia are the rule rather than the exception" (Nericcio,
Citizen Kane" is known for creating many new filmmaking techniques, and has been hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. "Roaring Twenties" is known as one of the best gangster films ever made and director Walsh is often heralded for his dramatic, memorable gun scenes, where the action is extremely fast, the camera stays with the action, and it is so fast and furious that the audience is
Those two instances music was used to tell the story vs. simply dialog. The film is filled with Capra quips, parts of business, and artistic tropes such as the invisible baseball game Willoughby performs when discussing fixing up his arm. Norton constantly cleaning his glasses and a duet between John and his fellow tramp the Colonel with the harmonica and ocarina are just some of the memorable and charming scenes
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