Carringer and Cinematography

Carringer’s chapter four focuses on the innovative use of cinematography in Citizen Kane. In the 1930’s Toland was a highly sought after cinematographer, who agreed to do the cinematography for Citizen Kane. He was used to working with big directors, so working with Welles, an amateur director, was seen as a welcome respite. Toland was a legend in for his camera work and had previously won an academy award, for his work in Wuthering heights. Toland was known for his innovative approaches to cinematography and for experimenting with devices so that the camera would be able to get a certain image. In Citizen Kane Toland experimented with camera techniques such as depth of field and deep focus. Toland emphasized special optical effects, such as the in camera dissolve. This effect served as a recurring transition throughout Citizen Kane. Toland truly shaped the visual images seen in Citizen Kane. His innovations seen in Citizen Kane and other films were adopted through out the industry and some are still used today. Toland’s work was visionary and Citizen Kane would not have been as influential without him.