If cinema were an infinite road, stretching on to eternity, Rashomon and Citizen Kane would be significant milestones one would discover along the way. Both had redefined the narrative style of story-telling with path-breaking technique, riveting storylines and memorable performances.
Released in a gap of nine years, both films were recipients of Academy Awards (Citizen Kane for Best Writing, Original Screenplay; Rashomon for Best Film in Foreign Category).
Citizen Kane (1941) follows the dramatic rise and fall of media moghul, Charles Foster Kane, from a humble beginning in Colorado, to one of idealistic (initially) service at The Inquirer newspaper, to an unsuccessful foray into politics. Kane dies alone in the end, uncared for and isolated from the world. His self-created Utopia – Xanadu remains an emblem of his life – towering, ostentatious and incomplete.
Rashomon (1950) traces the aftermath of a rape and murder from the perspective of the perpetrator and the victims. A young wife is raped by the bandit Tajômaru in the presence of her samurai husband, who is tied to a tree. The husband is later murdered. The gravity of the crime(s) may not change, but the versions of all involved certainly do.
Having briefly understood the storyline of both the films, we shall now endeavour to examine the most salient features that propelled these celluloid tales to cult status.
THE ANALYSIS
§ The framing and core narrative: In simple terms, the framing narrative comprises of those sequences which take place outside the main story, whereas the core narrative consists of scenes which are the main plot in itself.
Ø Citizen Kane: Citizen Kane’s framing narrative features the long drawn search by a generally anonymous journalist named Thompson. He interviews the key characters who were closely associated with Kane. It is their reminisces that take the audience to the core narrative featuring Charles Foster Kane.
The overall narrative of Citizen Kane is the journey of a reporter as he tries to unravel the mystery behind Kane’s last word – “Rosebud.” It depicts the different relationship Kane had with each character, while also dealing with their perception of him.
Ø Rashomon: The track of the Woodcutter, Listener and Priest discussing the horrific incident forms the framing narrative of the story. The courtyard scenes where the characters give their testimony and the varying nature of the incident itself (a flashback within a flashback) forms the core narrative of the plot.
Rashomon has an aura of mystery like Citizen Kane, but its core narrative deals with finding the truth behind a crime, than a particular person.
§ Editing:
Ø Citizen Kane: It makes extensive use of dissolves, long-shots, fading, and super-imposition for appropriate dramatic effect. Some examples of memorable editing from the film are as follows:
o The opening sequence: The silhouetted quietude of the opening montage, right from the upward pan to the “No Trespassing” sign to the dissolves leading to the foreboding interiors of his room contrasts with the abrupt beginning and end of the New on the March newsreel. The viewer is then abruptly jerked into a projection room, dimly lit by the outlines of men. This opening sets the mood of the film, invariably preparing the audience for the somber atmosphere that was to follow.
o The flashbacks: Every recollection of the character leads to a dissolve into their memory of that time. Especially the scene where the page of Thatcher’s memoir dissolves from an unclear haze to a snowy wilderness, which perfectly captures the barren isolation of his childhood.
o The breakfast scene: Leland’s description of Kane’s marriage leads to a reference cut (in a dissolve) to Kane and Emily at the breakfast table. The scene shows their marital discord through a series of innovative cuts. It begins with the newly married couple in wedded bliss. The camera spins in a fast flick pan which results in a change of costume, background score, implying a passage of time. The music now gets more discordant as the scene progresses, ending only with Emily reading The Chronicle at the farthest end of the table.
o The super-imposition of headlines and stage performances: One of the most memorable visuals in the film is the super-imposition of laudatory newspaper headlines (The Inquirer’s), Susan’s performances and the flickering light bulb.
o The climax: The climax denotes the end of the story after it comes in a full circle. The camera pans out of the mansion, and down the fence to the formidable “No Trespassing” sign. It dissolves to the smoke coming out of the chimney, a profound metaphor to what eventually became of his life.
Ø Rashomon:
o Opening sequence: The film opens with The Woodcutter and Priest taking shelter from the rain at the Rashomon Gate. Before the entry of The Listener, there is a deathly silence in the scene. There is very little camera movement in the scene, with the emphasis mostly on the downpour and the grim expressions of both the protagonists.
o The Woodcutter’s walk: What could have otherwise been a long drawn sequence is edited to sustain the interest of the audience. Various tracking shots of the sun gleaming through the trees, of The Woodcutter (with frequent close-ups of the back of his head; his axe) are interspersed with long shots of him walking through the forest. This clearly establishes the setting. The brevity of each shot illustrates a sense of pace and ominousness.
o The fight sequence: There is a great sense of pace conveyed through the fight sequence because of the brief cutting in the bandit’s version. Because the men are reluctant to fight in The Woodcutter’s version, the cutting is invariably slower, and the camera movements more static.
o Change of sequence: Kurosawa makes use of wipes to switch between a character’s narration of the incident in the courtyard to the actual event itself. The wipe was also used to switch between two testimonies like between The Woodcutter and The Priest.
o The ending sequence: Kurosawa uses the dissolve towards the end, when The Listener leaves the shelter of the Rashomon Gate. The camera dissolves from a long shot to a mid-shot to a close shot of the shocked Priest and Woodcutter. The dissolve beautifully emphasizes the silence of the moment and the collective horror.
§ Composition:
Ø Citizen Kane:
o Deep focus: Citizen Kane is known to be one of the earliest films to use “deep focus” framing. In such framing, the characters in the foreground and background are both clear and in focus, unlike conventional shots where either one of the characters in blurred or out of focus.
o Lighting: The opening sequence is the best example of lighting in Citizen Kane. From the darkness of Kane’s bedside to the stark News on the March newsreel to the dim projection room, to Thatcher’s library, to the opera house (and so on), each change in the same location provides a dramatic change of visual.
o Camera placement: Citizen Kane makes use of innovative camera angles to emphasise a particular relationship between the characters. This is most prominent in the upward camera perspective from Kane’s POV when he looks up at Mr. Thatcher as a child, and in Susan’s POV when she looks at Kane.
It is also placed in such a way that the character in the foreground has a dominating presence over the character in the background. Both camera angles denote a sense of inferiority from the perspective of the character looking up. The camera is also kept at a slant in certain scenes, hence breaking away from the conventional shot taking.
Ø Rashomon:
o Lighting: The film uses natural light which filters through the foliage. It adds that extra dimension in the drama because of the play in light and shadows, leading to a more haunting effect in the grove. The lighting is stark in the courtyard, as if a metaphor for the austere atmosphere of the court. The cloudy gloom of the Rashomon Gate is also captured beautifully in the opening titles.
o Camera placement: Kurosawa uses a lot of over-the-shoulder shots, more notably in the grove sequences. There are also shots taken of each character with a deliberate repetition to emphasise the triangular relationship between them. There are also uses of track and pan shots in this sequence (especially when the bandit menacingly circles the samurai).
In the courtyard scene, the camera is placed at an eye level before the parties involved to represent the perspective of the judge, and also of the audience.
§ Dialogue and sound:
Ø Citizen Kane: The dialogue remains with the viewer long after the film is over. There are many lines inside the film which are ironic (“You know, Mr. Bernstein, if I hadn't been very rich, I might have been a really great man”), tragic (“Old age. It's the only disease, Mr. Thompson, that you don't look forward to being cured of.”) and quotable (“To love on my terms. Those are the only terms anybody knows ... his own.”).
It is the most integral part of Citizen Kane, aiding greatly in the pace and establishing of the characters. This is most notably conveyed through the News on the March opening, Kane’s takeover of the staff of The Chronicle among other key flashback sequences.
The background score for the film was composed by Bernard Herrmann, earning itself an Oscar nomination for Best Music. Along with dialogue, the background score effectively dramatised the proceedings in the film, adapting to suit the changing tone of the story.
Ø Rashomon: Akira Kurosawa’s fascination for the era of silent films is evident by the absence of dialogue in Rashomon. The emphasis is more on close-ups, the ambience of express the gravity of the situation.
However, the use of “Bolero” (Maurice Ravel) in the soundtrack of Fumio Hayasaka cannot be ignored.
§ Symbolism:
Ø Citizen Kane:
o Xanadu: The forlorn, isolated manor is a symbol of the man himself. It represents the hollowness, the lack of meaning behind frivolous décor and the myth of the American dream. The expansiveness of the manor effectively implies the physical distance between Kane and Susan.
o “Rosebud” and the snow globe: The sled “Rosebud” and the snow globe stand for the innocence of a childhood lost. When the globe shatters on Kane’s demise and the sled is destroyed in the fire, it signifies an end to that which linked him to his childhood.
o Statues: The statues in Kane’s office (and later Xanadu) show his need to control the people around him. The more his isolation increases, the greater number of statues he collects. Kane possesses a strange desire to impulsively purchase statues (most unopened), as they, unlike human beings fill the echoing spaces in Xanadu, without clamouring for his attention.
Ø Rashomon:
o The Rashomon Gate: The Rashomon Gate stands as a symbol of culture and civilization which has been ravaged by the mists of time and the portentous rain. When The Listener desecrates the remains of the gate to create a fire, it shows that even a symbol of culture can be defiled during times of strife.
o The rain: The rain is a symbol of darkness and gloom. It is aptly depicts the disturbed era the main protagonists are living through.
o The medium: The medium who conveys the testimony of the dead samurai to the court, adds a metaphysical dimension to the story.
o The courtyard: Its stark and white surroundings stand for truth as the court wants it – in a kind of cold bluntness.
§ Theme:
Ø Citizen Kane: It deals with the theme of avariciousness, wealth, the relentless pursuit of power and love. Above all, it denounces the myth of the great American dream – the futile search for material happiness. For affluence cannot buy you love.
Ø Rashomon: Rashomon deals not just with the relativity of truth but also the self-image a person creates of oneself. Every character narrates a version which holds him/her in higher stead than the rest of the characters. It raises a disturbing question about the ultimate reality – does it really exist?
CONCLUSION
This project covers the most salient narrative techniques of both films. However, the remarkable contribution of Rashomon and Citizen Kane to the world of cinema renders the analysis in this project to be woefully inadequate. Nevertheless, the project has initiated a broader perspective on both films, and a greater receptivity regarding the various interpretations offered to those who seek it. Despite being unique for their time, admired and vilified in equal measure (Citizen Kane more specifically), the films lived on to create history and remain a reference point for filmmakers and students of media alike, where aesthetic story-telling is concerned.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Forward @ 50: My two page Rashomon paper -http://forwardatfifty.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-two-page-rashomon-paper.html
3. A Short History of the Movies: Gerald Mast
5. Movie Rapture: http://www.movierapture.com/rashomon.htm
