Citizen Kane is a good film because it effectively uses film language onmany different levels. The camera work and lighting are so meticulous thatwith each viewing there is more to see and appreciate. The way the film islaid out also sets it apart. The beginning of the film is actually theending of the story because in the opening scene the main character, Kaneutters the last words of rosebud and then dies. This sets the stage forthe retelling of his life and the search for the mysterious origins ofrosebud. In Citizen Kane it is really the small things that make thefilm so effective. A good scene that illustrates this point is in thebeginning when young Kane is playing outside his house and his parents aretalking about what is going to happen to him. As his parents talk they arethe focus of the shot and are in the foreground but in the backgroundframed through a window we can see young Kane playing out in thesnow. This type of shot is used later in the film when Kane throws a partyfor his newspaper. Leland and Mr. Burnstein are talking about Kane and wesee a reflection of him dancing in a window, framed almost the same as theshot when he was a child. This film also uses low angle shots quite oftenwhich make the characters seem larger than life. These low angle shots aremost noticeable when Kane is first starting out as an adult and after heloses the election. Mise-en-scene is also an essential element of thisfilm. In the scene where Leland is passed out on his typewriter the bottleof alcohol is placed prominently in the frame, this type of shot isrepeated when Susan O.D.s and the sedative is placed in the closeforeground of the shot. The use of focus in Citizen Kane gives the viewerinsight into what the characters are thinking or feeling. Often throughoutthe film when Kane is talking business he will go out of focus and onlyLeland will be in sharp focus. It is in these types of shots that we seethat Leland is thinking about the man that he once knew which ultimatelyforeshadows the falling out they will have toward the end of the film. Thelast thing that I will mention that this film does very well is the use oftransitions. For instance when Kane is looking at the picture of theChronicle employees and it transitions from the picture to the actualpeople who are then employed by Kane. Also, when the newspapers run thearticle of Kane and Susans affair it transitions from her building doorwith the 185 over it to the same shot on the cover of the newspaper. Theuse of a slow fade is also used throughout the film when ever a characteris remembering. Needless to say, I think that Citizen Kane is a very goodfilm and will hopefully continue to stand the test