by Royce Radcliffe

Created on: May 02, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Among its many revolutionary aspects, another thing that Citizen Kane presented to the world of cinema was the concept of using symbolism in films.

There are so many visual cues in this masterpiece it is amazing. The symbolism and visual metaphors are pronounced. There is so much to look at and take in... they broke so much ground with the visuals in this movie that it is amazing, considering it was one of the first studio productions in history.

The columns for the newspaper go across the screen in vertical columns, reminding one of the Venetian buildings in Touch of Evil. The rose is of course prominent and symbolizes the quest, and... Well, I won't ruin it for you. But it is the driving force of the movie and one of the key symbols in all of film history.

There are a few classic type dissolves that form patterns of the geometric sort during the transition. The film employs extreme camera angles such as underneath Kane to make him and his dancing shadow behind him appear all powerful in a scene where he is giving a political speech.

Orson Welles is one of the best directors of all time and this is undoubtedly his masterpiece. The visual symbolism in this movie is obviously some of the most powerful in film history.

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