Considered one of the best films of all time, Orson Well's Citizen Kane is an innovative cinematic film that uses mise-en-scène to wordlessly illuminate aspects of life and Kane's personality. From shots of Kane unconsciously playing in the snow behind the adults responsible for his fate that emphasize his lack of action as a child to the extremely long shots of Kane in his own house while talking to his wife that emphasize his increasing loneliness in the later stages of his life. the mise-en-scène serves an essential function in introducing Kane to the viewer. The scene of Kane's election speech is rich with such examples, which serve to emphasize his vast power and even greater ego, illustrate his hypocrisy, and foreshadow his vulnerability and loneliness. When it comes to Kane's power and ego, it's notable that the scene doesn't immediately cut to a shot of Kane speaking. Instead, the scene begins with a shot of one of Kane's activists speaking on his behalf, then cuts mid-sentence to a shot where Kane finishes the activist's sentence. Even then, Kane is nowhere to be seen. The camera pans down, showing the viewer a huge poster of Kane and a group of Kane supporters on stage before Kane himself finally appears. This long introduction serves to “build” Kane as a figure with immense power and ego. The fact that we see so many of his supporters and lackeys before we see the man himself underscores his political power before his fall from grace. Additionally, the poster of his face that we see before we even lay eyes on Kane, and which hangs above his head throughout many later shots, serves as an icon of Kane's ego and its almost comical size emphasizes that for all of Kane's vast power, his ego is s...... middle of paper ......ing Gettys, the camera pans to Kane from Gettys' position, which implies that he is being watched. Just as the use of low-angle shots earlier in the speech made Kane look more powerful and imposing, Gettys's downward gaze and Kane's high-angle shot make Kanelook insignificant and vulnerable. In conclusion, it is clear that Kane's gathering is a gold mine of meaning. uses of staging. Whether it's demonstrating Kane's power or reminding us of his vast ego, illustrating his hypocrisy and inconsistency, or showing us his isolation and vulnerability even among his closest supporters, the setting scene wordlessly and subtly helps the viewer understand the many aspects of Kane's character. The importance of mise-en-scène in understanding Kane and his life, in this scene in particular and in the entire film in general, cannot be overstated...