In this essay I want to talk about two films ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and ‘Citizen Kane’. I liked these two films most of all, because they have a certain charm, they are very unusual, the presentation of the film in one is very different from the other, but there is something in common, romance and a certain spirit of the old times. In this paper, I am going to show the techniques that were used in the two films, also reveal the theme of love in these films, the fine line of affection of the characters, and of course I’ll touch on the subject of how much the frame and the technique of shooting affect the atmosphere of the film. I am going to prove that exactly cinematography can depict the feelings, attitudes and moods of the characters without a single word, when the viewer himself understands everything without words.
Wes Anderson has a feature to make films in a very unusual manner, there are always frames that emphasize the details of what is happening on the screen, and ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ is no exception. ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ is filmed in the author’s narrative style, as if we were reading a story, we can notice it from the very beginning, when the words ‘Chapter 1’ appear on the screen. I also want to note that in the film itself there is a very clear parallel with the significance of the characters, for example, Monsieur Gustav and Zero. At the very beginning, Zero seems inconspicuous, in frames he appears briefly and mostly in the background, but gradually, he appears in the frame more often and already in the foregrounds, towards the end of the film we see that Zero’s importance has become one of the most important as Monsieur Gustav. What do I want to say? I want to say that Wes Anderson, not using a single word, made the viewer himself draw a parallel between the relations between the characters and the cinematography, and I think that this is a great movie reception.
I want to note that shooting techniques such as centering, symmetry, rich palette were used in this film. But the main thing that was used in this film is the manner of the narration. The film was built in the style of theatrical plays, each chapter was made in a special manner, we understand that everything is structured, it seems that the narrator reads a book to us, which is written in chapters. For example, ‘Chapter 1. Madame D.’ and we know that piece of film be about Madame D. This is very different from the flashback scheme we are used to, where we are transferred in time and showing only an inscription, for example 2 years ago.
As for the second movie ‘Citizen Kane’, it tells about a very rich media magnate - Charles Foster Kane, who died with the word 'Rosebud'. Journalist Thompson is asked to find out why Kane uttered this mysterious word before his death. So begins the journey of the correspondent and meeting people who have ever met with Kane. The plot of the film is built mainly on flashbacks and stories of different characters, which was not typical for the cinematography of those times, and this was a novelty for that time. One example of a flashback is breakfast with wife Kane. The scene begins with a narrator; we are plunging into the past. It is a pan effect. This is the time of the day. In the next two minutes, we see only the medium shot of the two characters. It has been a great deal to make you feel at home. How to portray in two minutes a few years? It is a confused way to consider the year. Orson Welles acted differently; he simply created the rewind effect. It is visually immediately realized that it has been passed. It was also important to note that it was not significant, and that it was significantly influenced by the body. flower pattern. And of course, it was used and in the frame. It is visible. It’s not.
I want to draw attention to the setting of frames in both films, in the first film of Wes Anderson, some kind of memories were used, the words “From the author's words” were used and sometimes we heard the voice of the narrator in the background, unlike ‘Citizen Kane’. In the second film, we see the storyteller quite briefly, as if they had written the script in order not to disturb the integrity of the picture and not confuse the viewer. On the one hand, ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and ‘Citizen Kane’ are similar in this, but on the other hand, the 'flashback' techniques were used differently. ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ was filmed in the style of a theatrical play or a book, and ‘Citizen Kane’ was more of a person’s story with simple words.
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As I said earlier in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ movie, techniques such as centering a bright palette and symmetry were used. For example, from the initial frames, we see that the hotel is located exactly in the center of the frame, and throughout the film, the main characters and anti-heroes are always in the center of the frame, and if you use a close-up, then symmetry is observed. I can’t to note the beauty of the bright palette in this film, in this film, all the characters are dressed extremely stylishly, from the military to the workers at the hotel. Unlike the first film in the movie ‘Citizen Kane’, there was no palette at all, since the film was black and white. It is foolish to compare two films made at different times and because of the technical possibilities of that time, it was impossible to make a film in color, but it still does not bother me.
So, if in short about the film, as I said earlier, for the most part the film was made in the style of 'flashback', of course it was not typical for that time. But the clear use of effects did its work, and many viewers and critics liked the film, though not immediately. Unlike ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’, there are several narrators in this film, and it turns out that some stories overlap each other and get slightly distorted pictures of the past. A dolly effect will be used throughout the film. For example, boy, he plays in the yard then the camera makes the effect of dolly and we are already in the house, as if all the time watching him from the window.
From the very beginning in these two films there is one thing - this is the question. If in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ this question arises at the end, then in the film ‘Citizen Kane’ is the opposite, first comes the question.
In the film about Kane, the question was asked - “What does the rosebud mean?”. At the beginning of the film, when we are shown Kane as a child, it becomes clear where his condition originates from: a gold mine was found on his mother's land. His mother decides that at the expense of these funds he can get a better upbringing, arranges custody and sends his son out of the house, contrary to the objections of his father, and baby Kane does not want to leave and beats off the guardian with a sled 'Rosebud'. However, we are still not shown what is written on them: first, the boy closes the inscription with his hand, and then the abandoned sled on the close-up dramatically sweeps the snow. ‘Rosebud’ is the trademark of a cheap sleigh, on which Kane rode the day he was separated from his home and his mother. In his subconscious, it was a symbol of simplicity, comfort and carefree homeland, as well as a symbol of love for the mother, which Kane carried throughout his life. Thus, the author wanted to show how strong the love of mother and son is and how it is difficult to understand what is happening in a person’s heart, even the closest people cannot always understand and accept how you feel.
To ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’, everything is a bit simpler or more difficult for someone to say. Despite the sad ending, the Anderson film is filled with optimism. Yes, the epochs go along with their heroes, and we are not given to stop time. But nothing leaves without a trace: there will always be someone who will tell about the past, and someone who will write down the story. This love is not only for the person here. Everything is also affected by the memories of the place where there were so many warm and pleasant moments.
As can be seen from this analysis of the films, although they have certain differences, but in general they are very similar. ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and ‘Citizen Kane’ are definitely worth watching and will make an impression on every viewer.
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