Of course, none of this could have been done without the cinematographer. Gregg Toland creates the perfect mood for the film, making the power of Kane look dark, dreary, and unappealing. I can only imagine what this film would be like to watch in 35mm format. It seems like the VHS format doesn't do the film justice. Still, watching it on TV isn't that bad. You still are able to enjoy the great visuals and wonderful story. But reading Roger Ebert's review of it in his book, I want to see it in its original format. Toland's use of low-angle shots and optical illusions is what makes this film rise above most great films. Welles knew that low-angle shots showed power, but the optical illusion was something just first being capable of showing on film. However, for an optical illusion, such as deep focus, to work, you need something to show the actual size of objects in the room. In the scene where Kane walks back to the windows, Kane is the object which shows that those w

Some topics in this essay:
Roger Ebert's, Citizen Kane, Gregg Toland, Orson Welles, deep focus, highly controlled, windows bigger, optical illusions, scene kane, light darkness, optical illusion, low-angle shots, walks windows,