In Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941), the cinematography elements of deep focus and long take in the shot where adults are negotiating young Charles Kane’s future while he plays outside in the snow (00:19:02-00:20:47) serve thematic functions central to the film’s exploration of the loss of childhood innocence, the unreliability of memory, and the elusive nature of truth by simultaneously presenting multiple planes of action, forcing the audience to view conflicting information much like the reporter piecing together Kane’s life story.

The long take begins with the camera moving smoothly and directly backward (axial movement), after showing what appears to be the same shot as the previous shot of young Charles Kane (Orson Welles) playing in the snow. As the camera dollies back from the window, it reveals the interior of the house and three figures – Mary Kane (Agnes Moorehead), her husband Jim Kane (Harry Shannon), and Thatcher (George Coulouris) – following the camera and get arranged in multiple planes. Young Charles Kane remains visible through a window in the background, still playing alone in the snow and captured in an extreme long shot, which dwarfs his figure. In the foreground, Mary Kane and Thatcher are seated near a table, making them the largest and closest figures in the frame. Mary is framed in a middle shot, while Thatcher is at a three-quarter shot distance. Jim Kane is staged in the middleground at a full shot distance and appears smaller than Thatcher and Mary. The lighting is relatively dark and low-key, creating high contrast and shadowy illumination. The key light appears to be coming from the front-left, and a softer fill light from the front-right, while the natural light from the window acts as a back light. Here, deep staging and deep focus (by using a wide-angle lens) techniques are used together, which keep all planes of action clear. Then, Jim Kane takes a step toward the table, bringing him into the same foreground as Mary Kane, and at the same time the camera reframes, keeping the figures centered in the frame. The staging of the characters creates a visual triangle of Thatcher, Mary, and Jim Kane. As Mary Kane signs the paper, the camera reframes again with Mary Kane in motion. While discussing the contract, the camera is at Mary’s head level with a straight-on angle, while Charles remains in the extreme background. At this point, Jim walks over to the window and closes it, at which point Mary walks over to the window and opens it again, and we can notice the motivated camera movement following her. The movement of the characters here is emphasized by long shadows casted by the low-key lighting as they move about the room.

Let us analyze the thematic function of these cinematography elements. The deep focus, which keeps both the foreground (where the adults are negotiating) and the background (where Charles Kane is playing) clear, visually represents the simultaneous yet separate realities occurring in the moment; the consistent clarity of different planes throughout the shot juxtaposes the cold, businesslike atmosphere occurring inside the house with carefree Charles outside, exposing the theme of childhood innocence confronted with adult machinations. Also, just as the five people interviewed about Charles Kane offer subjective, conflicting information about his life, this shot presents multiple visual planes that compete for the audience’s attention. This forces the audience to selectively focus on particular elements, just as the reporter in the film. It mirrors the process of piecing together Kane’s enigmatic character from fragmentary information, and emphasizes the idea that our perceptions and memories can be inherently distorted by our perspectives. This visual strategy encourages the audience to question the reliability of memory and the elusiveness of a definitive truth. The long take, combined with the camera’s slow backward movement, enhances these effects by creating a sustained view of the scene. In essence, cinematography elements of deep focus and long take visually express the themes of Citizen Kane: the loss of childhood innocence, the subjective nature of truth and the unreliability of memory.