Iluminace 2006, 18(3):5-42

Deep-Focus Sound: Citizen Kane and the Radio Aesthetic

Rick Altman

This study examines three areas of sound in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane: the particular properties of the soundtrack, understanding the nature of radio sound, and sound conventions in relation to depth-produced images. The results of the investigation lead to new insights concerning the role of sound in the history of the depth-of-field image, the influence of radio on Citizen Kane, and the importance of this work to the development of American film. A description of the soundtrack of the Colorado sequence of Citizen Kane is included as an appendix.

Keywords: sound recording; sound in film; radio and film

Published: September 1, 2006  Show citation

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Altman, R. (2006). Deep-Focus Sound: Citizen Kane and the Radio Aesthetic. Iluminace18(3), 5-42
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