Orson Welles: A Giant Of Early Cinema

Born on May 6, 1915, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Orson Welles displayed prodigious talent from an early age. By the time he was a teenager, Welles had already developed an interest in acting, painting, and literature. His early forays into the world of theater and radio foreshadowed the unconventional genius that would later define his career in cinema. As a young man, Welles made a name for himself in New York's avant-garde theater scene, and in 1938, he famously produced and narrated the radio adaptation of ‘The War of the Worlds’, H.G. Wells' science fiction classic. The broadcast, presented as a news bulletin, caused widespread panic among listeners who believed the Martian invasion was real, cementing Welles' reputation as a master of illusion and manipulation. His success in radio opened the door to Hollywood, but it was his leap into feature filmmaking that truly revealed his prodigious talent. Despite being just 25 years old, Welles was given unprecedented control over his first film, an opportunity that would change the history of cinema forever.

Released in 1941, ‘Citizen Kane’ remains a towering achievement in the history of film, and is frequently cited as the greatest movie ever made. It was not just Welles’ first feature film but also one of the most innovative works of its time—both in its narrative structure and its technical execution. The film, which Welles co-wrote, directed, and starred in, tells the story of “Charles Foster Kane,” a fictional media magnate whose rise and fall are explored through a series of flashbacks, each one narrated by different characters, as they attempt to understand the meaning of his final word, “Rosebud.”

The groundbreaking techniques Welles employed in Citizen Kane were nothing short of revolutionary. The film’s use of deep focus cinematography—where both the foreground and background are in sharp focus simultaneously—was pioneered by Welles and his cinematographer Gregg Toland, and would go on to influence generations of filmmakers. Additionally, Welles’ creative use of lighting, shadow, and innovative camera angles broke from the conventional standards of Hollywood filmmaking, offering a more immersive and emotional experience.

‘Citizen Kane’ also subverted the traditional narrative structure by presenting the story out of chronological order. Welles played with time and perspective, showing how subjective memory could shape one’s understanding of the past. By employing complex character study and a fragmented, non-linear narrative, Welles crafted a film that was as much about the emotional landscape of his central character as it was about his physical journey. The film’s portrayal of Kane’s inner turmoil and unfulfilled desires made it a striking critique of power, materialism, and human ambition, themes that remain relevant to this day.

While ‘Citizen Kane’ was a critical success, it was not a commercial hit, largely due to the aggressive campaign by William Randolph Hearst, the real-life inspiration for the film’s protagonist, to suppress the movie’s release. Nevertheless, ‘Citizen Kane’ went on to be hailed as a masterpiece, and it eventually received nine Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Original Screenplay. Its impact on the art of filmmaking was immeasurable—’Citizen Kane’ was a template for the modern cinema that would emerge in the decades to follow, influencing directors such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Steven Spielberg.

After the success of ‘Citizen Kane’, Welles continued to challenge conventional filmmaking, though his subsequent work was often met with mixed commercial reception and critical scrutiny. Yet his influence grew stronger with each project, as he constantly sought to expand the expressive potential of cinema. His creative freedom often clashed with the Hollywood system, leading to a series of films that were either altered in post-production or cut down by studio executives—yet even in these compromised works, Welles’ artistic vision still managed to shine through.

In ‘The Magnificent Ambersons’ (1942), Welles adapted Booth Tarkington’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a wealthy family’s decline. Although much of the film was re-edited against Welles' wishes, ‘The Magnificent Ambersons’ still contains breathtakingly beautiful moments of cinematography and sharp critiques of social class, industrialization, and loss. Its use of deep focus and striking visual composition continued to push the boundaries of what was possible on film.

Welles also directed ‘The Stranger’ (1946), a noir-thriller that was far more commercial in tone but still marked by his stylistic flourishes. He followed this with ‘The Lady from Shanghai’ (1947), an extraordinary film noir starring Rita Hayworth, which showcased Welles’ daring use of visual space, surreal narrative techniques, and haunting imagery. The film’s iconic “hall of mirrors” sequence remains one of the most memorable moments in cinema history. Perhaps more than any other director in Hollywood at the time, Welles made a habit of breaking established cinematic norms, both in his choice of material and in his approach to visual storytelling. He refused to be confined by genres or expectations, creating films that were as complex and layered as his own ambitions.

By the 1950s and 1960s, Welles found himself increasingly at odds with the studio system and Hollywood’s commercial interests. Much of his later career involved a series of passionate, yet often unfinished or underfunded projects. His most ambitious films, like ‘Don Quixote’ and ‘The Other Side of the Wind’, were plagued by budget issues and delays, but they represent Welles’ unwavering desire to create on his own terms, regardless of financial constraints or industry pressures.

Despite the difficulties he faced in Hollywood, Welles continued to work in international cinema, collaborating with European filmmakers and creating some of his most beloved films, including ‘Touch of Evil’ (1958). This seminal noir-thriller, which Welles wrote, directed, and starred in, is a masterclass in tension, atmosphere, and complex character dynamics. The film opens with a long, unbroken tracking shot—another example of Welles’ revolutionary cinematic techniques—and remains a crucial work in understanding his vision of filmmaking as an art form. In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Welles continued to act, narrate, and appear in a variety of films and television projects throughout the 1960s and 1970s. His deep, gravelly voice became a cultural fixture, with notable work as the narrator of ‘The Transformers: The Movie’ (1986) and in commercials for products like Paul Masson wine, where his famous tagline “We will sell no wine before its time” became an iconic catchphrase.