citizen kane

I have to admit that when I was first presented with this movie, the first thought to run through my mind was something like this: "Black and white? Are you kidding? What kind of knowledge can we gain from a film that was made before I was even born?" Boy, was I wrong. I think that the best knowledge that I gained through watching this movie was all the elements that fall under the catagory of cinematography.
My favorite part in the entire movie was how the producers were able to emphasize and focus their attention on Charles Foster Kane through other means other than just showing him talk all the time. What I mean by this is the certain part of the movie where Kane is both literally and figuratively the mere center of attention. For example, towards the beginning of the movie, Kane is shown playing outside through the window pane while the three adults are deciding how Kane will live for the rest of his life. Also, there is an instance once Kane is grown up where there is a party going on with the new associates of The Inquirer in which Kane is shown dancing histerically with the women again through the reflection of a window and in this scene, Leland and Bernstein are talking about what the think of their partner and boss, Charles Kane. I just think that even with the lack of cool cinematic effects back in those earlier days, producers and directors were able to capture and unravel the importance of their main character in a way that was depicted through more than just words.
My second favorite part of the cinematic element was how depending on the lighting, the mood, the overall atmosphere, and even the symbolism portrayed instantaneously changed based on the lighting. For example, the part right after the newsreel is finished playing and the newspaper critics are united in a room, the lighting used is extremely low key because we are unable to recognize or even identify every single character on set. In this scene, and also the one in which Kane is getting ready to sign his Declaration of Principles, the low key lighting is used to add intensity and drama; it makes the characters appear shady and dishonest. Who would have known that with the right lighting, the meaning of a scene can change completely?
Overall, I guess my hypothesis was wrong because I actually ended up learning a whole lot out of this movie, not to mention that I also absolutely loved it! I guess it doesn't matter the quality of the equipment that is used; it matters more the the extra time and sacrifice that the movie makers are willing to put into the movie to create an amazing film.