the music

Rating: 10/10 (27 October 2005)

With the help of the brilliant musical director, Bernard Herrmann, who had never worked on a film before, Welles Expands the use of music to build and structure his film. The same musical phrases will recur at seemingly unrelated moments, tying the scenes together. Or be subtly changed each time they appear anew. A melody such as the "What is his name?" tune is sung vigorously at the Inquirer Party, is heard again played more aggressively at the political rally, becomes sadder after the election defeat, and reappears behind the credits. The breakfast scene between Kane and Emily was cut to correspond to the music, Welles patterning the montage of shots, one shot successively superimposed on and then replacing another, to follow the movement of what Herrmann called his "ballet suite." Music had seldom been used so cleverly or given such an important role in a film before.