Citizen Kane
The above scene is very descriptive in and of itself. For someone who has not seen the movie, this image is about to tell the story fairly easily on its own. The man at the left is clearly upset about the woman signing the paper the nicely dressed man has brought. The boy in the window seems to imply that that argument is about him, and that he is totally unaware of what is happening. The composition of this shot is incredibly well done and helps the viewer truly understand what is going on in the scene without even realizing it.
The above scenes are my favorite shots in the film. I have always loved when a camera focuses on the reflection of something to show the audience what is happening. I think this creates an almost double-meaning of what is real and what the characters are hiding inside themselves. The broken glass is also very symbolic of the total ending of something, or being totally broken down.
The above scenes are part of the opening of the film. The mansion in the background is very subtle, but incredibly effective. It is faded in the background, allowing it to be just barely present, and as the scene plays, the camera never seems to get closer to it, almost as if can never be reached. The mansion because this looming, intangible place, setting a very important mood for the film.
