Why and how is the depth of sound and image so distinctive in Orson Welles The
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Why and how is the depth of sound and image so distinctive in Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons?

Although Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons was drastically edited by RKO the film is still considered to be one of his greatest. The director's exquisite craftsmanship is evident in every frame of his work, which remains in the film. Collaborating with cinematographer Stanley Cortez, Welles composed every scene carefully, using techniques such as deep focus, reverse cuts, and long, unbroken takes to give The Magnificent Ambersons a look and feel of unparalleled richness and depth. In this essay I intend to investigate how the technological advances of Hollywood cinema and the style in which Welles Directs, may have contributed to the depth of sound and image in The Magnificent Ambersons.
Welles became an established radio personality by the mid 1930's after performing in The March Of Time and The Shadow, he then teamed up with John Houseman to revolutionize both the radio medium and the theatre. Their War Of The Worlds broadcast (1938) gave Welles the opportunity to a contract with RKO with whom he directed The Magnificent Ambersons..
Because of Welles' past experience with radio he was able to manipulate sound in his films with great effectiveness and because of the technological innovations of the 1930's he was able to experiment and use his creativity more freely.
Firstly, the opening sequence perfectly establishes the tone and of the story. Welles's narration is intrusive as he's always interrupting, however only interrupting when absolutely necessary..