Tuesday 27 November 2012

Citizen Kane (1941)

THE FILM:

Finally, the moment you have all been attentively waiting for. If you walk up to someone and say "Orson Welles," it's obvious the first thought that will come to their mind is Citizen Kane. Orson Welles debut film was Citizen Kane, and in fact it's considered by most people to be the greatest Orson Welles movie ever and AFI (America Film Institute) has it as the greatest movie of all time. As long as I'm on the topic of Citizen Kane and movie rankings, the leading movie ranking program, Sight and Sound has considered Citizen Kane to be the best film of all time for awhile. Sight and Sound bases it's ranking off several of the most highly respect film critics. Now, just in this year, 2012, Citizen Kane has finally met it's demise and has been bumped out of the position of first place into second place. What replaced Citizen Kane? Citizen Kane was replaced by Alfred Hitchcock's originally-hated-now-considered-a-masterpiece, Vertigo.

Let me give you some information about the release of Citizen Kane. Put yourself into the year 1939, Orson Welles has just been given a contract with production company RKO Pictures. Orson Welles' sudden success was based off the fact that in 1938 he had gone on the radio on April Fools and done a radio announcement version of H.G. Welles' "War Of The Worlds". A majority of the American population were fouled by Orson Welles' clever manipulation. Now, Orson Welles RKO contract gave him the right to direct, produce, write and act in two feature films. As well, he was allowed to cast whoever he wanted and he was given the privileged of the final cut. This meant that unlike several other movies, Orson Welles would not have to send his movie into RKO for them to cut it down for the final cut. However, this doesn't make to much of a difference since they still cut down approximately half of Orson Welles' follow-up movie to Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons. Cut to a year later, here is where we introduce a key character in the production of Citizen Kane. Herman J. Mankiewick is a fairly successful screenwriter. He gets himself into an dismaying car accident. Now, Herman J. Mankiewick had worked with Orson Welles in the past on a radio program. Orson Welles pitched the idea of Citizen Kane to Mankiewick who agreed with Welles, it was a genuinely genius idea. There was one problem. Mankiewick wouldn't be able to write Citizen Kane since he was in the hospital. Together they worked, trying to think of who their main character would be. They both agreed, it should be based on a real person. John Dillinger came up into the discusion, but Orson Welles did not particularly favour the idea. Then William Randolph Hearst was though of. He was a famous newspaper man who's fame and success went to a very high degree. His private life become the front page on every newspaper, including his own. There was their idea. Makiewick and Welles worked together in the hospital room to create one of the most iconic movies of all time.

Orson Welles began to shoot Citizen Kane. It's said that while he was shooting the movie, Orson Welles watched John Ford's Stagecoach forty times. Why did he watch Stagecoach such a so many times? That's a question Orson Welles never answered. Personally, I haven't the fainest idea. That's another reason Orson Welles is far superior than most directors. Cut to after Orson Welles has just hit theatres. Critics are going insane, it's genius! How could such shots never have been though of before? This is the first interactive camera. At that point most films were linear. Most cameras sat in the corner and showed the events through dialog  I believe Orson Welles was heavily influenced by German director, Fritz Lang. What Fritz Lang and Orson Welles have in common is the way they use their camera to tell a story. For those two directors (especially Lang) a camera angle tells more than fifty lines. Anyway, here we are, Orson Welles is enjoying his films critical success. However, nobody is enjoying what the audience is thinking about Citizen Kane. People who went to Citizen Kane did not like it, they thought it was boring. They didn't like how it re-invented everything they'd ever seen when they went to the movies. People want change to be gradual, they didn't like it to be sprung upon them. Cut to the Academy Awards ceremony. Citizen Kane has been honored with nine nominations. Whenever Citizen Kane was brought up in the Academy Awards ceremony  the audience delivered a massive "boo".

What are these influence of Citizen Kane  I've been speaking of for most of this article? We go into deep intensive focus when things are in the background, mid-ground and foreground. Our camera can cut from looking up at a character from the angle of their shoes to a shot where the camera is being held by a crane. Everything in Citizen Kane is shot in shadow, which leaves us with some classic eerie cinematography.

Why is Citizen Kane such a classic movie? It was just so innovative. You think movies as you know them would be the same without Citizen Kane? Guess what, you're wrong. Earlier I refereed to how Sight & Sound finally bumped Citizen Kane down one notch. It's not as though Citizen Kane isn't as good as movie, what's happening is everything that was so innovative at the time has blended in and been used by every single modern director. The older Citizen Kane gets, the less respect people see it for the first time will feel. Honestly, that's quite tragic because Citizen Kane is a great movie. Also, this was one of the first major hits to have a surprise ending. I won't say anymore, however I will certainly spoil the ending later on in this review. That means, if you have not seen Citizen Kane, for heaven's sake, DO NOT READ ON!

THE PLOT:

We slowly approach the large estate known as Xanadu. This estate is more like a palace. It belongs to Charles Foster Kane. As we approach Xanadu we begin to notice it's bizarre, eerie and exotic atmosphere. Wild monkeys climb up the walls. We slowly come closer to a large dark window. Through the window we can now see inside the dark depths of Xanadu. Cut to a close up of a snowy area. It's really a snow globe  It falls and rolls against the ground and then shatters. Charles Foster Kane is sitting on his chair and finally...he takes his final breath and utters his last word "Rosebud...". What on Earth does 'Rosebud' mean? That's what a group of American reporters are trying to find out so they can publish a brilliant article that will be make their story stand out. As one of these reporters go to talk to several people who were involved in Kane's life, he begins to learn all about Charles Foster Kane.

Charles Foster Kane was a happy young child. He enjoyed playing on his sled in the nice winter snow. However his parents felt they could care for him properly, so they had him sent off to live with a rich man who could raise him for a successful future. As Charles grew up he decided he wanted to be a newspaper man. Kane's success was immediate. On one occasion, Kane went on a mysterious vacation and returned with a wife.

As all successful newspapermen do, Kane turned to becoming a politician. Kane has all the odds in his favour, until one affair to remember. Charles in on his way home when he meets Susan. She is a young woman, with dreams of singing. Kane is enchanted by her. Sadly, a man working for the politician running against Kane discovers his relationship with Susan and threatens to publish it if Charles does not drop out of the election. Kane does as he's told and as his wife files for a divorce, Charles continues his romance with Susan.

Susan and Charles are married. Kane's wealth brings Susan into a massive Broadway production. The musical is a flop, and Charles grows old and old. He moves to Xanadu, which is never finished being built. It's there Kane takes his final breath. So what was Rosebud? SPOILER ALERT! When we see Charles during his childhood in the begging, he is holding tightly onto his sled. Rosebud, was Kane's sled. SPOILER ALERT!

THE CRITIQUE:

The Good: What's there to say, really? We're talking about Citizen Kane. Most of the great aspects of the film have been mentioned above in THE FILM section. What stands out most about the film are the innovative camera angels.

The Bad: Citizen Kane is a undeniable classic. However, it's slightly over-rated. The film is slow during the second half. As well, Dorthoy Comingore delivers a less than decent performance. But these slight quibbles aren't enough to make this a 9/10 movie. What's the real problem? Well, Citizen Kane suffers from letting me down every time I watch it. I always expect more from it. Citizen Kane always manages to disappoint me slightly each time I watch it. It's a personal quibble.

Citizen Kane,
1941,
Directed by Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten and Dorthoy Comingore
9/10 (A)

Ranked:
1.F For Fake
2. The Lady From Shanghai
3. Citizen Kane
4. Chimes At Midnight
5. The Stranger
6. Macbeth


Thursday 22 November 2012

Macbeth (1948)

THE FILM:


Here we are, in the year 1947. Orson Welles has just recently announced the idea of making a Shakespeare movie (NOTE: The previous post Chimes At Midnight had not yet been made, and Othello was not out yet, therefor, Orson Welles had never made a Shakespeare adaptation yet). Orson Welles considered Othello to be among Shakespeare's greatest work and that was his original desire to adapt, however it was shot down by the production agency. Orson Welles then changed his mind and decided to make Macbeth. Orson Welles was determined to make the movie with a small budget. The producer was determined as well, but for the opposite cause. He thought Orson deserved a large budget, but the production company refused. In 1936, Orson Welles had preformed the play Voodoo Macbeth. Macbeth, although far from Orson Welles' best movie, it marked a separate section of Orson Welles' career. This was the first Shakespeare movie Orson Welles made.

THE PLOT:

Macbeth, is a successful man in the the medieval times. He is slowly working his way to the top of the royalty chain. One day, Macbeth discovers several witches who utter the words:

"First Witch: All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!
 Second Witch: All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!
 Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!"

From that moment, Macbeth was cursed, for he could not escape their words. When he returned home, his he spoke to his wife privately of these haunting words said by the witches. A short time passed before Macbeth decided he could not take it. His wife had been constantly urging him to fulfill the witches prophecy  the only way this could come true, would be for Macbeth to kill whoever is above him in the chain of royalty. Macbeth does as his wife, Lady Macbeth, instructs him to. Despite his slight quilt, Macbeth does as Lady Macbeth continues to instruct him... he is urged to continue to kill. As he kills his way to the top, Lady Macbeth slowly loses her mind. And finally, Lady Macbeth takes her own life. Macbeth now has no one begging him to kill his way to the top, but does this stop him?

THE CRITIQUING:

The Good: The dark atmosphere that Orson Welles' camera creates his one most Shakespeare adaptations lack. Orson Welles delivers an excellent performance as Macbeth that would without a doubt have Shakespeare applauding.

The Bad: Macbeth is lifeless. Orson Welles films what Shakespeare wrote, and does very little more. As well, despite Jeanette Nolan is given a character who she plays with as much skill as Pierce Brosnan has at singing.

The Ugly: When I think of how Jeanette Nolan actually got into this movie my mind goes blank for a few minutes. Than a thought pops into my mind. An ugly thought.



Macbeth,
1948,
Directed by Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Jeanette Nolan and Roddy MacDowell
6.5/10 (C+)

Ranked:
1. F For Fake
2. The Lady From Shanghai
3. Chimes At Midnight
4. The Stranger
5. Macbeth

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Chimes at Midnight (1965)

THE FILM:

To help you fully understand how Chimes At Midnight potentially best illustrates Orson Welles' undeniable genius I am going to have to take you to 1960, five years before Chimes At Midnight was even released. Orson Welles believe (like many other directors) that film is in no way superior to live performance. With this known, it's obvious that if you were to attempt to take several Shakespeare characters and then write your own play in the style of Shakespeare - but still not use a single line written by Shakespeare - it's clear that it would appear better on the stage. Now, Orson Welles' originally production of Chimes At Midnight gathered a minuscule audience. Now, in case you were unaware, Orson Welles was a self-obsessed jerk. An extremely talented self-obsessed jerk, but nonetheless, a self-obsessed jerk. Orson Welles took very much credit when things went right. For example, Orson Welles delivered a brilliant performance in Carol Reed's The Third Man. Even though Orson Welles never admitted his jealousy, it was clear Orson Welles wished he could have taken credit for The Third Man. So Orson Welles decided to make up a rumour that he did the following:
           a) wrote all of his character's lines
           b) actually directed the film and gave all the credit to Carol Reed



Fact a) has been declined by numerous members of the crew. In fact, it was stated that all the lines Orson Welles improvised for The Third Man where him whining about his diet issues and of course, the renowned cuckoo-clock speech. Fact b) was never even taken seriously. In order to understand Orson Welles' backstage rationals it's important to understand his self-opinions. Now, as I was saying Orson Welles was infuriated by the lack of attention for his recent play Chimes At Midnight. The main character of Chimes At Midnight, Falstaff, was Orson Welles' ambition in life. So, Orson Welles decided the only option was to make Chimes at Midnight into a movie.

1965. Chimes At Midnight is at its Cannes Films Festival. Chimes At Midnight won 20th Century Anniversary Prize and Technical Grand Prize, two awards at Cannes. However, who wanted to watch an old fat man run around reciting Shakespeare?  No one. Even a large portion of Orson Welles' dedicated fans skipped out on this one. Orson Welles did not give any interest in what audiences and critics thought of his work and therefor he dubbed this film his greatest work.

THE PLOT:

In Henry IV, there was a character named Falstaff. Orson Welles took this character and made Chimes of Midnight. Falstaff is a fun loving man. He adores to express his comical views on existence. As well, Falstaff lives for getting drunk. He was loved by all and undeniably a very social man. However, as Falstaff has become old and fat he no longer is at his time of power. His son, Henry V is given his chance for power. Falstaff is repelled by his son's immature abuse of power. This begins a war between Falstaff and his followers and the young immature followers of Henry V. As this continues, Falstaff begins to learn that his son is stronger than him and even though his son is wrong, there is little Falstaff can do.

THE CRITIQUING:

The Good: It's obvious, when you give the right person a chance to act in or direct Shakespeare play - you are giving them a chance of a lifetime. Orson Welles had this opportunity multitudes of times. Now, I have had the pleasure (and some times the disappointment) of seeing several adaptations of William Shakespeare in both films and plays. However, there is no doubt that I have ever seen Shakespeare preformed more excellently than in this very film. When you adapt Shakespeare  you say the lines that are in his script... but why? Why can't it be done another way? Why can't you change every line Shakespeare every wrote... and make it better? Why can't you? Well, possibly because it's one of the hardest things a person could imagine doing. If you've had the honour of analyzing Shakespeare you'll find that there is rhythm and pattern in each line he has written. When Orson Welles wrote his play in the style of Shakespeare, he followed these rules Shakespeare wrote by with the most accurate precision imaginable. Now, a vital factor to remember is that Chimes At Midnight's budget was practically non-existent. Chimes At Midnight proves how much can be done with a budget that is slimmer than Jane Wyman's legs.

Here is a quick example of how Orson Welles' clever dialogue allows us to understand his character even more than his rugged image:

Falstaff: My King! My Jove! I speak to thee my heart! 
Prince Hal: I know thee not, old man; fall to thy prayers!/ How ill white hairs become a fool and jester! (From IMDB)


The Bad: I once planned to start a blog called 'Should I Bring A Pillow', a site dedicated to reviling the truth  of whether a movie that is highly acclaimed is indeed boring. It's needless to say Chimes At Midnight has you constantly glancing at your watch. It's clear that Orson Welles felt Shakespeare was only watched because he thought it was classic ("Now we sit through Shakespeare in order to recognize the quotations" - Orson Welles on Shakespeare), he had read every play written by Shakespeare and was so possessed that he was incapable of thinking up his own ideas. It's sad that Orson Welles felt the only way he could create another masterpiece would be by ripping off the writing of one of the world's greatest writers.

The Ugly: Never in the history of cinema has a man gone from being considered one of the most attractive filmmakers to utterly repulsive. From some of the images above you can tell what Orson Welles did to himself to help suit the character of Falstaff. He is heavily bearded, at the bottom of his beard it curls. His mustache looks as though it is a separate part from it's beard, in fact it looks glued on. He is the size of an elephant who just ate one-hundred too many peanuts. However, Falstaff is a beloved character nonetheless.

A NOTE:
Before I display the rating below, I am going to have to explain that although Chimes At Midnight is one of the best films of the 1960s it's brilliance did not effect me as much as it had the potential to. Therefor, when I rate Chimes At Midnight below you should understand the rating is based on how much I personally enjoyed the movie. Without a doubt, if I were to judge Chimes At Midnight based on it's quality, it would receive a 10/10.

Chimes At Midnight,
1965,
Directed by Orson Welles,
Starring: Orson Welles, Jeanne Moreau, John Gielgud and Marina Vlady
9/10 (A)

RANKED
1. F For Fake
2. The Lady From Shanghai
3. Chimes At Midnight
4. The Stranger

Saturday 17 November 2012

The Lady From Shanghai (1947)

THE FILM:

Here we are, in 1947. Orson Welles has received critical acclaim for his previous three films. This is the year audiences went to see Orson Welles' film-noir masterpiece, The Lady From Shanghai. The Lady From Shanghai, starring Orson Welles' wife Rita Hayworth. Sadly, The Lady From Shanghai was not a box office smash as it only made slightly over $7,000 and was made with a budget of $2,000,000.

THE PLOT:

Michael O'Hara makes a tragic mistake. He was never a very bright man. Michael was born in Ireland and moved to America as an imaginary. Now, he's made the fatal error of falling for the seductive Elsa Bannister. The trouble is Elsa claims to feel the same feeling towards Michael. Elsa, being a married woman wants avoid being caught in a lie. However, her love does not allow her to part from Michael. Elsa's husband, Arthur is captain of a boat and when they are in-need to a new crew member Elsa' manipulates Arthur into hiring Michael. Time passes, and Michael has become accustomed to his new life until he gets involved in a deadly game of murder.

A sample of a great line from The Lady From Shanghai:

Michael O'Hara: Maybe I'll live so long that I'll forget her. Maybe I'll die trying. (Taken from IMDB).

THE CRITIQUE:

The Good: Orson Welles delivers one of his greatest performance as an uneducated Irish immigrant. Rita Hayworth was always a great actress even though overall she was never in a large quantity of great movies. Without a doubt this is one of Rita Hayworth's greatest performance. Despite the fact that her character is not a particularly deep one, she does the best the writing allows. The screenplay for The Lady From Shanghai is to say the least, fabulous. It's only fault is not giving us in-depth character  The dialogue is constantly original and clever. Finally, the image above of Orson Welles holding Rita Hayworth in his arm is just one of the many startlingly beautiful images of the movie. As if that wasn't enough, The Lady From Shanghai creates one of the most fun and clever courtroom scenes of all time.

The Bad: The Lady From Shanghai's ideas aren't the most original. Idiot man falls for woman who uses him. We've seen this before in such films as Scarlet Street. As well, the characters are classic stereotypes that did not give the actors much room to expand and release their inner talent.

The Ugly: Orson Welles creates a world of ugliness. Where everything is done for personal advantage and there is no respect.

The Lady From Shanghai
1947,
Starring: Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth and Everett Sloane
Directed by Orson Welles
9/10 (A+)


RANKED
1. F For Fake
2. The Lady From Shanghai
3. The Stranger

Monday 12 November 2012

The Stranger (1946)


The Stranger (1946)


THE FILM:
In 1946, Orson Welles' fourth film was set to hit theatres. Ever since his debut Citizen Kane Orson Welles had a massive audience of devout fans. Persoanlly, Orson Welles considered The Stranger to be his largest cinematic failure and that the movie would have worked better should he had switched roles with Edward G. Robinson.

THE PLOT:
Mr. Wilson is a member of the United Natation War Commission. Mr. Wilson is searching for Nazi fugitive - Franz Kindler. However, when there appears to be no way to track Kindler whereabout Mr. Wilson is sent to follow a close associate of Kindler's. When Mr. Wilson arrives in the small Conneticut city he discovers Kindler has taken a wife. 

Time passes and Mr. Wilson slowly blends into the small city of Connecticut as not to seem suspicious. However as Mr. Wilson draws closer and closer to being able to pin Kindler's crimes on him he needs the help of Kindler's wife, Mary. Mary is torn between the justice and denials as she attempts to select the correct the decision, whether that is helping a law enforcement agency capture the man she loves.
THE CRITIQUING: 

The Good: The Stranger creates an excellent film noir atmosphere. It's packed to the top with some great performances from Orson Welles, Edward G. Robinson and Loretta Young. The Stranger is very suspenseful as we watch the characters uncover what we have known all along.  As well, there's is some great dialogue (the dialogue was assisted by John Huston who was not credited for assisting with the screenplay.

The Bad: Orson Welles' career has contained some very fast, suspenseful and intense films such as The Lady From Shanghai and Touch of Evil. The Stranger however, is very slow and the ending is abrupt and anti-climactic.

The Ugly: Edward G. Robinson, despite being a great actor was never a good-looking man.





The Stranger,
1946,
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young and Orson Welles,
Directed by Orson Welles
7.5/10 (B)

Ranked:
F for Fake
The Stranger


Sunday 11 November 2012

F for Fake

THE FILM:

The year is 1974. Time has passed since Orson Welles' previous film, the heavily underrated Chimes At Midnight. His fan's beg of him to create something like the classic Welles such as Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil or The Magnificent Ambersons, however Orson Welles gives them something completely different - he gives them one of the most surprising films of all time. F for Fake suffered from a small audience due to the fact that it was a 'documentary'. However, everyone who decided not to attend the playing of F for Fake missed out on one of the most shocking moments in cinema history. F for Fake has finally seen it's proper restoration recently when it was refurbished in quality by The Criterion Collection.

THE PLOT:

Magic and tricks are what illuminate Orson Welles'           F for Fake. It's a movie about fakers  and tricks. Orson Welles zeroes-in on two art forgers - Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. Elmyr and Clifford have never met, but their ingenious knack for reproducing classic art pieces is a common factor for the two men. However, these men are not displayed as criminals, all their crimes done in a good-natured manner, they commit their forgeries as a statement.

SPOILERS Now, until the final moments in F for Fake, the film is a typical entertaining documentary, not an act of sheer genuis. That's when Orson Welles finally confess. What we have just witnessed has been one big lie. None of the documentary was actually true. And Orson Welles preforms the final trick of his career as he vanishes from the screen. SPOILERS






THE CRITIQUE:


The Good                                                              
Orson Welles creates an entertaining un-cliched    
documentary exploring a  clever topic. As we      
watch F for Fake, we are enlightened by his          
marvelous knack for storytelling. Welles combines  
magic, fraud, lying, trickery in his final project.        
As well, it was great fun to see Joseph Cotten in    
another Orson Welles film.

 The Bad                                                                          
 Despite being a work of genuis, F for Fake could easily         
 be considers a mess. From the abrupt jumps from idea 
 to idea, it would be understandable for you to get lost. 
Welles demonstrated no clear line between idea and    
 idea, it's as if he jotting down whatever thoughts come
 to mind.                                        
 The Ugly
 Orson Welles could really benefit from a shave in this film.






F for Fake,
1974,
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten and Peter Bogdanovich
Directed by Orson Welles
9.5/10 (A+)

RANKED:
1. F for Fake


Prologue

Prologue to a Project

Orson Welles is considered one of the greatest if not the greatest film directors of all time. Cynics such as Woody Allen seem to think he's the only talented director America has produced. I selected Orson Welles due to the fact of his experienced and  before-his-time filmaking techniques. Modern films is what it is, because of Orson Welles. That's why I have chosen to watch and review each of his films.

Orson Welles is considered the greatest director of all time by some. My quest is to find out whether that is fact, or fiction.






My first step is to lay a couple ground rules:

1. Only watch and review movies that Orson Welles Directednot Starred.

2. Only watch and review movies that Orson Welles was credited as directing.

3. Only watch and review his full length feature films.

The List

Citizen Kane, 1941
The Magnificent Ambersons, 1942
The Stranger, 1946
The Lady From Shanghai, 1947
Macbeth, 1948
Othello, 1952
Mr. Arkadin, 1955
Touch of Evil, 1958
The Trail, 1962
Chimes At Midnight, 1965
F For Fake, 1974

A Note

It would be marvelous if you could accompany me in this journey. Please leave a review in the comments bar.

Finally, let the game begin!