Favourite Orson Welles Film
#1
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Thread Starter
Favourite Orson Welles Film
The American Film Institute here in DC/Maryland is doing a Orson Welles retrospect, and I (believe it or not) haven't seen any of his films. I caught 'The Third Man' last night and plan on seeing his other films in the showcase, but was wondering what are his essential films (if not all), and importantly what are your personal favourties films of his?
The series includes:
Orson Welles
THE THIRD MAN
THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI
OTHELLO
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS
TOUCH OF EVIL
MACBETH
THE IMMORTAL STORY
THE STRANGER
F FOR FAKE
MR ARKADIN
THE TRIAL [LE PROCES]
CITIZEN KANE
JOURNEY INTO FEAR
The series includes:
Orson Welles
THE THIRD MAN
THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI
OTHELLO
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS
TOUCH OF EVIL
MACBETH
THE IMMORTAL STORY
THE STRANGER
F FOR FAKE
MR ARKADIN
THE TRIAL [LE PROCES]
CITIZEN KANE
JOURNEY INTO FEAR
#3
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Yeah, the Music Box here has a similar thing going on with their weekend matinee series. I caught The Magnificent Ambersons last weekend. Definitely see that, even though the authorship of parts is murky the film is still extraordinary.
The Lady from Shanghai is a hoot.
And The Third Man is a Carol Reed film starring Orson Welles . . . (but you knew that already . . . right?)
The Lady from Shanghai is a hoot.
And The Third Man is a Carol Reed film starring Orson Welles . . . (but you knew that already . . . right?)
#4
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Thread Starter
Originally posted by sundog
And The Third Man is a Carol Reed film starring Orson Welles . . . (but you knew that already . . . right?)
And The Third Man is a Carol Reed film starring Orson Welles . . . (but you knew that already . . . right?)
#5
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Thread Starter
Originally posted by Talkin2Phil
What? they aren't screening The Muppet Movie?
What? they aren't screening The Muppet Movie?
#6
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Figured that . . . just want to make sure others know the case.
Also, I remember enjoying The Trial more than Kane, but it's been so long I may just be fondly remembering it. Regardless, its still a fine movie. Perkins is great.
Also, I remember enjoying The Trial more than Kane, but it's been so long I may just be fondly remembering it. Regardless, its still a fine movie. Perkins is great.
#7
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Just checked the Music Box listings, and they're even showing Jane Eyre another one "just" starring Welles. Watched this on TCM years ago and in the intro to the film they made a case that Welles may have had influence on some of the more baroque shots. I may check it out to revisit that aspect.
#8
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Until just recently, I admit I hadn't seen an Orson Welles movie either. But then I rented Citizen Kane . . . while I must admit that I did enjoy it and place it as one of my favorites, I must ask "Why is it considered the greatest movie of all time?"
I then checked out "Touch of Evil" and found it entertaining, but didn't feel it was very effective.
I then checked out "Touch of Evil" and found it entertaining, but didn't feel it was very effective.
#10
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
You're in for some fun.
See as many as you can, the guy was a genius. My short list would be:
The Stranger -one of my favorite films
Citizen Kane - nuff said
Lady from Shanghai - Good film noir
Touch of Evil - another classic
------------
Some other comments
Othello - I love this film. It barely missed the cut above
The Trial - Good but it physically nauseated me (very Kafkaesque)
Mr. Arkadin - was pretty incoherent and bored me
Macbeth - extremely low budget and tough for me to get through
I haven't seen the others. I've seen clips of F for Fake and it looked like bad 70's stuff to me but I don't know for sure.
See as many as you can, the guy was a genius. My short list would be:
The Stranger -one of my favorite films
Citizen Kane - nuff said
Lady from Shanghai - Good film noir
Touch of Evil - another classic
------------
Some other comments
Othello - I love this film. It barely missed the cut above
The Trial - Good but it physically nauseated me (very Kafkaesque)
Mr. Arkadin - was pretty incoherent and bored me
Macbeth - extremely low budget and tough for me to get through
I haven't seen the others. I've seen clips of F for Fake and it looked like bad 70's stuff to me but I don't know for sure.
#12
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Thread Starter
Originally posted by sundog
I'm definitely going to see the The Stranger. All the reviews of the recent Young Adam mention the Welles film as a major influence.
I'm definitely going to see the The Stranger. All the reviews of the recent Young Adam mention the Welles film as a major influence.
#13
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Thread Starter
Originally posted by chente
You're in for some fun.
See as many as you can, the guy was a genius.
You're in for some fun.
See as many as you can, the guy was a genius.
#14
DVD Talk Limited Edition
The Magnificent Ambersons, but I've only seen it once so it's possible my opinion will change when it finally gets a new release.
Citizen Kane didn't really live up to the hype for me, but what movie could?
Citizen Kane didn't really live up to the hype for me, but what movie could?
#16
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
The Magnificent Ambersons is a strange film. It was apparently cut all to hell by the studio before being released because a test audience in Pomona, CA was lukewarm about it. The movie is very disjointed but what is there is excellent. I understand that the cut footage was destroyed by the studio so it doesn't look like we'll ever see the original uncut version.
#17
DVD Talk Hero
Originally posted by sundog
Also, for any Welles fans there's a restoration underway for his Chimes at Midnight (1965). Unfortunately I had to pass up a work print screening. So that's on the horizon.
Also, for any Welles fans there's a restoration underway for his Chimes at Midnight (1965). Unfortunately I had to pass up a work print screening. So that's on the horizon.
#18
DVD Talk Hero
Originally posted by sundog
Just checked the Music Box listings, and they're even showing Jane Eyre another one "just" starring Welles. Watched this on TCM years ago and in the intro to the film they made a case that Welles may have had influence on some of the more baroque shots. I may check it out to revisit that aspect.
Just checked the Music Box listings, and they're even showing Jane Eyre another one "just" starring Welles. Watched this on TCM years ago and in the intro to the film they made a case that Welles may have had influence on some of the more baroque shots. I may check it out to revisit that aspect.
Last edited by Numanoid; 06-24-04 at 06:29 PM.
#19
Moderator
Don't have a favorite, really. I like Kane, Ambersons, and Touch of Evil a lot. I've never seen Chimes At Midnight.
#21
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally posted by Breakfast with Girls
that's funny.
I've always wondered how they got him to do it. Maybe because he never played a giant planet eating planet that transforms into a (much) smaller giant robot, and just wanted to for the experience.
#22
DVD Talk Hero
Originally posted by tanman
I've always wondered how they got him to do it. Maybe because he never played a giant planet eating planet that transforms into a (much) smaller giant robot, and just wanted to for the experience.
I've always wondered how they got him to do it. Maybe because he never played a giant planet eating planet that transforms into a (much) smaller giant robot, and just wanted to for the experience.
#23
DVD Talk Hero
Chimes At Midnight is my favorite Welles film.
It ain't Citizen Kane, brother, and thank God. This is quite possibly the only decent adaptation of Shakespeare to cinema. Typically, you find two methods of delivery in films based on the work of Bill: super loud and bombastic with those moments of quiet introspective lulls OR inept discomfort.
The first is pretty much a direct translation of how Shakespeare is traditionally performed in the theater. It works well in the theater, and it's at least watchable on screen, but you never escape that feeling of watching a filmed play. Any of the Oliver adaptations are pretty good examples of this, no matter how much anyone wants to call them CLASSICS. Brannagh, too. The second is fairly self-evident; go see ROMEO + JULIET, a film which fails not for its silly translation into the modern world and it's so-called MTV style, but rather the inability of its actors to say any of the lines without stumbling.
Welles somehow managed to escape from these two paradigms when he made Chimes at Midnight. Everyone in the film speaks the dialogue as if they grew up hearing it and speaking it. The level to which this enhances the film is basically unexpressable without seeing it.
Other than the delivery of dialogue, there's a lot to be said for this film, but I'm not going to say it here. Oh, I will note that for all of you who thought the battle scenes from Braveheart were something special-- they're cribbed directly from this movie. Well, everything except the SLOW MOTION.
It ain't Citizen Kane, brother, and thank God. This is quite possibly the only decent adaptation of Shakespeare to cinema. Typically, you find two methods of delivery in films based on the work of Bill: super loud and bombastic with those moments of quiet introspective lulls OR inept discomfort.
The first is pretty much a direct translation of how Shakespeare is traditionally performed in the theater. It works well in the theater, and it's at least watchable on screen, but you never escape that feeling of watching a filmed play. Any of the Oliver adaptations are pretty good examples of this, no matter how much anyone wants to call them CLASSICS. Brannagh, too. The second is fairly self-evident; go see ROMEO + JULIET, a film which fails not for its silly translation into the modern world and it's so-called MTV style, but rather the inability of its actors to say any of the lines without stumbling.
Welles somehow managed to escape from these two paradigms when he made Chimes at Midnight. Everyone in the film speaks the dialogue as if they grew up hearing it and speaking it. The level to which this enhances the film is basically unexpressable without seeing it.
Other than the delivery of dialogue, there's a lot to be said for this film, but I'm not going to say it here. Oh, I will note that for all of you who thought the battle scenes from Braveheart were something special-- they're cribbed directly from this movie. Well, everything except the SLOW MOTION.
#24
DVD Talk Hero
Originally posted by Giles
yeah I guess my saving grace here is that I didn't denote 'directed by' versus 'starring'...
yeah I guess my saving grace here is that I didn't denote 'directed by' versus 'starring'...
#25
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Originally posted by sundog
Also, for any Welles fans there's a restoration underway for his Chimes at Midnight (1965).
Also, for any Welles fans there's a restoration underway for his Chimes at Midnight (1965).
My current favorite Welles films (the order changes every now and then):
1 - Magnificent Ambersons (I drool at the thought of what Welles' original vision of this COULD have been)
2 - The Third Man (So not technically a Welles film, but still has Orson written all over it. And that infectious theme!)
3 - Touch of Evil (The opening scene is cinematic perfection)
4 - Citizen Kane (I've seen it countless times, and I still get shivers at the end)
5 - Chimes at Midnight (Of all Welles' films, this one elicits the strongest emotional reaction from me)