Mr. Arkadin
Mr. Arkadin: The Corinth Version. 1955. Written and Directed by Orson Welles. Starring Orson Welles, Robert Arden, Paola Mori, Patricia Medina, Akim Tamiroff, and Michael Redgrave.
"I knew what I wanted. That's the difference between us. In this world there are those who give and those who ask. Those who do not care to give... those who do not dare to ask. You dared. But you were never quite sure what your were asking for."
When you are responsible for the greatest movie ever made, it is hard not to judge your other movies by this impossibly high standard. So we look at Orson Welles films and think of Citizen Kane. Mr. Arkadin is not a masterpiece, but it is still a very good film. Welles lost control of the film fairly early on and there is no definitive version nor director's cut. Criterion Collection put out a three disc set that has two different versions and then a third disc that apparently puts all (or at least both) the versions together. I plan to also rent the other two discs and see for myself, and I will blog what I find out. The plot involves a millionaire who hires his daughter's American gigolo to investigate him prior to his development of amnesia. No one is to be completely trusted, of course. It was recorded in multiple languages and there are moments of extreme obviousness in the dubbing. The film is intriguing throughout with good dialogue and some very good bits of acting mixed in with some mediocre acting as well. Wells is an imposing and fascinating figure on screen and his bullying millionaire is the highlight of the acting, but there are also terrific moments from actors who have but a single scene, such as Michael Redgrave as the antique dealer. The photography, lighting, and framing of the film are all top notch. It may not be at the top of the Orson Welles catalog, but even the bottom half is something to celebrate.
My grade: A-
"I knew what I wanted. That's the difference between us. In this world there are those who give and those who ask. Those who do not care to give... those who do not dare to ask. You dared. But you were never quite sure what your were asking for."
When you are responsible for the greatest movie ever made, it is hard not to judge your other movies by this impossibly high standard. So we look at Orson Welles films and think of Citizen Kane. Mr. Arkadin is not a masterpiece, but it is still a very good film. Welles lost control of the film fairly early on and there is no definitive version nor director's cut. Criterion Collection put out a three disc set that has two different versions and then a third disc that apparently puts all (or at least both) the versions together. I plan to also rent the other two discs and see for myself, and I will blog what I find out. The plot involves a millionaire who hires his daughter's American gigolo to investigate him prior to his development of amnesia. No one is to be completely trusted, of course. It was recorded in multiple languages and there are moments of extreme obviousness in the dubbing. The film is intriguing throughout with good dialogue and some very good bits of acting mixed in with some mediocre acting as well. Wells is an imposing and fascinating figure on screen and his bullying millionaire is the highlight of the acting, but there are also terrific moments from actors who have but a single scene, such as Michael Redgrave as the antique dealer. The photography, lighting, and framing of the film are all top notch. It may not be at the top of the Orson Welles catalog, but even the bottom half is something to celebrate.
My grade: A-
posted by Keith Allison at 10:57 PM
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