What you are about to see over the next hour is absolutely true.
and the main character of course, ORSON WELLES as himself! Or the magician, I can’t be sure.
"Our works in stone, in paint, in print,
are spared, some of them, for a few
decades or a millennium or two, but
everything must finally fall in war, or wear
away into the ultimate and universal ash…
the triumphs, the frauds,
the treasures, and the fakes.
A fact of life: we’re going to die.
‘Be of good heart,’
Cry the dead artists out of the living past.
‘Our songs will all be silenced, but what of it?
Go on singing.’
Maybe a man’s name… doesn’t matter… all that much…"
.
~ Orson Welles.
.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VGPPUY40Y7k
When I saw that clip before I saw the film on youtube, it was labeled ‘The Most Poignant Moment In Cinematic History’.
I love this film! Clifford Irving happened to become a huge faker after the footage was shot! What does he say, “everything I’ve said for the last 20 minutes was a lie”?! What do you think this film is? Documentary, mockumentary, a little bit of both?
What do I think this film is? Brilliant. How’s that for an evasive answer? haha.
reading this thread through, all I can say is that I started at the top and have been working my way down ever since.
i’m really looking forward to seeing this film. it seems like it might be the most unique thing welles has done.
Ah…this film. I have yet to see a film quite like it. It is a puzzle as Kana points out – is it a documentary? mockumentary? I tend to think it is more of an essay on art. The most profound message that I get from the film is the idea that perhaps art does not really have any owners…is a Picasso forgery by Elmyr less Picasso if we can’t tell the difference? does it matter? I love these questions. They condemn all the stupid elitism that so often plagues the art world (including the film world).
~ And now, with your permission, a bit of verse… from Kipling ~
“The tale is old as the Eden Tree & new as the new cut tooth.
For each man know that his lipthatch grows. He is master of Art, & Truth.”
“When first the flush of a newborn sun fell on Eden’s green and gold,
Our father Adam, sat under the Tree, and scratched, with a stick, in the mould.
The first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart,
‘Til the Devil whispered behind the leaves… ’It’s pretty, but is it Art?’”
Now with a bit of bird watching. See how the men see out the opposite sex. All taken in by our hidden cameras. Oh I loved the editing, scene cuts of that movie. And it was all about a man who created fake art. Man was it interesting.
Best scene in the movie is the men watching Oja walk through the square. Oh, and the little boy on the train platform as Orwell does his magic. probably one of my favorite Crits ever.
finally saw the film. i loved it. cant wait to see it a second time. it’s immediately my favorite welles right behind kane. the editing was breathtaking. and of course, the voice-over was poetry. brilliant, brilliant doc.
i loved the line about picasso being as good a picasso forger as anybody. and the kipling verse stole my heart. the ending of the film with reenactment between welles and oja was a great climax. i can’t wait to see the criterion version.
I quite liked this film when I saw the Criterion edition. Brilliant Welles.
You know how to make an omelette don’t you? First, steal an egg.
kudos to NEH, you always seem to blur the concept of what is art? to something else that makes it so difficult and interesting to think about
I have always wanted to see this, it seems very interesting. I am moving it to the top of my “To Watch” list
welles has the gift. the gift of gab. i’ve never heard an actor i enjoy more. i’ve never heard better voice-over than when he’s doing it. his timing and delivery is absolutely picture perfect flawless.
Pompous buffonery and a chance to parade his girlfriend in a short skirt. F is for forget it.
One of the best essays on art ever created. Truly a masterpiece.
I particularly like Well’s Wit through out the film, he just seems like someone you want to hug. But not anymore because he’s a smelly corpse.
You’re in the minority, James.
Rather than go back to prison on another forgery conviction, Elymr de Hory committed suicide. The notoriety of his exploits incited the French police to further pursue investigation of his “work.”
The Hoax is an entertaining film detailing the Clifford Irving/Howard Hughes story.
Catch Me If You Can is another truth based film about the exploits of master forger/impersonator Frank Abagnale, Jr.
Frozen peas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V14PfDDwxlE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1PJTY9AVA&feature=related
I read an article once implying that the pea commerical could both sadly and proudly encapsulate Welles career. Trying to dig it up.
This film is now playing on The Auteurs for users in the UK and Ireland!
This is my very favorite Orson Welles film.
It was inspired by Pauline Kael’s attack on “Citizen Kane” — in which she claimed Welles snatched the film away from its true auteur, Herman J. Mankiewicz. So Welles elected to snatch another film - but this time with the full cooperation of the snatch-ee.
Francois Reichenbach had made a documentary about Elmyr de Hory. Seeing it Welles noted the presence of Clifford Irving. He then dediced that De Hory’s forgeries of great painters inspired Irving to forge an “autobiography” of Howard Hughes. The result done with Reichenbach’s full cooperation (He’s listed as the film’s “presenter” and appears in it frequently) it’s one of the most thoroughgoing examination of the nature of the medium ever attempted. We learn of Hughes, Irving, Welles himself, Oja Kodar, amd much else.
Francois Reichenbach was quite a character. The heir to the Guerlain perfume fortune hmade a career for himself as a documentary filmmaker, winning the Oscar for “Artur Rubinstein — Love of Life.” He was also DP on Paul Morrissey’’s “Forty Duece” (so if you’re playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon that’s Francois Reichenbach in One.)
In his younger days he was part of George Platt Lynes set soignee gay jet-setter. He was the least good-looking member of the group. But he had money, so. . .
He was a paterfamilais to a number of filmmakers. When he was dying (of guess what) Danielle Thompson visited him in the hospital one day and he announced to her that he wanted to be buried in the family plot in Limoges — the largest cemetery in europe. Though she had seen him in the hospital many times before this time it really hit her. He was going to die. So she tried to cheer him out of it. “Oh Francois, you shouldn’t be buried in Limoges — all your friends are in Paris. Limoges is too far to go.”
His reply?
“Those who love me can take the train.”
>>It was inspired by Pauline Kael’s attack on “Citizen Kane” — in which she claimed Welles snatched the film away from its true auteur, Herman J. Mankiewicz. So Welles elected to snatch another film<<
I’d never encountered that info before. Wonderful!
Welles was such a sage. Brilliant.
“People should cross themselves when they say his name.” – Marlene Dietrich
Watching tonight – thanks for the insight David !
NEH
News! On the March!
Oja Kodar
Clifford Irving
Elymr de Hory
Pablo Picasso
Howard Hughes
These are the characters of Orson Welles’ F for Fake.
The last completed masterpiece of a man who’s style & wit fill every frame.
…& what about the tiger?