Six of Orson Welles' Best Films
Orson Welles (1915-1985) was one of the great all-time filmmakers, but in the US some of his movies have been difficult to see in recent years. But that has changed with the availability of Orson Welles: The Legend Collection, a well-priced six-disc DVD set containing half a dozen of his films:
Citizen Kane (1941)The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
Macbeth (1948)
Mr. Arkadin (1955)
The Trial (1962)
Chimes at Midnight (1965)
The excitement here is the inclusion of The Magnificent Ambersons and Chimes at Midnight. Ambersons has never previously been released on DVD in the US, and Chimes could be obtained on DVD only via imports, such as the version from Brazil. Also, Macbeth has recently been out of print in the US. However, Citizen Kane, Mr. Arkadin and The Trial have been readily available in other editions.
For all six DVDs comprising Orson Welles: The Legend Collection, the video and audio are not always pristine, but they are never less than acceptable by any reasonable standard. All films have English dialogue available, as well as optional Korean subtitles. Except for a trailer for The Trial, there are no supplementary materials.
Three Films Hard to Come By in the US
The Magnificent Ambersons is a classic Hollywood studio movie based on Booth Tarkington's beloved novel. Welles does not appear on camera, but he is heard in voiceover narration. The story chronicles an aristocratic Indianapolis family's decline at the dawn of the automobile age, while creating a complex character study of a spoiled son. The studio made drastic changes Welles didn't approve of, but it's still a wonderful film.
Chimes at Midnight stars Welles as Shakespeare's Falstaff in one of the great match-ups between actor and character. Welles took the story and dialogue from Henry IV, Part I and Part II and three of the Bard's other plays, but he slants everything so the rotund and self-centered Falstaff becomes the central character. Famous actors appearing in the movie include John Gielgud, Jeanne Moreau and Margaret Rutherford. Welles' handling of the Battle of Shrewsbury is noteworthy, and this is one of his finest films.
Macbeth is Welles' moody, expressionistic interpretation of Shakespeare's great tragedy, and he gives a superb performance in the title role. Shooting at a Hollywood studio, Welles created a savage, nightmarish feudal world, largely through the use of weird sets and unsettling camera angles. Backgrounds are not realistic; instead they are abstract and evoke the troubled Macbeth's state of mind. Despite the film's low budget, it is arguably the best of the many screen versions of the Bard's Scottish play.
Three Films Available in Other US Editions
The Trial is Welles' adaptation of Franz Kafka's novel. The filmmaker also appears on camera in a supporting role, but the star is Anthony Perkins (of Psycho fame). Perkins plays Joseph K., who's accused of an unspecified crime and spends the entire film battling an absurd justice system. Welles used Paris' abandoned Gare d'Orsay and other evocative locations to depict K.'s world as a madhouse where everyone behaves bizarrely. The movie has little narrative drive, but is intellectually interesting.
Mr. Arkadin is Welles in his entertaining, pulpy mode. The story is a crime melodrama laced with sardonic humor. Mr. Arkadin (Welles at his most flamboyant) is a wealthy businessman who claims he has amnesia. He hires an investigator who's tasked with finding out about the tycoon's earlier life. The investigator goes on a fascinating odyssey, and as it progresses several people turn up dead. The version of Mr. Arkadin here is the one that ran theatrically under the title Confidential Report.
Citizen Kane was Welles' film debut, and in it he created an enduring masterpiece considered by many to be the greatest movie ever made. Welles' portrayal of the title character, Charles Foster Kane, is unexcelled. The film's visual style looks stunningly fresh and inventive even today, and the unconventional narrative structure still seems daring. The movie tells the story of newspaper magnate Kane from childhood to old age and is one of the most compelling character studies ever captured on film.
DVD Details
Below are the major details for the Orson Welles: The Legend Collection DVD set.
DVD Release Date: February 23, 2010
Number of Discs: 6
Citizen Kane Runtime: 1 hour 59 minutes
The Magnificent Ambersons Runtime: 1 hour 27 minutes
Macbeth Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes
Mr. Arkadin Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes
The Trial Runtime: 1 hour 59 minutes
Chimes at Midnight Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes