Orson Welles
Orson Welles
RANKED:
11. Macbeth (1948)
10. The Stranger (1946)
Orson Welles uses "The Stranger" as a mechanism for suggesting that Nazism is making its way to America. However, it does not show itself outright. Rather, it infests schools, churches, and communities. Fascist ideals and hateful rhetoric can penetrate even the most inconsequential parts of post-war America. This film was also the first American film to feature actual footage of Nazi concentration camps, not shying away from the horror and brutality. With "The Stranger," Welles heeds a warning to all thinking that the war against facism is all but over.
9. Othello (1951)
With his 1951 Shakespearian adaptation "Othello," Orson Welles demonstrates how power corrupts the mind, sending it into paranoia. It is also a demonstration of how power can corrupt those closest to power. Welles films Othello's fall with a labyrinthian castle and shows characters being visually trapped behind bars in the frames. He demonstrates that once placed in power, you are trapped by those manipulating you, and trapped by your own delusions and paranoia.
8. Mr. Arkadin (1955)
Orson Welles' films always seem to involve very powerful men. "Mr. Arkadin" is no exception. The story of a man using his wealth and influence to cover up past sins, the film presents the big problem with the elite class. A past consisting of Nazi sympathizing, sex trafficing, and other immoral deeds, Mr. Arkadin uses every ounce of his dollars and cents to disguise himself. Welles films the man as larger than life to account for the inescapable control he has. His bloated body encovers the frames and his estate is always hovering above the characters as if to remind the viewer of his ever persisting presence.
7. The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
"The Lady from Shanghai" is a film noir that ushers our protagonist down a dark path of lies and deceit. Chasing after a femme fatale, our protagonist learns that he has been fooled by nearly every character in the film, including her. Caught up in a web of conspiracy, and ushered closer and closer to despair, the film begs the question: Do we really know anyone's true intensions? Or are we merely seeing a reflection of what we want them to be for their own benefit?
6. Chimes at Midnight (1966)
Using the words of William Shakespeare, Orson Welles crafts a mouthpiece for his philosophical musings. War, power, friendship, and more are the subjects for this story about John Falstaff, 1966's "The Chimes of Midnight." Welles saw a lot of himself in Falstaff, just like he saw himself in all his protagonists.
5. The Trial (1962)
An adaptation of the Franz Kafka short story, "The Trial" tells the story of a man who wakes up one morning to discover that he is being convicted of a crime and being put on trial. What crime did he commit? Well...nobody seems to be telling him. Welles infuses the film with surrealism - landscapes that make no sense, proportions that aren't of the real world, and behavior by characters that don't seem to align with any sort of sanity. This creates a world of confusion. The film presents an allegory for a governmental power that can put you on trial simply because they want to.
4. The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
Oh, the passing of time. The Amberson family in "The Magnificent Ambersons" come from 19th century 'old' money. The ushering-in of the 20th century comes with the automobile industy, the oil and gas industy, and industrialization. Rather than change with the times, the Ambersons try desperately to cling to the last vestiges of wealth and influence they have, only to watch it slip away.
3. Touch of Evil (1958)
A film nior to end all film noirs, this is as black as they come. In Orson Welles' 1958 classic "Touch of Evil," the utter depravity of the characters in a border town creates corruption, lawlessness, rape, murder, and much more. The well-respected police captain, played by Welles, bloated with his corrupted power and influence, goes against a good-intentioned Mexican prosecuter. The battle between the soul of the lawless town leaves nothing but violence and despair in its wake.
2. The Other Side of the Wind (2018)
Orson Welles ended his illustrious career with the most confounding, perplexing, mesmeric, and overall spiritual film in his ouevre, "The Other Side of the Wind." Although the film was never released until 33 years after his death, famed director Peter Bogdanovich (who is also in the film) pieces the footage together to fit his old friend's original intentions. Taking inspiration from 1960s European cinema, Welles uses film footage to deconstruct film and more importantly, himself. Using a documentary-style technique as well as a film-within-a-film, the master director reflects on his work, his love, his relationships, who he is, and what he's leaving behind.
1. Citizen Kane (1941)
Often considered the greatest film of all time, it's no surprise that "Citizen Kane" tops Orson Welles's list of best films. With the film, Welles revolutionized what film could be. The mise-en-scene perfection in every shot, the way the camera moves 360 degrees in the film environment, the perfected use of lighting, the congruency between background action and foreground action, and many other film techniques he employs basically invented what modern American cinema is. Not only this, the film plants a spotlight on those in power and their inescapable quests to have it all. The film is not only a critique on the American dream, but a critique on power, wealth, and the fallacies of the human soul. Given to us through news reels, secondhand accounts, and documented fact, the viewer pieces together the life of a man nobody seemed to truly know. However, by the end shot, we somehow know him all too well.
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