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Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
- Father and Child
- Friendship
- Jeanne Moreau Films
- John Gielgud Films
- Margaret Rutherford Films
- Orson Welles Films
- Royalty and Nobility
- Shakespeare
Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary writes, “Orson Welles’s final masterpiece” — which “received almost no U.S. distribution after it got a devastating review in the New York Times by Bosley Crowther” — is based on a story by Welles “which he mounted as a play in Belfast in 1960,” “taken from Shakespeare’s Henry IV Parts I & II, with bits from Henry V, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Richard II” alongside “narration… taken from Raphael Holinshed‘s Chronicles.” He notes it is “told with warmth, wit, and surprising poignancy,” portraying a story that “is simple and on a human level, since Welles makes Falstaff… the hero.” With that said, he’s a most unusual hero, given that he’s “a fat, cowardly, bawdy, lying figure” — however, “he gives Hal genuine love while the rigid, humorless Henry pays little attention to him.”
Peary points out that “Welles often played characters whose ascent to power was characterized, like Hal’s, by their quick exchange of idealism for ruthlessness” — but “while characters like Kane or Harry Lime did their friends wrong, few ever actually betrayed friendships.” To that end, he notes that “Falstaff is surely the character who, with warts, weight, and all, was closest to the real Welles.” While Falstaff “isn’t the type of guy you’d bring to a society function,” he’d “make a great Santa Claus.”
Most importantly, he may fib “constantly, but is honest; he fits in with the town dunce and senile old men, yet he has a unique knowledge of what’s important in life (love, loyalty, friendship, a good chat, a good roll in bed with a wench, a good bowel movement)” — ultimately representing “goodness in a cruel world.”
Peary points out that while the “film’s low budget caused Welles problems,” he encourages viewers to “wait out the early scenes in which the dialogue is often out of synch” and enjoy the “superb” acting (“Welles was never better”) and “often stunning” visuals.
He adds that “Welles’s choreography of the battle sequence is spectacular — only in Eisenstein’s Alexander Nevsky does a battle have such impact.” (Indeed, the scene is so kinetically filmed and edited that it’s hard to do it justice with a still.)
The production history of this movie is, naturally, a thing unto itself (what else would you expect with Welles?); you can read more at Wikipedia or watch some of the DVD extras (Criterion has put out a newly remastered version).
Watch for Jeanne Moreau as the prostitute Doll Tearsheet (you can see Moreau’s real-life friendship with/affection for Welles shining through her characterization):
… and Margaret Rutherford as Mistress Quickly.
Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:
- Orson Welles as Jack Falstaff
- Keith Baxter as Hal
- John Gielgud as Henry IV
- Margaret Rutherford as Mistress Quickly
- Highly atmospheric cinematography and sets
Must See?
Yes, as a powerful Shakespearian adaptation and for Welles’s performance.
Categories
- Important Director
- Noteworthy Performance(s)
(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)
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