322 The Complete Mr. Arkadin

[tryavna]

Is it a possibility that The Immortal Story might be thrown in as a bonus on the CR release, similar to the way Linklater's debut was packaged with Slacker? It's only around an hour long and certainly not one of Welles' more important films, so I would guess that this would be it's only shot at seeing the light of day on the DVD format.

Good guess. Or maybe one of those "Night and Fog" price point titles??

That'd be good, too. I quite liked this little gem when I watched it on TCM last week. Maybe not an "important" film in the Welles canon, but a real pleasure to watch nonetheless.

[cbernard]

I saw this last night, too -- for the very first time, in fact. My impression is that it's neither a forgotten masterpiece nor a train wreck.

It's both!

[ellipsis7]

"...one of my favourite films, because here Welles uses the whole range of his keyboard... When the use of videocassettes becomes widespread... anyone who owns a copy of MR ARKADIN will be lucky indeed" - Francois Truffaut

[atcolomb]

In Clinton Heylin's recent book Despite the System Orson Welles vs.
The Hollywood Studios he has a chapter on the filming of Confidential
Report and what versions are out there. I recommend the book to
Orson Welles fans.

[ellipsis7]

I've been wondering about this book... Does it add substantially to Leaming, Thomson, Bogdanovich/Rosenbaum, Cowie, McBride, Brady, Kael & Bazin's books on Welles?...

And another recent book I haven't yet picked up is Peter Conrad's 'Orson Welles'...

[atcolomb]

He says bad things about Leaming, Mc Bride, and Thompson that they
were not accurate with the facts and i learned more about what did
happen to The Magnificent Ambersons and It's All True. This book
focuses more on the early years in hollywood and what happened to
his films. I have not read all the books on Welles but this has alot of
facts that i did not know before.......if it's true!

[ellipsis7]

That's the intrigue of Welles - to unravel the fact from the fiction... OW was well capable of spinning a yarn himself, and is not necessarily the most reliable witness preferring the role of 'magician' (as he implicitly conceded in F FOR FAKE).. The fact that Bogdanovich has lauded Clinton Heylin's book means he must be agin Kael, and generally take Welles as he wanted, and follow the line of the Bogdanovich/Rosenbaum THIS IS OW book of extended printed i/v... Am just watching the long interview documentary THE OW STORY by BBC/Turner... Interesting...

[Brian Oblivious]

I've been wondering about this book... Does it add substantially to Leaming, Thomson, Bogdanovich/Rosenbaum, Cowie, McBride, Brady, Kael & Bazin's books on Welles?...

I think so, though I don't know the McBride which I hear is very good, the Brady or Bazin. Other than Bogdanovich/Rosenbaum, this is the first unabashedly pro-Welles (not just pro-Kane) book I've seen. It contains detailed analysis of Welles' scripts including an excellent chapter on Heart of Darkness which solidly proves in my mind that Welles had a terrific sense of cinema well before meeting Greg Toland.

[atcolomb]

After reading this book and the others on Welles i still feel that despite
the problems he had with hollywood and geting his films done his way
he is one of the great poets cinema has ever had!

[Narshty]

It would be bitching to the nth-degree if they got Welles's Arkadin novel as a reprint to include in the package, ala Short Cuts.

[DrewReiber]

It would be bitching to the nth-degree if they got Welles's Arkadin novel as a reprint to include in the package, ala Short Cuts.

I disagree. The book was apparently written by someone who had nothing to do with the production and the book story itself doesn't hold true to the film. I think they basically wrote it off as some kind of cash-in on the feature.

[Narshty]

The copy in my local library states "Orson Welles" as the sole author. Is this not true?

[DrewReiber]

Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote in "This is Orson Welles" that the Spanish version contains the opening shot that is described by Welles (in the same book) as the only sequence he can remember in the correct chronological order. So, unless other versions start with this shot, it's the only cut of the movie that has the correct opening. I assumed from his notes that it was the only one.

Regarding the book, it's generally been said that the book is a novelization done entirely by one Maurice Bessey, though credited solely to Welles.

Also from "This is Orson Welles":

Welles: "Peter, I didn't write one word of that novel. Nor have I ever read it."
Bogdanovich: "How could they publish it with your name on it?"
Welles: "Somebody [Maurice Bessy] wrote it in French to be published in serial form in the newspapers. You know - to promote the picture. I don't know how it got under hardcovers, or who got paid for that."

I think if Criterion were to add material from this marketing tool in the release, it may only add to the confusion. Being that Droessler and Rosenbaum have been consulted already, I doubt that's going to happen. Who knows, though.

[Andre Jurieu]

I guarantee someone will complain about the cut Criterion finally decides to use. I think the only way they could avoid bitching is if they somehow figured a way to branch to every version ever rumored to have been created, or let the viewer edit their own version. I'm also certain someone will complain about the colors in Ran.

[DrewReiber]

I don't have the books or articles with me at the moment, but I thought there was a version of the Spanish cut shown in Madrid shortly after the film was finished. I can't recall for sure if there were multiple editions of the foreign langage version, but it's entirely possible. Either way, most interest in it seem to stem from the alternate casting choices.

If most of the changes are just superficial, I could live without it. Like Testament of Dr. Mabuse's French cut, it would be cool if they included it, but I would understand if it isn't. I'm most concerned about seeing the best versions of Welles' intentions as possible.

I guarantee someone will complain about the cut Criterion finally decides to use. I think the only way they could avoid bitching is if they somehow figured a way to branch to every version ever rumored to have been created, or let the viewer edit their own version.

People will complain no matter what anyone does. I'm sure Criterion is more concerned with aesthetically correct content and historically accurate representation than giving into fan demands. And as long as they do that, I believe the vast majority of those consumers and film enthusiasts (the sane ones who truly matter) will be pleased.

I think working along with the noted film critics and authors like Jonathan Rosenbaum on achieving this goal will ultimately serve them best. We already know they have, now it's just a matter now of finding out what exactly that Droessler involvement will result in. Rosenbaum's comments on Droessler's "restoration" work was intriguing but also ambigious. He probably knows better than to assume anyone can truly call the film restored at this point, but if he thinks it has any merit... I'm interested.

[duane hall]

the sane ones who truly matter

Matt, as much as I appreciate proper spelling, I think this calls for a new Criterionforum sub-heading.

[Anonymous]

I just saw a Janus print of Confidential Report Saturday night at the Pacific Film Archive at Berkeley. The opening featured a pilotless plane with voiceover, followed by credits with bats. There is a flashback structure, a party scene (were there two?), and Milly's body does not wash up on shore until the middle of the film.

Confidential Report played in a PFA retrospective called "To A Theater Near You," which has had an uncanny track record in featuring films that eventually become Criterion releases. Previous films in the series include Au Hasard Balthasar, Masculin Feminin, and F For Fake. The screening of Confidential Report was paired with a new Janus print of Pickpocket, which has already been announced on Criterion's web site. Could Confidential Report be due to come out November or December-ish?

[DrewReiber]

Could Confidential Report be due to come out November or December-ish?

I think that's highly doubtful, mainly because there have been new developments (the Droessler content) since it was originally discussed as a year end release.

[Brian Oblivious]

I just saw a Janus print of Confidential Report Saturday night at the Pacific Film Archive at Berkeley. The opening featured a pilotless plane with voiceover, followed by credits with bats. There is a flashback structure, a party scene (were there two?), and Milly's body does not wash up on shore until the middle of the film.

I was there too. This version is the same version broadcast on Turner Classic Movies earlier this year.

It's the only version I've seen, and I love it. But I think the "party scene" issue with the different versions is not the number of party scenes (Arkadan lives his life like a giant party so it's rather difficult to count them), but the number of stories Arkadan tells during the masked party. In this version there are two stories: the one about the cemetary and the parable of the scorpion and the frog. In some versions only the scorpion story is told. (at least, that's my understanding).

[zedz]

Given the price tag, I'm optimistic that this release will be a double-disc containing more than one version of the film (and presumably some feature that will attempt to disentangle the history of the multiple versions). And no doubt we'll hear from Bogdanovich.

[Narshty]

Well, presumably we'll have the Corinth version that Rosenbaum and friend recorded the commentary for last year, the attempted reconstruction of Welles' original that played at that film festival recently, and (I would venture) some sort of multimedia version of Rosenbaum's "The Seven Arkadins" essay including clips from alternate versions and other such material.

And, of course, the all-important introduction by Peter Bogdanovich.

[Gordon]

And, of course, the all-important introduction by Peter Bogdanovich.

$20 says he'll be sporting a cravat. Anyone want a piece?

This is great news. I really hope that we get more than one version, both with gorgeous transfers, commentaries, interviews, etc. Perhaps, this amazing film can finally be fully appreciated as a triumph by Welles and will pave the way for a Criterion release of Chimes at Midnight! The recent Studio Canal looks gorgeous, judging by the DVD Beaver captures, so one can but dream!

[denti alligator]

Stupid question from someone who hasn't seen the film: how do you pronounce "Arkadin"?

AR-kadin
ar-KAY-din
ar-KAH-din

?

[Ashirg]

In Russian it's pronounced ar-KAH-din, but I'm not sure he's Russian and Russian names often get messed up in Hollywood (Ninotchka is the prime example, I was laughing every time they pronounced that name in Garbo's film).

[Kirkinson]

They say "ar-KAY-din" throughout most of the film, if I remember correctly. He is portrayed as a Russian born in Georgia (taking a cue from Akim Tamiroff, it would seem).