Written and directed by Michael Cimino, Heaven’s Gate is the story of a Harvard-educated marshal who finds himself in the middle of a conflict between rich and established cattle barons who wage war on a group of poor, European-based immigrants over claims of stealing cattle. A fictional account of the Johnson County War of 1892, the film is scathing look into the world of American Imperialism and the myth of the American dream as a man finds himself battling a friend as they’re both in love with a prostitute who is among the many that cattle barons want killed. Starring Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, Isabelle Huppert, Sam Waterston, John Hurt, Jeff Bridges, Brad Dourif, and Joseph Cotten. Heaven’s Gate is a visually-stunning and enthralling film from Michael Cimino.
Based on the real-life events of the Johnson County War in 1892, the film explores a piece of American history where a group of established cattle barons battled against small settling ranchers where these more established men hired killers with the backing of the American government. Yet, the film is a re-interpretation about these events as the cattle barons are portrayed as rich men who want to kill these poor European immigrants for stealing their cattle as they think of them as thieves and anarchists. On the other side is a group of European immigrants who only steal because they’re hungry as they just want to live in America and live the American dream. In the middle of this is the marshal of Johnson County in James Averill (Kris Kristofferson) who wants to smooth out the conflict before it gets more troubling yet he is a man full of complications and contradictions. Especially as he’s in a love-triangle with a bordello madam in Ella Watson (Isabelle Huppert) who is in love with an enforcer in Nate Champion (Christopher Walken) who is a friend of Averill.
The film’s screenplay is quite vast as it starts in 1870 where Averill graduates from Harvard with his friend William Irvine (John Hurt) and ends with an epilogue set in 1903 in Newport, Rhode Island. Yet, much of the story is set in 1890 Wyoming where Averill tries to use his wealth and education to help the people of Johnson County that is full of European immigrants that is this mix of German, Russian, Slavic, Dutch, and other ethnicities who are just trying to live good lives. Averill is inspired by the ideas that is instilled upon him from his Harvard graduation when its speaker the Reverend Doctor (Joseph Cotten) urges the graduates to use their knowledge to help those in need. That moment is mocked by Irvine who later finds himself as a man lost in his role as he becomes a rambling, poetic drunk who has no clue on what to do as he would regret those actions. Irvine is part of this faction known as the Stock Growers Association led by Frank Canton (Sam Waterston) who is a rich cattle baron that has a lot of government connections while being very arrogant about what he does.
It is all part of something that is very complex as well as containing lots of ambiguities as Champion is an enforcer of the Association as he just enforces the law where he does kill an immigrant and later threatening another from stealing as he is just a lawman. He’s also in love with Ella who doesn’t mind being paid either in cash or cattle for prostitution as she is this woman who is in love with both Champion and Averill. Averill wants to take her out of the world of prostitution and protect her from what is coming once he learns about what is going to happen. Yet, she prefers a life that is simpler which is something Champion is offering as he would later question what Canton and the Stock Growers Association is doing. Especially when Ella’s name is in a death list that features many immigrants where Averill tries to figure out what to do as he becomes troubled by his own personal issues and the longing for a life that isn’t complicated. It’s part of that sense of conflict he’s in because of Ella where he would eventually take part in this brutal battle between the Stock Growers Association and the immigrants with very bloody results.
The script does have flaws in some of the characterization as the William Irvine character is an ambiguous figure as he is this rambling, poetic drunk that had the power to make a difference with his wealth and education. Yet, he’s a lost figure who has no clue what he’s doing or why he’s still in the Stock Growers Association as there’s a scene where a character asks why is he even here. Another flaw is its politics where it’s clear that it is one-sided in the way Canton is portrayed as this snobbish and arrogant antagonist while the poor is treated more fairly though there’s aspects of them that are just as flawed where one of them would try to make a bargain only to get his ear shot off. Still, it is a commentary on the idea of American Imperialism where Americans try to infuse their own ideas and such all for something as childish as money.
Michael Cimino’s direction definitely recalls a lot of the visual traits of the western as well as his own fascination with American landscapes as he shoots with such a wide canvas that covers so much of the landscape as it’s largely shot in Montana. There are aspects of the film where Cimino definitely wants to create something that has the attribute of an epic with these massive wide shots that includes this terrifying shot of a large group of horsemen on top of a mountain about to kill someone. Cimino’s approach to the widescreen in its 2:40:1 aspect ratio would showcase some of the lavishness of the film such as the Harvard dance sequence where Averill and Irvine waltz around a tree with a bevy of beautiful women. The Harvard prologue serves as a place where Averill and Irvine are being tasked as men who have the power to make change and help those who are less fortunate. It’s something that would drive Averill to do what is right in Johnson County as he feels the need to do with the power and responsibility he’s given.
The direction is also quite excessive in terms of its attention to detail in the way 1890s Wyoming is portrayed in its buildings and such that would also include this beautiful sequence of people in a roller skating rink to showcase what it was like to have fun in those times. It is in contrast to the sense of terror that would happen as much of the violence is quite graphic and bloody where it would culminate into this very spectacular battle scene that is frenetic at times but also very direct with the cameras being on wagons and such as well as shooting it from multiple perspectives. There’s also some unique ideas in camera angles and crane shots that Cimino uses while he also creates some intimate moments that plays into this love triangle where there’s some humor but also a sense of longing as both Averill and Champion want to have a better future with Ella. Its climax in the battle and its aftermath would lead to not just this understanding over how things are but also the question into what difference Averill made. Especially as he tries to come to terms with his own identity and the responsibilities he has as the film ends with this somber epilogue in 1903 Rhode Island. Overall, Cimino has created a grand yet very visceral film about a dark piece of American history seen through the eyes of a marshal trying to make some kind of difference.
Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does absolutely incredible work with the film‘s rich and evocative cinematography with its approach to sepia lighting for some of the film‘s interiors with its shading and such as well as the colorful exterior settings of Montana in the day time as well as some low-key yet beautiful lighting for some of the film‘s interior scenes. Editors Tom Rolf, William Reynolds, Lisa Fruchtman, and Gerald Greenberg do brilliant work with the editing with its unique approach to rhythms in some of the film‘s dramatic moments along with its frenetic cutting in the battle scenes. Production designer Tambi Larsen, along with set decorators James L. Berkey and Josie MacAvin and art directors Spencer Deverell and Maurice Fowler, does phenomenal work with the set design from the look of the small town of Sweetwater with its cabins and roller skating hall as well as the home of the Stock Growers Association.
Costume designers Allen Highfill does excellent work with the costumes from the suits that the men wear to the period dresses that the women along with the more lavish look in the Harvard dance sequence. Sound editor James J. Klinger does fantastic work with the soundtrack from the way gunfire is presented to the sound of cannons as well as some of the intimate moments as it is quite sprawling in its mixing and editing. The film’s music by David Mansfield is just sublime for its mixture of eerie string arrangements with these rich arrangements of acoustic guitars, mandolins, and balalaikas to play into the film’s Eastern European tone as it features some amazing themes plus reinterpretations of classical pieces and traditional themes as Mansfield’s score is one of the film’s major highlights.
The casting by Cis Corman, Tony Gaznick, and Jane Halloran is amazing for the ensemble that is created as it features some appearances from composer David Mansfield plus T-Bone Burnett and Huey Lewis & the News keyboardist Sean Hopper as the live band in the skating rink, Willem Dafoe as a bar waiter, Anna Levine and Caroline Kava as a couple of young prostitutes, Mary C. Wright as the fiery prostitute Nell, Tom Noonan as an Association hitman who tries to rape Ella, Mickey Rourke as Nate’s friend Nick Ray, Waldemar Kalinkowski as the immigrant photographer, Terry O’Quinn as cavalry leader Captain Minardi, and Roseanne Vela as a beautiful girl that Averill eyed on at the Harvard graduation. Other notable small roles include Geoffrey Lewis as a trapper friend of Nate’s, Ronnie Hawkins as a military leader working with Canton, Paul Koslo role as the town’s cowardly mayor, and Richard Masur as the train station manager Cully who is friends with Averill. Brad Dourif is terrific as the town commerce head Mr. Eggleston who would have this great monologue about what it means to be poor and from another country as he would inspire his fellow immigrants to fight back.
In a small yet crucial role at the Harvard graduation scene, Joseph Cotten is superb as the Reverend Doctor who speaks to the graduates to ensure the weight of responsibility they have for the future of America. John Hurt is wonderful as Averill’s old Harvard classmate William Irvine as this rambling drunk who often spouts poetry though his role is one of most flawed elements of the film. Jeff Bridges is excellent as the town proprietor John L. Bridges who runs the bar and skating rink as he is a friend of the immigrants and becomes one of their leaders in the battlefield. Sam Waterston is brilliant as the smarmy and arrogant Stock Growers Association leader Frank Canton who is a man that is driven by greed as he is someone that is full of himself as Waterston brings this smarmy quality to a character that everyone loves to hate.
Isabelle Huppert is fantastic as Ella Watson as this bordello madam who is caught in a love triangle with two men as she wants to maintain a life that she built for herself while dealing with the reality of what she is facing as her name is on a death list. Christopher Walken is marvelous as Nate Champion as an Association enforcer who is quite prejudiced towards immigrants as he would eventually question his bosses once Ella is targeted as he realizes that they’re breaking the law. Finally, there’s Kris Kristofferson in a remarkable performance as James Averill as a marshal with a very posh and educated background who tries to mediate a deadly situation as he deals with his own personal feelings for Ella while dealing with who he is and what he tries to do to make a difference.
The 2-disc Region 1 DVD/Region A Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a 2:40:1 theatrical aspect ratio in a widescreen format with 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound in a newly-restored transfer supervised by Michael Cimino in a new 216-minute cut where the only scene removed is the film’s intermission scene plus a few slightly-trimmed shots in some sequences. The first disc of the Blu-Ray is the film in its entirety as it is given a much richer transfer while on the DVD version, the film is split into two parts where the split occurs just after James Averill receives the death list.
The film’s second disc features many extras relating to the film and its notorious production starting with a 31-minute illustrated audio interview with Michael Cimino and producer Joann Carelli (which appears as an extra in the DVD‘s first disc). Through various still photos of the film and its production, Cimino and Carelli talk about the film where Cimino dominates much of commentary as he revealed that the version on the Criterion DVD/Blu-Ray is his final version. Cimino and Carelli talked about the research they went through about the actual Johnson County War as Carelli talked about Cimino’s approach to writing and how she discovered David Mansfield during the production. Cimino admits to not using monitors or watch dailies in his approach to directing while commenting on a lot of the things about the film as it’s a very compelling piece that showcased Cimino feeling validated that the film is being given a second chance.
The extras include new interviews with three people involved the film as the first is a nine-minute, twenty-three second interview with actor Kris Kristofferson. Kristofferson talks about what made him do the film as he was interested in the subject matter and working with Cimino. He felt it was a story that needed to be told as he admitted that Cimino was difficult and excessive but only because he wanted to get things right. Kristofferson admitted to being hurt over the film’s reception yet he doesn’t regret doing the film which he is still proud of while he also talks about the political aspects of the film where he felt that it was probably too controversial for audiences to handle.
The nine-minute interview with music composer David Mansfield has him talking about the music and his background as he had been proficient in a lot of string instruments. He was discovered by Joann Carelli who had seen him play with Bob Dylan in the mid-1970s as he was among several real musicians including T-Bone Burnett that were hired to play a band that actually played live music. Through his work and what he was able to do on the set, Cimino hired Mansfield to do the score as Mansfield talked about his approach to the score as well as infusing a lot of Eastern European influences into the music since his father is from a Eastern European background.
The eight-minute interview with second assistant director Michael Stevenson who talked about making the film as he knew what Cimino wanted in terms of scenery and in its attention to detail. Having worked with David Lean, Anthony Mann, and Richard Brooks, Stevenson knew that Cimino had that sense of wanting to get things right where Stevenson also talks about some technical moments in the film. Especially in how close Cimino was with his actors in making sure they would get their performances right as they trusted him as Stevenson would work with Cimino in his next two films. Other minor extras include a two-and-a-half minute restoration demonstration that showcases what had to be done as the film was drenched in sepia as a lot of work through digital scanning had to be made to restore its original color. The extras include a teaser and a TV spot for the film where the latter displayed the sense of controversy about the film.
The DVD/Blu-Ray set includes a booklet that features two pieces of text relating to the film. The first is an essay entitled Western Promises by the New York-based film writer and programmer Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan about the film. Vallan discusses much of what Cimino wanted to say in the film as well as its disastrous screening in November of 1980. Vallan also talks about the film’s politics and some of the aspects of the production as she feels like it is a film that got attacked over what was going on in its production and its cost rather than it was about. Even as it was well-received in Europe who were looking for the kind of films that old masters like John Ford and Howard Hawks used to make while it was getting trashed by American critics just as the film industry was in a state of transition in the age of the blockbuster as it’s a very engaging essay about the film.
The second piece of text is an interview with Michal Cimino for the November 1980 issue of American Cinematographer entitled The Film That Took On a Life of Its Own by the magazine editor Herb Lightman who was a guest camera operator on the film. Cimino talks about what he wanted to say and do with the film as well as his meticulous approach as he needed people who were able to recreate things from the past as he felt it was something that was lost at the time. Cimino also talked about wanting to shoot in certain locations where he said that if he ever found the right location, he would go ahead and shoot somewhere just to capture something that is just magical. Even as he would capture something that was just accidental yet felt right for the story as it is a compelling piece that showcased his perspective on the making of the film before it would have its notorious premiere.
Heaven’s Gate is a tremendously rich and harrowing film from Michael Cimino. Armed with a great ensemble cast plus major technical achievements in its art direction, Vilmos Zsigmond’s photography, and David Mansfield’s score. It’s a film that showcases a man trying to make a difference in a conflict driven by greed and class differences set to a dark piece of American history. While it is a film that is flawed, it has aspects that are thematically provocative as well as visuals that really defines the concept of epic filmmaking. In the end, Heaven’s Gate is a remarkable film from Michael Cimino.
Michael Cimino Films: Thunderbolt & Lightfoot - The Deer Hunter - Year of the Dragon - The Sicilian - Desperate Hours (1990 film) - The Sunchaser - To Each His Own Cinema-No Translation Needed - The Auteurs #35: Michael Cimino
© thevoid99 2014
(Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival)
Directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene from his own novel, The Third Man is the story of a pulp writer who goes to postwar Vienna where he tries to find out who killed a friend of his as it takes him to dark places. The film is a mystery that takes place in the world of the black markets where it explores all sorts of things in a world that is coming out of World War II. Starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, and Orson Welles. The Third Man is a gripping whodunit from Carol Reed.
Set in postwar Vienna where the city is under occupation following World War II, a pulp writer arrives to the city to meet a friend only to learn that he has been killed. Yet, many questions have arisen for Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) who wondered if the death of his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) is an accident or was it murder as he questions a woman named Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli) who is Harry’s girlfriend while he is being questioned by the British officer Major Calloway (Trevor Howard). It’s a film that doesn’t just explore the mystery of a suspicious murder but there’s something more as it concerns the black market in postwar-occupied Vienna as well as other things where Holly isn’t sure who to trust. Especially as the people Harry were connected to are men from different sectors of the city as they all want to make money and leave people who needed things like penicillin be left aside.
Graham Greene’s screenplay has this unique structure where the first half is about who killed Harry Lime as Holly Martins meets various people who may know something as well as those who may have clues into what really happened. Yet, the script has Holly wondering if he really knew Harry as he becomes concerned for Anna who wants to know what happened to Harry as well yet she is also very cagey about what he does and the men he works with. The film’s second half becomes much more eerie where Holly not only learns about Harry but also the line of work that he does and the identity of the third man who had carried Harry’s body. Though Major Calloway starts off as an antagonist in the film’s first half, he becomes the only person that Holly can trust as Calloway’s motivations to find the truth forces Holly to do what he feels is right.
Carol Reed’s direction is very stylish in not just the way he presents the mystery and drama but also the air of suspense that he brings. Some of which involves some slightly-slanted camera angles that adds to the air of style but also some ambiguity into the world that the characters are in. There’s also some unique framing devices and images that Reed creates such as the way the characters are often seen through a glass window or a glass door as it shows how detached they are from what is going in Vienna. There’s also some very ominous scenes set in the Viennese sewers where it would play into this climax over the third man as it is a moment that is thrilling but also filled with terror as it is told with such style. Overall, Reed crafts a very smart and engrossing film about a man trying to find out about his friend’s death and what got his friend killed.
Cinematographer Robert Krasker does incredible work with the film‘s black-and-white photography where many of its nighttime scenes has this amazing array of lights and shadows to create an atmosphere that is very chilling as the climax in the sewers just adds to that dark atmosphere as it‘s one of the film‘s major highlights. Editor Oswald Hafenrichter does excellent work with the editing in creating some unique montages for some of the film‘s climax along with some methodical cuts to help build up its suspense. Art director Vincent Korda and set decorator Dario Simoni do fantastic work with the set pieces from the apartments Holly goes to as well as the military building Major Calloway works at.
Sound editor Jack Drake does superb work with the sound work that goes on in the film as it is very effective to play into the film‘s suspense and drama. The film’s music by Anton Karas is brilliant with its offbeat use of the zither as it is very playful in its approach to the music that is odd yet it is so intoxicating to listen to as it‘s another of the film‘s highlights.
The film’s wonderful cast includes some notable small roles from Paul Horbiger as a porter who knows some answers about Harry’s murder, Siegfried Breuer as a man who carried Harry’s body on the night he was killed, Ernst Deutsch as the mysterious Baron Kurtz who also carried Harry’s body that night, Erich Ponto as the very eccentric Dr. Winkel, and Bernard Lee as the very kind and resourceful Sgt. Paine. Trevor Howard is excellent as Major Calloway as a man who leads the investigation over Harry’s death as he would also go deep into what he learns about Harry’s line of work as he’s a very ambiguous individual who may seem like an antagonist but has motives that makes him more unique.
Orson Welles is great as Harry Lime as this American black markets dealer who is killed over what happened as Welles maintains a low-key presence as it’s a very strange yet very memorable performance from Welles. Alida Valli is amazing as Anna Schmidt as this woman who may know about what Harry does as she remains evasive yet wants to find him as she helps out Holly despite calling him Harry sometimes. Finally, there’s Joseph Cotten in a phenomenal performance as Holly Martins as this pulp writer who writes these genre-based novels as he goes into his own investigation over Harry’s death while learning about the world of the black market as Cotten adds a sense of determination but also a weariness to man who deals with a very complicated world.
The Third Man is a remarkable film from Carol Reed that features great performances from Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, and Orson Welles. Not only is it one of the finest films of the suspense/film noir genre but also a film that explores the world of postwar Europe that is unraveling as it’s trying to enter the second half of the 20th Century. In the end, The Third Man is a spectacular film from Carol Reed.
© thevoid99 2014
Directed and starring Orson Welles with a script written with Oja Kodar, F for Fake is a loosely-based documentary on the works of forger Elmyr de Hory that ponders whether his work is real or fake. Notably as it explores an array of different narratives involving the works of this man. The result is a fascinating yet bizarre film from Orson Welles.
The film is about the study of hoaxes and forgery where Welles profiles famed forger Elmyr de Hory, the film’s co-writer Oja Kodar, and author Cliff Irving. Individuals who are known for creating these elaborate hoaxes and forgeries. Elmyr de Hory is known to recreate paintings where he’s made a lot of money based on forgeries while getting art experts wondering if these paintings are real or not. Kodar is a woman who is known for her unique sexuality where she’s attracted the attention of Pablo Picasso. Irving is famous for a hoax he made about the existence of the notorious Howard Hughes. The big question that is raised in this film is that are any of these stories real? Are they really fictional? Are they just mere exaggerations?
Welles never reveals about those things though Irving’s hoax is actually true since he did make an elaborate hoax about the re-emergence of Howard Hughes. The film also reveals that Welles himself is a forger since he started his career in Ireland claiming he was a big-time actor from New York while his infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast is one of the great pranks ever made. The film is essentially a prank of sorts that includes an elaborate sequence of men staring at Kodar walking around Paris though it is revealed that they’re instructed to look at her. Then there’s the subject of Elmyr de Hory as he is just this unique artist who lives comfortably in Ibiza where he is able to recreate famous paintings though he is under the watch of authorities who are upset over his forgeries.
While the film also has Welles claiming that he’s about to tell the truth for an hour, does he really tell the truth? Well, it doesn’t really matter as the people he profiles are just as interesting as he is while Welles gets to reflect on his own work with appearances by Ray Collins and Joseph Cotten as they talk about Welles’ ability to be a prankster. Welles also gets the chance to do magic as he’s also a well-respected magician. With the help of cinematographers Gary Graver, Christian Odasso, and Francois Reichenbach, Welles is able to capture the beauty of the locations with some scenes that are very stylized.
One aspect of the film that is unique is in the editing by Marie-Sophie Dubus and Dominique Engerer. It is very stylized to present this sense of chaos that occurs throughout the film with a fast-cutting style that would become prevalent in the films of the 1980s. Largely as it’s to convey the idea that reality and fiction is blurred. With the sound mixing of Paul Bertault and the jazzy music score of Michel Legrand, the film does have this unique tone that is mysterious but also humorous as it plays to the sense of blur of whether anything that Welles is saying is true or not.
F for Fake is a marvelous film from Orson Welles. The film is definitely one of the most unique films that explores the world of forgery and hoaxes while refusing to define itself as fiction or a documentary. It’s also one of Welles’ great films as it reveals his unique ideas about art as well as the art of creating pranks. In the end, F for Fake is a phenomenal film from Orson Welles.
Orson Welles Films: Citizen Kane - The Magnificent Ambersons - The Stranger (1946 film) - The Lady from Shanghai - Macbeth (1948 film) - Othello (1952 film) - Mr. Arkadin - Touch of Evil - The Trial (1962 film) - Chimes at Midnight - The Immortal Story - Filming Othello – The Other Side of the Wind
Related: Orson Welles: The One-Man Band - The Eyes of Orson Welles - They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead - The Auteurs #69: Orson Welles: Part 1 - Part 2
© thevoid99 2013
Based on the novel by Booth Tarkington, The Magnificent Ambersons is the story about a family who face declining fortunes due to changing times as they also deal with social issues that are happening. Written for the screen, directed, and narrated by Orson Welles. The film explores the dynamics of a family who struggles with new changes as they try to maintain their way of life. Starring Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Anne Baxter, Tim Holt, Dolores Costello, and Ray Collins. The Magnificent Ambersons is a captivating drama from Orson Welles.
The film is essentially the story about a family from the early 20th Century who were the darlings of a small town in Indiana only to be affected by changing times when the arrival of the automobile arrive as the fortunes of this unique family start to dwindle. Notably as it revolves around this young man in George Amberson Minafer (Tim Holt) who returns from college to find out that an old family friend in Eugene Morgan (Joseph Cotten) has also returned after a 20-year absence to present the Ambersons his new invention in the automobile. While George would have feelings for Eugene’s daughter Lucy (Anne Baxter), he learns that Eugene and his mother Isabel (Dolores Costello) have had feelings for each other that upsets George and his aunt Fanny (Agnes Moorehead). When George does whatever to stop this from happening yet it would lead to the downfall of the family whose fortunes and reputation were already dwindling.
Orson Welles’ screenplay explores the dynamics of the family as he narrates the film every now and then to give a few moments of exposition to establish who these people are. Notably George Amberson Minafer who arrives as a very spoiled son who the locals hope would get his comeuppance. When George becomes a young adult, he is still a young man with a lot of pride who is instilled about what the Amberson family should be. Yet, he would tease his aunt Fanny while often hanging around with his uncle Jack (Ray Collins) while still being devoted to his family. The arrival of Eugene Morgan would only complicate mattes as George thinks Eugene Morgan is ruining things with this new invention. Yet, the invention would become a major success as it would contribute to changing times.
Though Morgan’s intentions are noble as he wants the Ambersons to be part of his success, George and Fanny each are unsure that Morgan is doing the right thing. Notably as George learns through Jack and Fanny about his mother’s relationship with Eugene and that they were still in love with each other when Isabel married George’s father (Donal Dillaway). Now that George’s father is gone, Isabel and Eugene can renew their love affair yet it hurts George very much as he’s also infatuated with Eugene’s daughter Lucy. It would be his pride for himself and his family that would cause the downfall as he tries to shun Eugene away from his mother only for things to go wrong that led to their downfall.
Welles’ direction is definitely stylish in the way he presents small town Indiana in the 20th Century where the center of this small town is this estate that represents the Ambersons. Through his narration, Welles establishes what kind of family the Ambersons are where even though they are revered by the locals. There is also a bit of discontent in the way young George would have this belief that he owns the town. By the time he returns from college, he’s still that kid of sorts who feels like he is the man of the town as he and his mother are the hosts of this annual lavish party they would have. It’s in this party where Welles would set the stage for everything that would mark the beginning of the end for the Ambersons.
While a lot of the shots are quite straightforward, the mood that Welles puts into the shots add to the dramatic stakes. Notably in some of the exteriors where it features some tracking shots where Welles would follow the camera around the characters as they’re walking in this small town. Still, the direction does have its sense of style in the way Welles would position the actors in some key dramatic moments that occur. Notably in the third act where the downfall of the family finally comes into play through as Welles maintains that air of style that occurs. Yet, it would be followed by an ending that isn’t what Welles had intended as it would be helmed by his assistant director Fred Fleck and editor Robert Wise. Even though the final results are just an idea of a much bigger story Welles wanted to create, the final film version is still an engaging piece about drama and pride.
Cinematographer Stanley Cortez does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to create moods for some of the film‘s interior scenes while the exteriors are more straightforward. Editor Robert Wise does wonderful work with the editing by taking on some straightforward cuts as well as stylized uses of dissolves and wipes. Production designer Albert S. D’Agostino and set decorator Darrell Silvera do amazing work with the sets from the looks of the car and towns to the lavishness that is the Amberson estate.
Costume designer Edward Stevenson does fantastic work with the costumes that the women wear to create their personalities from the lavishness of Isabel, the more prim look of Fanny, and the more youthful style of Lucy. Sound recorders Bailey Fesler and James G. Stewart do terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the film‘s party scenes as well as the tense moments in the film such as George‘s dismissal about Eugene‘s idea about the automobile. The film’s music by Bernard Herrmann is superb for its soaring orchestral score to play up some of the melodrama that happens in the film.
The film’s cast is quite stellar for the ensemble that is created as it features notable small roles from Bobby Cooper as the young George, J. Louis Johnson as the Ambersons’ butler Sam, Richard Bennett as the Amberson patriarch Major Amberson, Erskine Sanford as a law clerk who tries to help George in the third act, and Donald Dillaway as George’s ailing father Wilbur. Ray Collins is superb as George’s uncle Jack who tries to figure out what is best for the family while dealing with the chaos that is happening around them. Agnes Moorehead is great as George’s melodramatic aunt Fanny who pines for Eugene Morgan as she tries to help George sway Eugene from Isabel. Anne Baxter is wonderful as Eugene’s daughter Lucy who has feelings for George as she tries to deal with his immaturity. Dolores Costello is radiant as Isabel who deals with the loss of her husband as well as Eugene’s presence in the hopes to find someone to be with only for things to get complicated.
Joseph Cotten is great as Eugene Morgan as a man who wants to show the world his invention as he intrigues the Ambersons while gaining the ire of George over Isabel. Finally, there’s Tim Holt in a marvelous performance as George Amberson Minafer as a young man who is threatened by Morgan’s new rules and ideas as he tries to hold on to his old ways only to succumb to his own selfish pride and immaturity.
The Magnificent Ambersons is an incredible film from Orson Welles. Featuring an outstanding ensemble cast that includes Joseph Cotten, Tim Holt, Agnes Moorehead, Anne Baxter, Dolores Costello, and Ray Collins. It’s a film that explores the world of changing times and people trying to hold on to the old ways. Notably as it also reveals the sense of fear just as the world is about to change in the eyes of a young man. In the end, The Magnificent Ambersons is a remarkable film from Orson Welles.
Orson Welles Films: Citizen Kane - The Stranger (1946 film) - The Lady from Shanghai - Macbeth (1948 film) - Othello (1952 film) - Mr. Arkadin - Touch of Evil - The Trial (1962 film) - Chimes at Midnight - The Immortal Story - F for Fake - Filming Othello – The Other Side of the Wind
Related: Orson Welles: The One-Man Band - The Eyes of Orson Welles - They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead - The Auteurs #69: Orson Welles: Part 1 - Part 2
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Orson Welles and written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz, Citizen Kane is the story about the life of a publishing tycoon as people investigate his final words as they reflect on his triumphs and scandals. The film is an exploration into the life of a man and how he became successful but also infamous as Welles plays the lead role of Charles Foster Kane. Also starring Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, Ray Collins, George Coulouris, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Stewart, Ruth Warrick, Erskine Sanford, and William Alland. Citizen Kane is a towering film from Orson Welles.
The film is essentially the story about the rise and fall of a publishing tycoon who tried all he can to make the world love him and be loved in the hopes to find happiness. Instead, he dies a man who has surrounded himself with all sorts of things like statues and various objects yet keeps uttering the world “rosebud”. That word would set the story in course as a reporter named Jerry Thompson (William Alland) tries to uncover the mystery about this word. Is it about someone in his life or an object he held very dearly? By talking to various people in this man’s life, Thompson finds himself trying to figure out what does it all mean. Yet, he also learns that the life of Charles Foster Kane is just as mysterious as the meaning of Kane’s final word.
The screenplay that Orson Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz creates does use the rise-and-fall schematics as part of a plot device. Yet, it is told unconventionally since it’s more about the life of a man told by other people. The film begins with Kane uttering his final words and then goes into this newsreel montage of who Charles Foster Kane is. Through this newsreel, Kane is revealed to be a man who was adopted by a rich banker only to be surprised by Kane’s ambitions to run a newspaper and then become a man of great power. Yet, Kane would be married twice in his life and later divorced while becoming obsessive in building a paradise of his own called Xanadu. Kane would also endure scandal and failure as his desperation to be loved by the world only has him driving away those who cared for him where it leads to his own downfall.
Since it’s a story about a man’s life told by others, it allows the character of Thompson to figure out what “rosebud” means. There, he goes through the archives of Kane’s late guardian Walter Parks Thatcher (George Coulouris) while interviewing associates like friend Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten), business manager Mr. Bernstein (Everett Sloane), and his butler Raymond (Paul Stewart) at Xanadu. Then there’s Kane’s second wife Susan Alexander (Dorothy Comingore) who would be the woman to end Kane’s first marriage and his political campaign to be New York state governor. With the exception of Raymond, the individuals that Thompson meets would reveal a lot about who Kane is but also his flaws as a man where they all endured his cruelty though none of them including Raymond know who or what “rosebud” is.
Welles’ direction is entrancing for the way he presents the story about the life of this man in such a wide range of style. From the use of newsreels to help establish who Kane is before the film’s main narrative begins as well as the array of montages and stylish compositions. The direction is often filled with an array of arresting imagery from the look of Xanadu shown from its gate with this amazing mountain castle as it’s backdrop to the presentation of the opera scenes that Susan performs in. It’s all part of this world that Kane lives in as it lives up to the sense of grandeur of who this man as he is a larger than life figure. Welles uses all sorts of unique crane shots and other stylized compositions to establish this larger-than-life persona that Kane is including in the scene where he makes his campaign speech to the people.
The direction also has Welles create compositions that are striking in the way he puts an actor in the background while another is placed very closely to the camera. It’s Welles establishing of what is happening such as a scene where the eight-year old Kane (Buddy Swan) is playing outside of the house while the focus is inside where Thatcher talks to Kane’s parents about adopting him. It’s a framing device Welles would use to establish the sense of detachment that occurs between Kane and the people in his life. These are among the many stylized shots including the film’s opening sequence that is filled with an array of dizzying dissolves and special effects shots courtesy of Vernon L. Walker. Notably as it play to Kane’s death and what he was craving for in his final word.
While Welles does use a lot of stylized shots to establish key dramatic events or environments that play up to the characters Thompson interviews. There’s also moments where Welles would create images that are simple yet ominous. Notably at objects where it plays to the obsessive mind of Kane who fills his life with statues and things yet it also reveals the emptiness he is as a man. It all comes back to that final word that he says in “rosebud”. “Rosebud” does get revealed but what is revealed says a lot more of not what just Kane lost in his life but the path he had taken in his life that had brought him a lot of things but also ruin. Overall, Welles creates a very fascinating yet exhilarating portrait of a man who has everything and then loses everything.
Cinematographer Gregg Tolland does what is truly some of the most exquisite use in the art of photography. From the simpler shots for some of the film‘s exterior scenes to the gorgeous compositions for many of the film‘s backdrop settings. Tolland‘s photography is a major highlight in the film‘s technical field that includes some mesmerizing shots in many of the film‘s interiors from the way he uses shadings and lighting schemes to set the mood. Editor Robert Wise does fantastic work with the editing to play up the sense of grandeur that Kane is where Wise definitely goes from style from the use of transitional cuts in dissolves and wipes as well as montages to play up Kane’s rise and fall. Art director Van Nest Polglase and set decorator Darrell Silvera do amazing work with the set pieces from the look of Xanadu in all of its spectacle landscapes and buildings that plays up to Kane‘s persona to the sets such as the Inquirer newspaper building and the opera staging for Susan.
Costume designer Edward Stevenson does wonderful work with the costumes from the suits that Kane wears to play up his persona to the clothes that Susan wears to establish who she is as a woman that eventually becomes lost in her role. The makeup work of Maurice Seiderman does excellent work with the makeup for many of the film‘s male characters to age to represent what they‘ve become including Susan who looks like a woman who‘s been worn out. The sound work of John O. Aalberg is fantastic for the atmosphere it creates from the scenes at the opera house to the more chilling, intimate moments at the Xanadu estate.
The film’s music by Bernard Herrmann is superb for the sense of drama that it plays to with its orchestral score from the ominous opening scenes to the more heavier moments with bombastic arrangements to play up the melodrama. The film’s soundtrack consists an array of music from opera to jazz as it plays to the times that Kane has lived in as well as some of the emotional moments of the film.
The casting by Rufus LeMaire and Robert Palmer is outstanding for the ensemble that is created for the film. Notable small roles include Buddy Swan as the young Kane, Sonny Bupp as Kane’s young son, Erskine Sanford as the newspaper publisher Kane gets rid of, Harry Shannon and Agnes Moorehead as Kane’s parents, and Ruth Warrick as Kane’s first wife Emily who was the niece of the then-U.S. President where their marriage eventually becomes strained. Paul Stewart is very good as Kane’s butler Raymond who reveals to Thompson about the moment Kane’s life falls apart while Everett Sloane is wonderful as Kane’s longtime business manager who very loyal to him as he watches Kane slowly fall apart. George Coulouris is excellent as Kane’s guardian in the banker Walter Parks Thatcher who is baffled by the young Kane’s ambition as he ends up being forgotten by Kane.
Ray Collins is superb in a small but memorable appearance as Kane’s political rival Jim W. Gettys who would be the one to expose Kane that would lead to his own political downfall. Dorothy Comingore is radiant as Kane’s second wife Susan Alexander as a young woman Kane falls for as he tries to make her into a great singer only to find herself unhappy with the role Kane expects her to be as she ends up a worn out woman. Joseph Cotten is great as Kane’s best friend Jedediah Leland who deals with Kane’s ambition as he finds himself overwhelmed and disillusioned where he later reflects on what kind of man Kane was. William Alland is terrific as the reporter Jerry Thompson who tries to piece the mystery about Kane’s final words as he becomes more baffled by what he finds.
Finally, there’s Orson Welles in a remarkable performance as Charles Foster Kane who becomes a man of great ambition. Welles displays great charisma and energy to a man who is larger than life only to be brought back down to earth as he starts to lose everything where Welles’ performance becomes more eerie in its final moments. Notably as he tries to become a man of defiance who wants the people to love him as he only finds himself become a man that people despise. It’s truly a performance for the ages as well as an indication of what kind of actor Welles is.
Citizen Kane is an outstanding film from Orson Welles. Thanks to a great ensemble cast and amazing technical work highlighted by Gregg Tolland’s photography, Robert Wise’s editing, and Bernard Herrmann’s music. It’s a film that definitely lives up to sense of grandeur that Welles wanted to display in the rise and fall of a man who craves to be loved only to lose something far more valuable. It’s also a film that definitely indicates into why Orson Welles is so revered by film buffs and filmmakers as it also serves as a true introduction into his work. In the end, Citizen Kane is a triumphant film from Orson Welles.
Orson Welles Films: The Magnificent Ambersons - The Stranger (1946 film) - The Lady from Shanghai - Macbeth (1948 film) - Othello (1952 film) - Mr. Arkadin - Touch of Evil - The Trial (1962 film) - Chimes at Midnight - The Immortal Story - F for Fake - Filming Othello – The Other Side of the Wind
Related: Orson Welles: The One-Man Band - The Eyes of Orson Welles - They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead - The Auteurs #69: Orson Welles: Part 1 - Part 2
© thevoid99 2013
