The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
There is no getting around talking about the director of a movie like this. Orson Welles made this on a lark, to fulfill an obligation, and you can tell it is loose to the point of careless in some ways. And the plot isn't totally clear as you go, nor are the motivations of the characters.
But this slightly off, slightly illogical, slightly (or very) bizarre construction is exactly what makes the movie work. So, first off, I think this is a masterpiece. The way it veers from telling a story to suggesting one, the way it shows reactions by heightening them to the point of surreal drama, the way scenes that are improbable and invented and made fabulous, as in some kind of dream, all of this is great movie-making, and makes for an interesting movie, too (the one not always leading to the other).
If you asked Godard, he would say this is Welles's best film, and I'm inclined to at least see why. It has the total excess and expressionist eye candy of the best of both "Kane" and "Touch of Evil" but it also has something they don't have, and that's this feeling of being on a journey, floating through the world in a beautiful way, regardless of what happens. And this is what the main character experiences, the man called Michael played by Orson himself (with a terrible and irritating accent that is an attempt at a brogue).
There are fascinating tidbits behind the movie, but maybe the one that you need to know for it's layering of meaning is that the leading woman, Rita Hayworth, had just ended a relationship with Welles. They were still married but were separated, and you can kind of feel their lingering feelings mixed with doubts, on screen. Or so I thought.
The filming--the photography and lighting--is amazing, truly phenomenal stuff. It ranges from moody water scenes (the twilight party is terrific, visually) to close-ups of sweaty faces to the legendary (rightfully) final scene with the mirrors, shattering, multiplying, dissecting. So just for what it looks like this is a terrific ride. But in fact the acting is intense and edgy, and the plot, once it starts to gel halfway through, is clever and fun. The whole Asian slant to the title, and the opening conversation, comes around full tilt with a great ending in San Francisco's Chinatown.
If you like Orson Welles, you've probably seen this by now, but if not, do so. But don't expect the kind of tightly constructed movie you get with his other films. It's almost an art film, with a bigger budget, and is rightfully in its own category. Great stuff.
There is no getting around talking about the director of a movie like this. Orson Welles made this on a lark, to fulfill an obligation, and you can tell it is loose to the point of careless in some ways. And the plot isn't totally clear as you go, nor are the motivations of the characters.
But this slightly off, slightly illogical, slightly (or very) bizarre construction is exactly what makes the movie work. So, first off, I think this is a masterpiece. The way it veers from telling a story to suggesting one, the way it shows reactions by heightening them to the point of surreal drama, the way scenes that are improbable and invented and made fabulous, as in some kind of dream, all of this is great movie-making, and makes for an interesting movie, too (the one not always leading to the other).
If you asked Godard, he would say this is Welles's best film, and I'm inclined to at least see why. It has the total excess and expressionist eye candy of the best of both "Kane" and "Touch of Evil" but it also has something they don't have, and that's this feeling of being on a journey, floating through the world in a beautiful way, regardless of what happens. And this is what the main character experiences, the man called Michael played by Orson himself (with a terrible and irritating accent that is an attempt at a brogue).
There are fascinating tidbits behind the movie, but maybe the one that you need to know for it's layering of meaning is that the leading woman, Rita Hayworth, had just ended a relationship with Welles. They were still married but were separated, and you can kind of feel their lingering feelings mixed with doubts, on screen. Or so I thought.
The filming--the photography and lighting--is amazing, truly phenomenal stuff. It ranges from moody water scenes (the twilight party is terrific, visually) to close-ups of sweaty faces to the legendary (rightfully) final scene with the mirrors, shattering, multiplying, dissecting. So just for what it looks like this is a terrific ride. But in fact the acting is intense and edgy, and the plot, once it starts to gel halfway through, is clever and fun. The whole Asian slant to the title, and the opening conversation, comes around full tilt with a great ending in San Francisco's Chinatown.
If you like Orson Welles, you've probably seen this by now, but if not, do so. But don't expect the kind of tightly constructed movie you get with his other films. It's almost an art film, with a bigger budget, and is rightfully in its own category. Great stuff.