by andrej » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:17 am
Vidamonte, I will be in Locarno from 6th to 10th August. As told, I will present a study that I worked at in 1989-1990 about the existing versions of Mr Arkadin. At that time it could have been of some interest, but at the moment I recommend to follow the work that Stefan Drossler is doing about the film. (It will be presented there on August 8th at 11.15 am.)
At the same time I think that can be considered a resource for all wellesians the new edition of NELLA TERRA DI DON CHISCIOTTE (1961). Orson directed for RAI 9 episods and he offered himself for the commentary with his own voice. But in RAI someone told that his italian had a bad american accent (!). So Orson finished the edition, and consigned to RAI nine reels of 16mm with international soundtrack and music. RAI asked a journalist to write a comment, in the movie read by Arnoldo Foà. I have found in the archives the original negatives of soundtrack and image and put together. Roberto Perpignani, at the time young editor of NELLA TERRA DI DON CHISCIOTTE, has seen a part of that in a moviola, and had exclaimed "this is how Orson left the film!". Now, without that disturbing and unuseful commentary, it is an experimental movie, free and powerful, very rich in the editing. I hope that you and other people in the Forum will have an occasion to see it. Please remember: it is not the Welles' final cut, but HOW he left the film before others had thought to "make it better" !
(the same story with other movies of him).
It will be shown on August 9th at 15.15 with a full duration of 3 hours and 48 minutes.
As usual, forgive my english..