Welles on Renoir:

Glenn Anders · Post by **Glenn Anders** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 1:55 pm

Larry French has given us a lovely Thanksgiving present on the Main Page in posting Orson Welles tribute to Jean Renoir.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

:p

Kevin Loy · Post by **Kevin Loy** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 10:24 am

As a side note, I was watching Dreyer's "Ordet" the other day, and for some reason, the shots in the opening credits reminded me quite a bit of Welles' credits for "Chimes at Midnight". Does anybody know what opinion Welles' had towards Dreyer's work, if he expressed one at all?

Skylark · Post by **Skylark** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 12:17 pm

PP. 145-146 of TIOW mentions Dreyer - whom he speaks favorably of except for... The passion of Joan of Arc, although I see similarities with Passion and the very same Chimes, esp. in regards to close-ups...

Le Chiffre · Post by **Le Chiffre** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:01 pm

Thanks to Larry French for the nice OW Renior article. Here are some rejects from the TIOW book where Welles talks about LANG, RENIOR, and BRESSON:

ON RENIOR'S LA CHIENNE (1931)

OW: Yes, that's a great film.

PB: I've never seen it.

OW: Great, great film. Really incredible film. I'd only seen Lang's SCARLETT STREET, which is a remake, which I also liked.

PB: I'm sure it's pretty thick-headed compared to that.

OW: It's completely different. Renior doesn't show you the murder at all. He goes away and comes back when it's all over. Lang of course, does the whole murder. Fascinating- they tell you the exact same story, both films, just completely different films...entirely different mood. Renior's is like life and Lang's is sort of like a nightmare, an UFA nightmare. What's next?

PB: What do you think of Bresson?

OW: I don't like him at all.

PB: I don't either. Too cold.

OW: I just don't like him. I don't like to explain it because I've only seen one picture, his JOAN OF ARC. I hated that. I thought it was just a dreadful picture. Plain and simple dreadful picture. I saw part of COUNTRY PRIEST in Venice and got up the aisle pretty fast.

PB: PICKPOCKET is about the best.

OW: So they tell me. Having been through about one and a half was about all I could make. And he's an intolerable pompous poop, you know? He's one of those festival directors. Oh, he's the prime. We were co-directors on THE BIBLE for awhile, Bresson, Fellini, and myself, you know?

PB: Did you ever work together?

OW: No, but we were photographed together alot, by Delaurentis

Skylark · Post by **Skylark** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 5:52 pm

Cool - That'd be a great film class - watch Renoir and Lang's take on the same story - I guess the fact that Welles bumped around in various European and American regions had to rub off on his film watching options and thus condition his cinematic influences to a certain extant...

Le Chiffre · Post by **Le Chiffre** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:52 pm

SCARLETT STREET is available on DVD. An excellent film, although I think my favorite of Lang's Hollywood films is WOMAN IN THE WINDOW. I totally agree with Welles that LA CHIENNE is a great film. It's often described as Renior's first masterpiece. It's not on DVD yet, but it is on a nice-looking KINO VHS. I managed to see it through an inter-library loan.

As for Dryer, Riechenbach's 1968 portrait of Welles has a scene where, sitting at a cafe, he mentions how Cahiers du Cinema called CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT "a pastiche of Dryer". Welles is laughing as he mentions it. I think he mentioned in TIOW that he liked Dryer's GERTRUDE.

Skylark · Post by **Skylark** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:20 pm

Thanks for those references - Interesting filmmaker that Dreyer - and his influence on Welles... I don't mind seeing bits from other filmmakers in Welles (and he seems to borrow liberally...) because he doesn't do so slavishly - I find he'll adapt stuff to suit his own needs and put his own original twist to it...

[url=http://skylark-.blogspot.com]http://skylark-.blogspot.com[/url]

Kevin Loy · Post by **Kevin Loy** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 2:00 am

The idea of "Chimes" being a pastiche of Dreyer's work is a bit odd to me, though I do think there are some similarities (particularly in "Ordet", though I can't quite put my finger on why I feel that way). The thought of "Passion" and "Chimes" having similarities makes for an interesting thought, and it is certainly valid, but I can see at least some reasons why Welles might not have been as enthusiastic about "Passion". In all honesty, for as good as that film is, I think that "Day of Wrath" and "Ordet" are both far greater works than "Passion". "Passion" might be the more visually striking film (well, actually, I'd argue that "Day of Wrath" is every bit as striking, in its own way), but the others are more emotionally devestating.

Of course, this makes me wonder what Dreyer's opinion might have been on Welles' work, if he had one

tonyw · Post by **tonyw** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:08 pm

I think James Naremore deals with the Dreyer inflluence in his MAGIC WORLD OF ORSON WELLES. But I have a question for Mteal. Is there a video version of the original Reichenback documentary on Elmyr Hory around? It was not included on the Criterion F FOR FAKE.

Also, on another matter I've just head that Munich will be issuing their reconstuction of JOURNEY INTO FEAR on DVD next year

Le Chiffre · Post by **Le Chiffre** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:10 am

I got a copy of the Reichenbach docu in a trade package. I don't know if it's on video or not. It would make a great extra on a DVD of THE IMMORTAL STORY though, as it contains some behind-the-scenes footage of that film. In fact, I believe the two were shown together theatrically in Europe.

Glenn Anders · Post by **Glenn Anders** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:42 am

Put me down for a copy of the re-constructed JOURNEY INTO FEAR, mteal.

Thank you for bringing that to our attention.

Glenn

tony · Post by **tony** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:53 pm

You're right, mteal: I have a European poster which advertises that double-bill.

Le Chiffre · Post by **Le Chiffre** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:01 am

I'd like to see that sometime. Where'd you get it?

BTW, I got that info from THE ENCYCLEPEDIA OF ORSON WELLES, that book that's 'not worth the paper it's printed on'. :p

Skylark · Post by **Skylark** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:18 pm

Renoir on Welles:

"I read in an article by Marcuse, and his theory is that silent films were made for the working classes because they could appeal to all levels, which perhaps explains the great popularity of people like Chaplin and Keaton. But the man of the working class now has two cars and sends his children to the best schools; in fact, the working class has become the middle class. And almost all films today and for the last twenty years have been made for the middle class. Actually, most directors---even the greatest ones---are bourgeois directors. Orson Welles is one of a handful of aristocrats. And his films are aristocratic works. It is probably for that reason that they often are not financially successful. He is also a great actor who so emerges himself in a role that his own personality does not even exist any longer while he is in that character. I like his work so much that I even like him when he is not good, because at all times he remains an artist."

Roger Ryan · Post by **Roger Ryan** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:04 am

tonyw wrote:Also, on another matter I've just head that Munich will be issuing their reconstuction of JOURNEY INTO FEAR on DVD next year

tonyw - Where did you get your information regarding the Munich Filmmuseum's "Journey..." reconstruction being released on DVD next year? In actuality, there are no plans in place for this...at least not from Munich.