Macbeth and particularly Othello are brilliant films that I’d love to see in the collection. I continue to long for Chimes at Midnight, but King Lear? I don’t know anything about Welles and King Lear. I’ll have to look into that. A box set would be excellent but I assume there are rights issues, otherwise, why wouldn’t they have done something like that already?
Orson Welles directed a version of King Lear that was broadcast on television.
yeah that’s on his list. i’ve seen 4/5. it’d make a wonderful eclipse set, and i’m sure would be one of the more popular releases. however, all welles releases are minefields legally thanks to beatrice welles.
1. 3 out of 5 (Chimes, Macbeth, Othello)
2. Yes. Absolutely.
3. Chimes at Midnight is a favorite of mine & I’d love to have a DVD copy.
Right now I have a bootleg VHS with Chimes, Trial, & Ambersons.
His version of Othello is also something of a guidebook on how-to make a great film with almost no money.
Moderated
There is an excellent import of Chimes at Midnight that plays in Region 1 players. I just got it a few months ago and I have watched it several times. One of Welles’ masterpieces.
Macbeth and Othello are also very good.
Chimes is such a remarkable film. Absolutely love it. He was such a remarkable showman.
Who, btw, played Lear in this TV production? Welles?
And cripes, but I’d love to see it no matter whop played Lear. Except for the Ian McKellan RICHARD and Julie Taymore’s TITUS, the best filmed Shakespeare is Welles’.
Which amnswers #3 at the start of the thread.
Welles played Lear of course!
Justin, what release of Chimes have you bought? Is it the spanish version? I would love to get a copy.
I think the Eclipse idea is fantastic. You could also load it up with some of the radio drama versions of Shakespeare that Welles did in the 30’s and 40’s. Very interesting thread.
Eclipse? Really? No! These films deserve full releases similar to Olivier’s Shakespeare. I know one day I will hold in my hand a 2 disc Blu-Ray of Orson Welle’s Othello with that wonderful little “C” in the corner.
^ I’m also awaiting that day. Well, the day I’ll hold it in my hand, not yours, but I hope you get your copy too… yawn Yes, that day can never come too soon.
Haha, Deckard. I just don’t get why Welles’s relatives wouldn’t want his films to be seen. That is why they don’t have releases right?
Prudence, it’s from Nostalgia Family Video in Baker, Oregon. I was wrong about it being an import — I was buying some other Korean imports at the time.
Justin: I just watched the Nostalgia Family Video version. It was fantastic. You could tell that it was pieced together from different prints, but it was never a detriment to the overall quality.
I found a copy at the library…god bless the library.
I just rewatched Chimes at Midnight again today (haven’t seen it for about a year) and man, I appreciate it so much more for some reason. I mean, I thought it was something special the first time I saw it, but I couldn’t pinpoint why or how exactly so it was kind of a 5/6 deal at the time, but I think it’s Welles’ most realized work since The Trial. What utterly brilliant writing and blending of so many of Shakespeare’s lines. It’s simply perfect … and the pitch-perfect performances by practically everyone in the cast is accentuated so well by the frantic camerawork and very rhythmical editing!
The opening and closing credits bookend the film in exactly the right way. Such an eye-opening experience. This is why multiple viewings are so important.
Not to mention, the famous battle scene that’s just brutal. I can’t praise this film enough … still waiting for the Criterion release.
Just wanted to agree with that D Croix – I love Chimes at Midnight. Saw it on a horrible VHS copy but its brilliance still came through. All of Welles should be on Criterion. The DIY methods of his Shakespeare films fit the material perfectly – better than some lavish, expensive production.
It’s a shame that pretty much all the unavailable Welles material is unavailable, so much anything would be welcome. But—by and large—not gonna happen, because no one wants incur the wrath of Beatrice.
RaySquirrel
Here is another one of my 3Q experiments. The first time I attempted this I used Orson Welles’s The Trial as my first pick. This time I wish to focus on FIVE Orson Welles films I believe should be released through Criterion’s Eclipse series:
Chimes at Midnight (a.k.a. Falstaff)
Macbeth
King Lear
Othello
Filming ‘Othello’
1. Have you seen these films?
2 out of 5
2. Do you believe that these films should be released by the Criterion Collection through the Eclipse label?
Yes
3. Why do you do you believe this film is worthy of a Criterion release?
All of Orson Welles’s Shakespearean films have yet to receive a proper release by a mainstream publisher. Chimes at Midnight is one of the most original and experimental takes on Shakespeare’s plays next to Julie Taymor’s Titus, and it has yet to receive a Region 1 release.
The Eclipse series seems to be designed for movies like these. It is a series of films by one director with one common theme. I believe that Orson Welles’s film Filming ‘Othello’ should be included in the set as a separate film, since Eclipse releases don’t include special features.