How else do you tell a story about fakers except by faking it?
Finally, "F for Fake" is a masterpiece. It is one of Welles´ greatest films which, by definition, makes it one of the greatest films of all-time. If we listen only to the Hollywood history, Welles´ career was one continuous slide after achieving early greatness. In reality, he has a great filmmaker who continued to make great films at every stage of his career, even in the face of difficult financial circumstances. "Chimes at Midnight" (1965) may well be his greatest work, and "F for Fake" is certainly not far behind.
Video
The DVD is presented in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The restored high-definition transfer is a vast improvement over the VHS copy previously in circulation, though it is uneven at times. Welles shot the film on multiple sources (16 mm and 35 mm) and also used footage from other films and video broadcasts. In general, the image quality is excellent but some scenes appear not to have received the full restoration treatment. The scene at Chartres, for example, is still grainy and dirty; it doesn´t appear to have been touched up much, if at all. But I´m not complaining. This is still a fine transfer. I´ve seen it several times on VHS, and I greatly appreciate the improvements made on the Criterion release.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. The dialogue is all well-mixed, no small task since Welles´ audio designs were always so complex, mixing and matching location sound with ADR and voice-over with dialogue in many scenes. Legrand´s soundtrack also sounds great. Optional English language subtitles support the audio.
Extras
Speaking of pleasures, this DVD is loaded with them.
Disc One:
Commentary track by Oja Kodar and Director of Photography Gary Glover. More a series of observations than the typical wall-to-wall conversation that comprises most commentaries. I liked it a lot.
Peter Bogdanovich intro (6 min.) Welles´ friend and biographer, Bogdanovich describes the film as "unlike any other." Maybe so, though he acts as if Welles invented the film essay which would be great news to Chris Marker and Agnes Varda, among others.
Trailer (9 min.) A nine minute trailer? Well, let´s just say that Orson Welles did everything big. More a short film than a trailer, it includes much footage recorded solely for the trailer. The "trailer" is hilarious, entertaining, and a perfect description of "F for Fake." Naturally, American distributors rejected it.
Disc Two:
"Orson Welles: One-Man Band" (1995): A feature-length (87 min.) documentary made in cooperation with Oja Kodar. It includes footage from several of Welles´ unfinished films: "The Other Side of the Wind," "Moby Dick," "The Deep," and much more. There are also clips of Welles´ performing magic on stage, and several short comedy films he made late in his career which portray the playful, self-deprecating side he displays in "F for Fake." This documentary is an absolute gem that would be worth buying all by itself. Plus it´s got Oja Kodar.
"Almost True: The Noble Art of Forgery" (1997): A short feature (52 min) made for the Norwegian Film Institute about Elmyr de Hory. The "straight" version of Elmyr´s story. A nice companion piece to the main film.
"60 Minutes Interviews Clifford Irving" (2000, 9 min.): In 1972, Irving went on a relatively new show called "60 Minutes" to defend himself against claims that his Howard Hughes´ autobiography was a hoax. He lied through his teeth. In 2000, he was invited back on the show to explain himself. Very interesting.
"Howard Hughes Press Conference." Hughes held a press conference by phone to deny all of Irving´s claims. This feature includes several audio clips of Hughes answering reporters´ questions. The popularity of "The Aviator" makes this feature somewhat more interesting.
Closing Thoughts
My earliest memory of Orson Welles is as the host of an exploitation flick called "The Man Who Saw Tomorrow," a so-called documentary about Nostradamus´ prophecies. I was probably 11 or 12 years old when I saw it, and I didn´t have the slightest idea who this fat guy with piercing eyes, a scruffy beard, and a booming voice was. Nostradamus was, of course, a complete fraud (as a prophet – as a physician, he treated many plague sufferers who other doctors wouldn´t touch) but when Welles spoke his (very loosely translated) words, he had me convinced. The world was going to end in 1987 when Halley´s Comet returned ("when the comet shall run!") and I, for one, was scared to death. I wonder if Orson believed any of it. For him, it was almost true since his own world ended in 1985. I´m willing to bet that he knew it was all fake, though. That was the fun of it, right?
Video
The DVD is presented in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The restored high-definition transfer is a vast improvement over the VHS copy previously in circulation, though it is uneven at times. Welles shot the film on multiple sources (16 mm and 35 mm) and also used footage from other films and video broadcasts. In general, the image quality is excellent but some scenes appear not to have received the full restoration treatment. The scene at Chartres, for example, is still grainy and dirty; it doesn´t appear to have been touched up much, if at all. But I´m not complaining. This is still a fine transfer. I´ve seen it several times on VHS, and I greatly appreciate the improvements made on the Criterion release.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. The dialogue is all well-mixed, no small task since Welles´ audio designs were always so complex, mixing and matching location sound with ADR and voice-over with dialogue in many scenes. Legrand´s soundtrack also sounds great. Optional English language subtitles support the audio.
Extras
Speaking of pleasures, this DVD is loaded with them.
Disc One:
Commentary track by Oja Kodar and Director of Photography Gary Glover. More a series of observations than the typical wall-to-wall conversation that comprises most commentaries. I liked it a lot.
Peter Bogdanovich intro (6 min.) Welles´ friend and biographer, Bogdanovich describes the film as "unlike any other." Maybe so, though he acts as if Welles invented the film essay which would be great news to Chris Marker and Agnes Varda, among others.
Trailer (9 min.) A nine minute trailer? Well, let´s just say that Orson Welles did everything big. More a short film than a trailer, it includes much footage recorded solely for the trailer. The "trailer" is hilarious, entertaining, and a perfect description of "F for Fake." Naturally, American distributors rejected it.
Disc Two:
"Orson Welles: One-Man Band" (1995): A feature-length (87 min.) documentary made in cooperation with Oja Kodar. It includes footage from several of Welles´ unfinished films: "The Other Side of the Wind," "Moby Dick," "The Deep," and much more. There are also clips of Welles´ performing magic on stage, and several short comedy films he made late in his career which portray the playful, self-deprecating side he displays in "F for Fake." This documentary is an absolute gem that would be worth buying all by itself. Plus it´s got Oja Kodar.
"Almost True: The Noble Art of Forgery" (1997): A short feature (52 min) made for the Norwegian Film Institute about Elmyr de Hory. The "straight" version of Elmyr´s story. A nice companion piece to the main film.
"60 Minutes Interviews Clifford Irving" (2000, 9 min.): In 1972, Irving went on a relatively new show called "60 Minutes" to defend himself against claims that his Howard Hughes´ autobiography was a hoax. He lied through his teeth. In 2000, he was invited back on the show to explain himself. Very interesting.
"Howard Hughes Press Conference." Hughes held a press conference by phone to deny all of Irving´s claims. This feature includes several audio clips of Hughes answering reporters´ questions. The popularity of "The Aviator" makes this feature somewhat more interesting.
Closing Thoughts
My earliest memory of Orson Welles is as the host of an exploitation flick called "The Man Who Saw Tomorrow," a so-called documentary about Nostradamus´ prophecies. I was probably 11 or 12 years old when I saw it, and I didn´t have the slightest idea who this fat guy with piercing eyes, a scruffy beard, and a booming voice was. Nostradamus was, of course, a complete fraud (as a prophet – as a physician, he treated many plague sufferers who other doctors wouldn´t touch) but when Welles spoke his (very loosely translated) words, he had me convinced. The world was going to end in 1987 when Halley´s Comet returned ("when the comet shall run!") and I, for one, was scared to death. I wonder if Orson believed any of it. For him, it was almost true since his own world ended in 1985. I´m willing to bet that he knew it was all fake, though. That was the fun of it, right?
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[release]15792[/release]