Chimes at Midnight

A widespread and misguided perception of Orson Welles’ career – that it was all downhill from Citizen Kane – is turned on its head by Chimes at Midnight. This rambunctious and freewheeling adaptation of various Shakespeare texts would stand as a singular achievement for many filmmakers, but for Welles it’s simply one of many.

While the film may lack coherence at times, it’s thrillingly alive in a way that so few screen versions of Shakespeare manage to be. Hardly a scene goes by without giving the audience something to be dazzled by, from the director’s dynamic camera and editing choices to the full-blooded performances. Some sequences are among the best Welles ever filmed, notably a sensational battle. But the film’s biggest asset (in more ways than one) is Welles the actor, who appears to be having the time of his life as Falstaff: “This sanguine coward, this bed-presser, this horseback-breaker, this huge hill of flesh.” [Philip Concannon]