Orson Welles at Work
by François Thomas, Jean-Piere Berthomé
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Book Summary Information
Author: François Thomas, Jean-Piere BerthoméEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); French (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-01-01
ISBN: 0714845833
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Book Reviews of Orson Welles at Work
Book Review: Every Orson Welles Fan Should Have This Book!
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this book and couldn't find out anything about it. I searched, but found no reviews anywhere. But, being a Welles fan (and in the midst of a renewed love affair with Welles' work, due in part to reading some new Welles material), I took a chance, even though it was an expensive book. I knew the quality of Phaiden, though.
I was glad I took a chance. This book is fantastic! Lots of photos, many never seen before, and intelligent commentary, this is a great book on the work of Orson Welles. The design and quality was everything I expected from the publisher and the content was wonderful, with a lot of new information, especially about Welles' ideas when he got to Hollywood. The Heart of Darkness chapter alone is worth the money. And for those of you who lost track of Welles' career late in his life, this will show that he was productive right up to the end.
I'd love to see The Other Side of the Wind, The Immortal Story (trying to find a copy), better footage of Don Quixote, Fountain of Youth (trying to find a copy), and The Deep.
I'd love to read a review of this book by Jonathan Rosenbaum.
Summary of Orson Welles at Work
Welles is one of the legendary film directors whose persona has been created through a myriad of myths and legends. Enfant terrible of American cinema, his groundbreaking entry into Hollywood with "Citizen Kane" propelled him to fame as a young prodigy and unfailing genius. Many studies to date have focused on this aspect of Welles, highlighting his clashes with film studios to paint a turbulent picture of an artist repressed by his producers. In this book, however, by returning to the original works and analysing the primary sources, the authors strip back the myths and rumours (many of which were created and fanned by Welles himself) to draw a realistic portrait of this most remarkable filmmaker at work. Welles possessed an exceptional ability to adapt and radically change the stylistic choices of a film to suit his production conditions.His artistic vision was so intense that the various different methods he used from one film to another, and even during the same film, inescapably led to a work stamped with his seal. Whether in control of every detail or deliberately delegating to his team, meticulously prepared or urgently improvised, Welles delighted in working to extremes and was never afraid to challenge the seemingly insuperable. This book recounts the various stages (from conception and pre-production, through the filming and editing to critical reception) of each of his films from the 1940s to the 1970s, including the celebrated "Citizen Kane", "The Magnificent Ambersons", "Othello", "The Trial" and "Touch of Evil".Discussion of each film is supported by numerous illustrations of screenplays and scripts, contracts, sketches, storyboards, models, production reports, memos, letters and correspondence uncovered by new research in European and American archives. In June 2007, "Citizen Kane" was once again voted the 'best movie ever made' by the American Film Institute. A position it has held since the institution opened its poll in 1998. The film has also been hailed by renowned directors worldwide the best film ever made, repeatedly topping the famous ten-year poll of the British Film Institute decade after decade. It is evident that interest in Welles never wanes and his remarkable body of work continuously attracts new devotees.Movies Books
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