Review: Chimes at Midnight (a.k.a. Falstaff, 1965)

USA/B&W-115m./Dir: Orson Welles/Wr: Orson Welles (adapted from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I; Henry IV, Part II; Henry V; Richard II; and The Merry Wives of Windsor)/Cast: Orson Welles (Falstaff), Keith Baxter (Prince Hal), John Gielgud (Henry IV), Norman Rodway (Henry “Hotspur” Percy), Margaret Rutherford (Mistress Quickly), Jeanne Moreau (Doll Tearsheet), Fernando Rey (Worcester)

Orson Welles always wanted to be a popular artist. Unfortunately, while the “artist” part came easy to him, he always found the “popular” part elusive. True art is rarely popular; and when it came to creating art, Welles just couldn’t help himself. He was doomed to be an unpopular artist from the start.

While Orson’s early films, such as Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) are justly celebrated today as movie masterpieces, most audiences (outside of fervent film geeks) have not seen his later directorial efforts. This has led to an incorrect assumption that after a spurt of genius, Welles fell into artistic decline. In truth, the artist in Orson never declined. The only thing that declined was the budget with which he had to work. After a number of early box office duds, Orson often had to scrounge for money or finance his directing jobs himself. While these later pictures were produced on a shoestring and received scant theatrical releases, they are no less artistic than Kane. In fact, Welles considered his later works, The Trial (1962), Chimes At Midnight (1965), and F for Fake (1973) to be his best; and of them Chimes at Midnight was the closest to his heart.

Chimes at Midnight is a Shakespeare film like no other. Rather than make a movie adaptation of a single play, as he had done with Macbeth (1948) and Othello (1952), Orson took bits and pieces from several of the bard’s history plays in which the supporting character of fat, drunken, boasting, cowardly, and lovable Sir John Falstaff appeared and cobbled them together into a single narrative. Welles’ transposition of Shakespeare’s storytelling proves to be just as effective as the bard’s original plays and suggests that the background action of the relationship between sherry-sodden Falstaff and Prince Hal is a deeper, more thoughtful story than that of the primary action of kings and crowns and war.

While much of the Welles’ film is assembled from the comedy relief scenes of Shakespeare’s history plays, the overarching mood of the picture is one of melancholy. The Prince of Wales enjoys his inebriated adventures with Falstaff, but he knows that eventually he will have to cast off the frivolities of his youth and the old reprobate along with it. Hal’s looming responsibilities and eventual rejection of Falstaff are foreshadowed throughout the film and darken even the most good-humored scenes. The themes of aging and death are also repeated throughout the film, as the title would suggest. With these dark devices, Welles makes Falstaff the saddest of clowns.

Like all Orson’s films, Chimes at Midnight is visually stunning and cleverly edited, despite its modest budget. In fact, the movie is most famous for its battle of Shrewsbury sequence, which is one of the most down and dirty war scenes ever committed to film. That muddy clash of men, horses, swords, and arrows has influenced numerous films that followed, including Kenneth Branaugh’s Henry V (1989) and Braveheart (1995).

Despite the visual splendor, it is Welles’ performance that is the most dazzling aspect of the film. While Falstaff is oversized in his mirth and his girth, Welles characterization never falls into caricature. He is equally believable jovially extolling the virtues of wine and heartbroken at the Prince’s rebuke. In fact, Welles’ wordless reaction to his banishment by his former friend is Orson’s greatest moment of acting on film. He simultaneously conveys unendurable grief and fatherly pride. The other cast members are excellent, particularly Norman Rodway as Hotspur, but they can’t match Welles’ full-formed embodiment of Sir John.

While the film occasionally suffers from its low budget, especially in terms of some sound-syncing issues, many critics consider Chimes at Midnight to be the greatest Shakespeare film ever made. It is certainly the most original and the booziest movie adapted from the bard’s plays. It is not to be missed.

Drinks Consumed--Sack (sherry) and ale

Intoxicating Effects--Boasting, staggering, the giggles, and public disturbance

Potent Quotables--FALSTAFF: A good sherris sack hath a two-fold operation in it. It ascends me into the brain; dries me there all the foolish and dull and curdy vapours which environ it; makes it apprehensive, quick, forgetive, full of nimble fiery and delectable shapes, which, delivered o'er to the voice, the tongue, which is the birth, becomes excellent wit. The second property of your excellent sherris is, the warming of the blood; the sherris warms it and makes it course from the inwards to the parts extreme. And hereof comes it that Prince Harry is valiant; for the cold blood he did naturally inherit of his father, he hath, like lean, sterile and bare land, manured, husbanded and tilled with excellent endeavour of drinking good and good store of fertile sherris, that he is become very hot and valiant. If I had a thousand sons, the first humane principle I would teach them would be this, to forswear thin potations and to addict themselves to sack.

Video Availability--Due to legal wrangling over ownership, Chimes at Midnight has never been officially released on DVD in the States. However, there have been a few Region 2 DVD releases, including an out-of-print Studio Canal release that had pristine audio and video. However, Nostalgia Family Video (a.k.a Hollywood’s Attic) does produce a "collector's copy" on DVD in the U.S.

Similarly Sauced Cinema--Welles stars as a crooked cop with a problem with the bottle in another of his directorial masterpieces, Touch Of Evil (1958).

Chimes at Midnight: Orson Welles, director (Rutgers Films in Print - Paperback)

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Booze News: W.C. Fields Exhibit in NYC

Attention East Coast Soused Cinema Enthusiasts!

On May 19th, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center will open an exhibition dedicated to the patron saint of booze movies, W.C. Fields. “The Peregrinations & Pettifoggery of W. C. Fields,” organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, draws on a remarkable trove of personal memorabilia including posters, photographs, publicity materials, letters, scripts, personal documents, artifacts, film clips, and sound recordings donated by family and friends of the Great Man. The exhibition will run through August 21st. Don't miss it!

In conjunction with the exhibit, selected films featuring the Great Man will be screened (including the rare silents So's Your Old Man and Running Wild). Here's the schedule:

June 1st at 2:30 p.m.
SALLY OF THE SAWDUST (1925)

June 8th at 2:20 p.m.
POOL SHARKS (1915)
SO'S YOUR OLD MAN (1926)
Accompaniment by Ben Model

June 15th at 2:30 p.m.
THE GOLF SPECIALIST (1930)
RUNNING WILD (1927)

June 22nd at 2:30 p.m.
THE DENTIST (1932)
YOU'RE TELLING ME (1934)

June 29th at 2:30 p.m.
IT'S A GIFT (1934)

July 6th at 2:30 p.m.
THE FATAL GLASS OF BEER (1933)
THE BANK DICK (1940)

For more info, check out nypl.org and wcfields.com.

Cheers,
garv

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Review: The Hangover (2009)

USA/C-100m./Dir: Todd Phillips/Wr: Jon Lucas & Scott Moore/Cast: Bradley Cooper (Phil Wenneck), Ed Helms (Stu Price), Zach Galifianakis (Alan Garner), Justin Bartha (Doug Billings), Heather Graham (Jade), Ken Jeong (Mr. Chow), Mike Tyson (Himself)

Ninety-five years after Charlie Chaplin entered the movie business and fascinated audiences with his soused slapstick, The Hangover proved that liquor-laced humor is timeless by becoming the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time. The “bachelor party gone awry” storyline concerns three groomsmen—irresponsible, fun-loving Phil (Bradley Cooper), harried and henpecked Stu (Ed Helms), and weirdo brother-in-law-to-be Alan (Zach Galifianakis)—who treat the groom, Doug (Justin Bartha), to a Las Vegas getaway before his wedding. Unfortunately, after an evening of drunken partying and outrageous hijinks, the groomsmen awake to find the groom has disappeared. With no memory of what took place the night before and only a day before the wedding, the three have to piece together the events of the previous evening from a variety of clues—an abandoned baby, a missing tooth, a tiger, a police car, a hospital bracelet, etc.-in order to find their missing buddy.

Is the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time the funniest R-rated comedy ever made? In a word, “no.” National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) and more recent laughers Bad Santa (2003) and Shaun of the Dead (2004) all contain bigger guffaws and more of them. The Hangover is a surprisingly sedate comedy, despite its over-the-top premise. On the whole, however, that’s a good thing. Todd Phillips’ earlier flicks such as Road Trip (2000) and Old School (2003) were uneven efforts that ranged from realistic, even subtle, comic moments to cartoony gross-out gags. In those movies, the broad jokes often fell flat. The Hangover has a more consistent, realistic tone; and while there are few laugh-out-loud moments, the characters, situations, and dialogue are chuckle-worthy throughout.

The film’s success is largely due to the performances of the three lead actors. Bradley Cooper does some of his best work as the slightly sleazy best man. Moreover, he holds up his end in the humor department, while sharing the screen with masterful sketch comedian Helms and brilliant stand-up Galifianakis. As one would expect, Helms and Galifianakis get most of the best lines and deliver them to perfection. However, their performances are much more than just “bringing the funny.” Both comedians manage to create three-dimensional characters that are believable and likeable, with a touch of pathos. While supporting actors such as Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Mike Epps, Rob Riggle, and Jeffery Tambor all add a little extra spice to the brew, the film is really a three man show; and the trio expertly shoulders the burden.

Overall, The Hangover may be a little less hilarious than its premise and reputation would lead you to believe. However, it is a well-crafted, flavorful cocktail that you will likely want to sample more than once.

Note--The wedding band at the end of the film is the “Dan Band,” featuring foul-mouthed wedding singer Dan Finnerty. The Dan Band previously appeared in Phillips’ earlier directorial efforts Old School (2003) and Starsky & Hutch (2004).

Drinks Consumed--Beer, Jagermeister, and unnamed cocktails

Intoxicating Effects--Hangover, memory blackouts, vomiting, drunk driving, and destruction of property

Potent Quotables--PHIL: (Toasting) To a night the four of us will never forget.

Video Availability--DVD and Blu-ray (Warner Brothers)

Similarly Sauced Cinema--Phillips is scheduled to direct a sequel with all four leads, which will be released in 2011.

Video on Demand: The Hangover (Unrated)

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Review: The Face on the Bar Room Floor (1914)

USA/Silent/B&W-12m./Dir: Charles Chaplin/Wr: Hugh Antoine d’Arcy & Charles Chaplin/Cast: Charles Chaplin (Artist), Cecile Arnold (Madeleine), Jess Dandy (The lover who stole her), Vivian Edwards (Model)

The reputation of the early Charlie Chaplin short The Face on the Bar Room Floor has been sullied over the years due to the condition of the existing film elements. Modern critics approaching the film for the first time are often confronted with ragged, incomplete prints with choppy images, missing or rewritten intertitles, and scenes assembled in the incorrect order. Naturally, the resulting reviews have been more harsh and dismissive than the film deserves. This is a shame, because The Face on the Bar Room Floor is one of the most ambitious and successful of the Keystone comedies that Chaplin produced during his first year in the movie business.

The Face on the Bar Room Floor was Chaplin’s first attempt at parody, satirizing a popular Hugh Antoine d’Arcy poem of the same name. The poem, which was well known to 1914 audiences, relays the story of a vagabond who enters a saloon and begs drinks off the barflies in exchange for telling the tale of how he was laid low. According to the drifter’s story, he was once a great artist, but he turned to drink after the girl he loved ran off with a fair-haired youth. After relaying the narrative, the vagabond sketches a picture of his beloved on the floor of the bar and falls upon it dead.

Chaplin’s parody of the maudlin ballad follows the narrative of the poem fairly closely, even using direct quotes from d’Arcy’s verses in the title cards. However, Chaplin’s reenactment of the familiar story exaggerates (and occasionally contradicts) the described actions for comic effect, ridiculing the source material and stripping it of all possible pathos. The vagabond of the poem is portrayed, of course, as Chaplin’s famous drunken tramp, belching, staggering, and stumbling as he downs drinks and imparts his weepy tale. For the flashbacks of the artist in his prime, Chaplin dresses in a full tuxedo. Not only does the costume amplify the height from which the vagabond fell to a ridiculous extent; it also allows Chaplin to mine the comic possibilities of a filthy artist’s studio, including distractedly dabbing his dressy duds with his paint brush and absentmindedly sitting on his paint palette.

As the title cards go on to describe the fair-haired boy who stole the artist’s love, we see instead a middle-aged, balding, rotund actor with a bushy, black mustache. Upon completing his sad story, Chaplin’s tramp attempts to draw a likeness of his lady love on the barroom floor like the vagabond of the poem, but in his lubricated condition, he can only manage a sloppy smiley face. He also collapses onto the drawing, but unlike the hero of the poem, he isn’t dead. He’s simply dead drunk.

While none of Chaplin’s work at Keystone is as brilliant or nuanced as the comedian’s later work, this early attempt at Mad Magazine-style* parody is both historically interesting and fairly amusing. It’s definitely better than its reputation would lead one to believe.

*Another parody of d’Arcy’s poem appeared in Mad #10, illustrated by Jack Davis and Basil Wolverton.

Drinks Consumed--Whiskey and beer

Intoxicating Effects--Belching, staggering, stumbling, brawling, and passing out

Potent Quotables--TITLE CARD: “Give me a drink – that’s what I want.
I’m out of funds you know.
When I had funds to treat this gang,
This hand was never slow.”

Video Availability--The Face on the Bar Room Floor, like most of the public domain Keystone shorts, is available on numerous budget DVDs and as a free stream on the Internet. However, those videos are derived from badly decayed prints, with scenes obviously assembled in the wrong order. An effort is currently underway by the British Film Institute to restore all of the Chaplin Keystone shorts, so the Keystones will eventually be available on video in improved condition. In the meantime, the best available reconstruction of the short is available on YouTube and is embedded above.

Similarly Sauced Cinema--Chaplin next got drunk with fellow comic Fatty Arbuckle in the Keystone classic, The Rounders (1914).

Charlie Chaplin at Keystone and Essanay: Dawn of the Tramp
The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin: Artistry in Motion
Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema

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