Given that Orson Welles left behind ¨hundreds¨ of hours of film for his unfinished creation, it is difficult to know what to think of this two hour selection. What is immediately clear is that every single shot references the history of film in one way or another: Fellini, Godard, Polanski, and many other directors´ works are repeatedly alluded to in this kaleidoscopic collage of a film. Most obviously, the John Huston character is essentially identical in demeanor and comportment to Noah Cross from Chinatown. This makes it impossible not to see echoes of Chinatown throughout (the blond girl, etc.)
I am always skeptical of the posthumous launching of artists´ unfinished projects, but because the cinematography of the individual shots is so excellent, I think that The Other Side of the Wind is worth watching for anyone familiar with the history of film. I imagine that Welles was hoping to create something which held together as a whole much better than this does, but at least we see smatterings of his brilliance here and there. My best guess is that this would have been a scathing indictment of the film industry, but the selection here makes it seem more like a relic of the psychedelic 1960s and 1970s.
A final question: If all of the footage is as beautiful as these two hours of shots, then why not make fifty more films? The answer is probably that not all of it is this good.
I am always skeptical of the posthumous launching of artists´ unfinished projects, but because the cinematography of the individual shots is so excellent, I think that The Other Side of the Wind is worth watching for anyone familiar with the history of film. I imagine that Welles was hoping to create something which held together as a whole much better than this does, but at least we see smatterings of his brilliance here and there. My best guess is that this would have been a scathing indictment of the film industry, but the selection here makes it seem more like a relic of the psychedelic 1960s and 1970s.
A final question: If all of the footage is as beautiful as these two hours of shots, then why not make fifty more films? The answer is probably that not all of it is this good.