Chimes at Midnight

Composite Score: 86.53

Starring: Orson Welles, Keith Baxter, John Gielgud, Margaret Rutherford, Jeanne Moreau, Alan Webb, Walter Chiari, Michael Aldridge, Tony Beckley, Charle Farrell, and Norman Rodway

Director: Orson Welles

Writer: Orson Welles

Genres: Comedy, Drama, History, War

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Box Office: $126,724 worldwide

My take on Watching This Film:

                Chimes at Midnight is Orson Welles’s film adaptation of some of Shakespeare’s works of history – primarily Henry IV but also parts of Henry V, Richard II, and The Merry Wives of Windsor – focusing on the character of Falstaff (Welles), the bombastic, aging, and lecherous friend of the heir-apparent to England’s throne, Hal (Keith Baxter). King Henry IV’s (John Gielgud) reign faces rebellion from the Earls of Worcester and Northumberland and Northumberland’s son Henry “Hotspur” Percy (Norman Rodway), leading the embattled king to bring open critiques against his son Hal and his rambunctious company. As the story progresses, we see Hal torn between his friends and his father, culminating in a major choice at his ascension to the throne as Henry V. The film received early acclaim in international cinemas but has only been heralded by American critics in more recent years, since the 1980s or so.

                Fans of Shakespeare and Welles will have plenty to gorge on in this film, as it contains an abundance of both. Welles’s portrayal of Shakespeare’s works is some of the best ever put to screen, as if Welles’s directorial style existed solely to bring to life the medieval and Renaissance worlds of the Bard’s plays, highlighting the characters and the worlds where they live with equal reverence and familiarity, never allowing the fame of the pieces to overshadow the stories being told. Welles himself portrays the portly knight Falstaff, the film’s main character, in one of (if not the singular) the best performances of his career. He brings a weight (no pun intended) to the character that feels familiar not only with the reality of such a character but also with Shakespeare’s own vision for the character, and it’s impressive to see. He’s not just a comic figure, there to entertain; he’s also tragic, forced to play a role to maintain his friendship with what must be his closest friend even as that friend drifts further from him as the world they live in shifts and calls each of them to diverging roles. It’s this troubled story that Welles leans into, and it makes for a thoroughly entertaining take on Shakespeare’s works, focusing on the themes of friendship, nostalgia, and the inexorable march of time away from the perceived “merrier past”.

                Welles takes the lion’s share of the credit for the greatness of Chimes at Midnight in both his direction and acting, giving us a portrayal of the works of Shakespeare that stay true to the original content while highlighting their universal nature, earning the film a spot among the greats along the way. Those less taken with Shakespeare and/or with Welles will probably not find their minds suddenly changed by this film and its excellent acting and production design, but those who love the Bard or the director will find some of their best works on full display here. Currently, you can stream this film on Max or the Criterion Channel if you’d like to check it out.