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“A masterpiece” – Roger Ebert, Film Critic from the Sunday Times

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BASED ON SHAKESPEARE

Chimes at Midnight is a film from Orson Wells, and it is based on several texts from Shakespeare: primarily Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, but also Richard II, Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. The film's narration, spoken by Ralph Richardson, is taken from the chronicler Holinshed.

The film stars the very amazing French actress Jeanne Moreau! (pictured above, without the beard)

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LEGAL BATTLE OVER THE RIGHTS

From the 1990s and until 2011, it was unclear who owned the screening rights for the film, and therefore, it disappeared from cinema screens. When the National Film Theatre in London held an Orson Welles' season in 2003, Chimes At Midnight wasn't shown. When a major Welles' retrospective was held at the Locarno Festival in 2005, the organisers had to secure permission from Saltzman's widow Adriana for a one-off screening of a very ropey print.

NEW RESTORED VERSION

The film was finally restored by British distributor Mr Bongo – and it was finally shown again, in a restored version, in 2011 at the "Screen Arts Festival."

We are very excited about showing this new restored version at the cinema tonight!

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AWARDS, PRIZES

Nomination - BAFTA for Best Foreign Actor for Orson Wells (1968)

Winner - 1966 Cannes Film Festival the 20th Anniversary Prize and the Technical Grand Prize.

Winner - Citizens Writers Circle Award for Best Film in Spain (1966)

REVIEWS

“Welles was born to play Falstaff, not only because of the physical similarity but because of the rich voice, sonorous and amused, and the shared life experience.” – Film critic ROGER EBERT

“The crucial point about "Chimes at Midnight" is that although it was rejected by audiences and many critics on its release, although some of the dialogue is out of sync and needs to be adjusted, although many of the actors become doubles whenever they turn their backs, although he dubbed many of the voices himself, although the film was assembled painstakingly from scenes shot when he found the cash -- although all of these things are true, it is a finished film, it realizes his vision, it is the Falstaff he was born to direct and play, and it is a masterpiece.” - Film critic ROGER EBERT

WELLS’ FAVOURITE FILM OF HIS

Welles held this film in high regard and considered it along with The Trial (1962) as his best work.

As he remarked in 1982, "If I wanted to get into heaven on the basis of one movie, that's the one I'd offer up."

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FAMOUS BATTLE SCENE

“The scene of the battle of Shrewsbury is justly famous. It lasts fully 10 minutes, chaotic action at a brutal pitch, horses and men confused in smoke and fog, steel crashing against steel, cries of pain, desperate struggles, confused limbs caked in mud and blood, men falling exhausted or dead.” – ROGER EBERT

MADE WITH LITTLE MONEY

“Bargain basement sets, poorly synchronized sound, battle scenes with casts of dozens-and genius…pure, unadulterated genius. Welles, not Olivier, not Branagh, was the supreme transcriber of Shakespeare to the screen, and he did it with a fraction of their resources. Welles takes Shakespeare's great "history plays' about Henry the Fourth and Henry the fifth, and weaves them into a cinematic vision with Falstaff-drunken, cowardly, bawdy, greedy, thieving, yet ever loyal and ever lovable Falstaff_ as the hero.

Welles captures Falstaff in an unforgettable characterization. This is a beautiful film, for all the cheapness with which it was filmed. In fact, like Macbeth and Othello it is beautiful because it is a "poverty row' film, an exquisite primitive, relying, not on richly colored set or magnificent music, but simply on the grammar of cinema. It is Welles last full vision, and it shows Welles to be a humanistic, compassionate, and deeply spiritual film-maker. SUBLIME” – Canadian site LEARN MEDIA http://www.learmedia.ca/product_info.php/products_id/104

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Tickets

Either £5 / £3.50 (conc) on the night

OR Advance tickets £4.50 and £3 (conc) http://www.wegottickets.com/event/169906