Shakespeare Month - Chimes at Midnight (1965)

 

Stream it on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel 

Rent it on Amazon, GooglePlay, YouTube, and Apple TV 

    Orson Welles is most often remembered for making one of the most fascinating films in American history, Citizen Kane. Throughout his career since then, he's racked up several equally awesome accomplishments. Later in his career, he left Hollywood to spend his remaining days making creatively unhinged arthouse films in Europe. Probably the most interesting of his experiments was his Shakespearian epic, Chimes at Midnight. The greatest Shakesperian story that Shakespeare didn't actually write. 

    What I mean by that is not what most conspiracy theorists and anti-Stratfordians would like you to believe (don't worry, we'll get to those idiots soon enough); rather, it is a film that combines a handful of Shakespeare's plays into a single story with a unique interpretation and equally awesome presentation. Chimes at Midnight is a kind of abridged version of Shakespeare's History of Henry IV Part 1 and 2. In the original plays, the story followed Prince Hal's journey, a young prince who must learn to leave his debauchery lifestyle behind and assume his responsibility as King. In Chimes at Midnight, the story places one of the supporting characters (arguably the most popular) as the central protagonist: the chubby, lovable, and mischievous Falstaff. 

      In Elizabethan times, Falstaff as a character was incredibly beloved. He is jovial, a bit of a glutton, an occasional con artist, and often the life of the party. In that way, he's an unofficial court jester, regularly making fun of the monarchy and dismissed as fits of madness. A proper analog to his character would probably be someone like W.C. Fields, an insult comic who is surprisingly always fun to be around. A more contemporary example would have to be John De Lancie's Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation but without the superpowers and only a fraction of the infinite "wisdom." A rather large fraction, but a fraction nonetheless. 

    There are many aspects to Chimes at Midnight that make it a fascinating piece to behold. Much like the original plays, the film centers around Prince Hal and Falstaff's relationship. Without going into too many details, Orson Wells makes a series of subtle creative changes that offers a unique and often unexplored take on the nature of their friendship and their eventual falling out. It is a presentation that offers a more optimistic end to Hal's, and Falstaff's friendship than was is traditionally seen in the original plays. One that almost feels like an attempt to provide a more satisfying sense of closure to both the beloved character and his creators. 

    Narrative presentation aside, the film also boasts a ton of awesome technical attributes, especially for the time. Much like Orson Welles's famous work, Citizen Kane, it features gorgeous black and white cinematography with crisp deep focus, bold lighting, and an excellent sense of framing with creative use of foreground and background elements. I might go so far as to argue that it looks much more fascinating in Chimes at Midnight than in any of Orson's other films, especially his aforementioned masterpiece, mostly due to the years of advancement in camera and lighting tech along with plenty of time to perfect the craft. 

    Chimes at Midnight is the kind of film that can appeal to cinema buffs and theater geeks alike. It is magnificent work that provides a great sense of fun and entertainment value not often seen in films of this nature. Do yourself a favor and check this one out. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.