Product Description

Trickery. Deceit. Magic. In Orson Welles' free-form documentary, the legendary filmmaker (and self-described charlatan) gleefully engages the central preoccupation of his career-the tenuous line between truth and illusion, art and lies. Beginning with portraits of world-renowned art forger Elmyr de Hory and his equally devious biographer, Clifford Irving, Welles goes on a dizzying cinematic journey that simultaneously exposes and revels in fakery and fakers of all stripes-not the least of which is Welles himself. Charming and poignant, F for Fake is an inspired prank and a searching examination of the essential duplicity of cinema. Criterion's two-disc DVD edition also features an introduction by Peter Bogdanovich, audio commentary by director of photography Gary Graver, an hour long documentary on Welles' unfinished projects, a documentary on the life and works of de Hory, and the theatrical trailer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33471 in DVD
• Brand: Image Entertainment
• Released on: 2005-04-26
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 85 minutes

Amazon.com
To call Orson Welles's F For Fake a documentary would be somewhat deceitful, but deceit itself is very much the subject of this curious film essay. Welles ruminates on the nature of artistic fakery through two examples, that of infamous art forger Elmyr de Hory and the writer Clifford Irving, whose bogus autobiography of Howard Hughes set off a minor media flurry in the 1970s. Postmodernist that he is, Wells then proceeds to narrate and edit the film in such a perversely frenetic way as to blur the lines between what is real and what is deception, making for an often confusing but engaging work of art in itself. We even see the footage we've been watching as it's being spliced together in Welles's editing room. The specter of Welles's often maligned later career hangs over the proceedings like a challenge--is he going to actually complete this strange movie about chicanery, or will it become one of the many unfinished experiments of his twilight years? Happily, Welles concludes the proceedings with a delightful sequence about Picasso, lust, and what constitutes real art. F For Fake is a fine example of a master filmmaker who had at least a couple tricks left up his sleeve. --Ryan Boudinot

DVD Bonus Materials
When Orson Welles passed away he left his estate in the care of Oja Kodar, the beguiling woman who figures prominently in F For Fake. In a feature included with the disc of supplements, Kodar provides a glimpse into the many unfinished projects that Welles left behind. The full range of Welles's personality is on display--grandiose, hilarious, self-effacing, brooding, and playful. In his later years, between appearances in whiskey commercials and the occasional college symposium, Welles traveled the world with a suitcase of film equipment, prepared to start shooting whenever the spirit moved him. In one sequence Welles simply recites Moby Dick in front of the camera, and in another he performs every role in a bewildering short about a one-man band. The theatrical trailer for F For Fake is more than a glimpse at the film; it's a mini-exposition on authenticity and forgery in itself. Overall the extras tend to leave one with a sense of what might have been, had this master of the medium attained the kind of industry backing and popular acclaim to allow him to realize his most ambitious projects. -- Ryan Boudinot

Customer Reviews

Chill out, will ya? It's just Orson having a little fun
I thoroughly enjoyed this amusing quasi-documentary. But then, I'd sit through 90 minutes of Orson Welles sitting in front of a white sheet talking about anything. Has there ever been a more spellbinding narrative voice? His voice-over for the trailer of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE made it sound like the Second Coming of Christ!

Some of the other reviewers here sound as if they could use some Ex-Lax. Chill out, will ya? This isn't supposed to be a profound statement. The old man's just having a little fun.

Having said this, I will immediately contradict myself by noting that the scene in which Welles ruminates on the longevity of art while contemplating Chartres Cathedral touched me deeply. In the context of his tattered career, and the ever-growing stature of his masterpiece CITIZEN KANE, it suggests that Welles at last attained some measure of peace with his life and achievements.

The DVD itself looks and sounds terrific.

A Cinematic Juggling Act
His last major work as a filmmaker, Orson Welles' "F for Fake" (1973) survives as a rough-edged yet provocative essay on the art of fraud. In this instance, we have three noted subjects: art forger extraordinaire Elmyr de Hory, Clifford Irving (the novelist who conned the world as Howard Hughes' "authorized biographer") and Welles himself. Editing plays a vital role as the Great Orson maintains his semi-documentary juggling act for 90 minutes. Fittingly enough, "F for Fake" reveals more about the creator of "Citizen Kane" than the minor curiosities he examines. Welles ends his cinematic odyssey with an affectionate wink.

If only all Welles DVD releases were of such quality ...
Criterion's release of this film is extremely good , but one should expect that for the price . They seem to have access to people and other supporting materials that other companies do not , but then again I'm sure these are factored in to the price .

Whilst being a fan of Criterion , I certainly do not buy all their releases , as I don't have that much disposable income .
Also , some of the films are not to my taste .
I don't wish to view a film simply because it is well regarded by critics , among other reasons .

Being a Welles fan and owning some of the Criterion Welles laserdiscs , I was very keen to own their first Welles-directed DVD . I was not disappointed .

This film is of its own genre and is interesting because of Welles's appreach - the film seems to have a personality itself . It is by no means serious - I find it fascinating in parts . Subjects like fakes and fraudulence need to be explored . Some great points are made about the art world and its pretensions , which I really enjoyed .

The documentary about Welles's unfinished projects is worth the price on its own , so if you don't like the film buy it for that feature .

This DVD comes highly recommended , to say the least.
It is not on the same level as other Welles films , but it is worth your while if you are a fan .