Orson Welles long-lost Shakespeare adaptation

Orson Welles’ post–Citizen Kane filmography is difficult to evaluate. Of the dozen feature films released in his lifetime, only five were completed to his satisfaction. The others were often hamstrung by interfering studios executives, which resulted in budget cuts, re-edits, re-writes, and re-shoots—all done without Welles’ consent.

To complicate matters, most of the movies Welles did control from beginning to end were either marred by technical errors due to their low-budget nature or became unavailable after initial release because of legal disputes.

Chimes at Midnight is one such film. After being freed from a copyright disagreement lasting nearly 40 years, it will be released Aug. 30 on home video.

The 1965 film (released in 1967 in the United States) stands as Welles’ final completed narrative film, his last black-and-white movie, and a culmination of much of what he worked toward since Citizen Kane (1941)—both thematically and stylistically.

Chimes at Midnight is a somewhat loose adaptation of five William Shakespeare works: It primarily draws from his two Henry IV plays, with select scenes from Richard II and Henry V and dialog from The Merry Wives of Windsor. Far from being incomprehensible amalgam of disparate sources, Welles artfully abbreviates the plays into a fully formed piece.

The most substantial alteration from Shakespeare’s text comes in how the story unfolds. Unlike in traditional interpretations, the foundation of the drama is not on Prince Hal (Keith Baxter) and King Henry (John Gielgud), but instead is anchored on Hal’s friendship with the usually humorous Sir John Falstaff (Welles).

In this portrayal, Falstaff is transformed from a buffoon into a tragicomic figure. He has his own kind of majesty, a sort of quiet dignity in his simplicity, which is as much a joke to him as everyone else. This significantly alters the story to be about—in Welles’ own words—“a betrayal of friendship.”

The film arguably features some of the best performances out of any movie during Welles’ career, as well as some of his most adventurous cinematography.

Gielgud has a resigned stoicism as a king wracked by guilt, while Welles and Baxter offer up complex, nuanced renditions of their characters. The supporting cast, which includes Jeanne Moreau as Doll Tearsheet and Margaret Rutherford as Mistress Quickly, are practically definitive in their roles.

The most renowned scene in the film is also its most influential, being an obvious inspiration for the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, the climactic fight in Braveheart, and the numerous skirmishes in The Lord of the Rings series. At the film’s approximate midway point, the warring forces of Henry IV and Hotspur meet at Shrewsbury. What unfolds is generally considered to be one of the greatest battle scenes ever filmed.

The combatants become indistinguishable almost immediately. The soldiers are anonymous—no one is to be admired. Knights rush at one another as swords clash and men tumble from their horses. The sequence wears on and the knights become coated in fog and mud as they fall to their deaths, barely recognizable as human forms. Although the scene showcases the vicious horror of warfare, the actual violence is kept mostly off-screen.

The drama and tragicomic nature of Chimes at Midnight, combined with its inspired performances and inventive camerawork, offer up a unique experience in Shakespeare adaptations. It remains to this day one of the very best.

On Aug. 30, The Criterion Collection releases a new 4K restoration of Chimes at Midnight on DVD and Blu-ray. Features include archival interviews with Orson Welles and new interviews with actor Keith Baxter and actress Beatrice Welles.