Mr. Arkadin (1955)

[Confidential Report]

Director: Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Peter van Eyck, Michael Redgrave

Synopsis:
A smuggler is commissioned to investigate an enigmatic tycoon by the man himself.

Impressions:
I have mixed feelings about this movie. On the one hand, you have the great screen presence of Orson Welles as Mr. Arkadin, the fairly intriguing mystery surrounding his past and some interesting camera work. On the other, you have a fairly unappealing lead that makes it difficult to really connect to the story. I don't mind having the protagonist be a bit of a dirtbag, but there has to be something that makes you want to follow him through the story. I really didn't care about Robert Arden's Guy Van Stratten. (Finding out the Van Stratten was originally supposed to be Harry Lime might have helped a little, but I may just have felt it was riding the coattails of The Third Man rather than being a compelling expansion on the character and lore.) I'd still say this movie is worth seeing, but it's not one of Welles' best.

Rating:
Watch It