Campanadas a medianoche (1965)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

William Shakespeare (plays)
Raphael Holinshed (book)

Release Date:

17 March 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Plot:

The career of Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff as roistering companion to young Prince Hal, circa 1400-1413.

Plot Keywords:

Shakespeare's Henry IV | Historical | Beautiful Woman | Based On Multiple Works | Shakespeare's Henry V

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Orson Welles	...	Falstaff
Jeanne Moreau	...	Doll Tearsheet
Margaret Rutherford	...	Mistress Quickly
John Gielgud	...	Henry IV
Marina Vlady	...	Kate Percy
Walter Chiari	...	Mr. Silence
Michael Aldridge	...	Pistol
Julio Peña
Tony Beckley	...	Ned Poins
Andrés Mejuto
Keith Pyott
Jeremy Rowe	...	Prince John
Alan Webb	...	Shallow
Fernando Rey	...	Worcester
Keith Baxter	...	Prince Hal

Also Known As:

Falstaff (France) (Switzerland: German title)
Campanades a mitjanit (Spain: Catalan title)
Chimes at Midnight (UK)

Runtime:

Spain:113 min | Switzerland:119 min | USA:115 min | Argentina:117 min

Country:

France | Spain | Switzerland

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Alpine Films

Trivia:

Chimes at Midnight was based on the play Five Kings. It was written by Orson Welles and condensed Shakespeare's Henry IV, V, VI, and Richard III into one show. He produced the show in New York in 1939 but the opening night, where part 1 was acted, was a disaster and part 2 was never put on. He revamped the show and revisited it in 1960. But again, it was not successful. However, this later production was used as the base for the movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The corpse of Hotspur opens and closes his mouth several minutes after his death.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Wages of Sin (2003) (V)

Orson Welles' Masterpiece

'Chimes at Midnight' has become one of my favorite movies. It is one of those rare gems that I can watch over and over again, never getting bored.

First of all, Welles' interpretation of Shakespeare is just brilliant. Using material from different plays, he manages to turn the story of Falstaff into something entirely new. He cleverly puts the main storyline of the original plays on its head, commenting on the relation between friendship and power. This view on the development of Harry, Prince of Wales, is a strong antithesis to his usual portrayal.

Welles' directing is very much to the point. Every single scene seems necessary and emphasizes the film's statement. Using few but all the more powerful symbols, he lets many of the images speak for themselves.

Last but not least, the cast is really extraordinary. John Gielgud's acting is in best Shakespearean tradition, Keith Baxter is very convincing as the milk-faced heir with a mischievous streak, and Welles plays ... just Welles, which in my opinion works very well in this context.

Although it might be very hard to find a copy of this masterpiece, you should most definitely try to, as it is really worth the effort.