CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT (1965)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *naturalistic*
MYTHICITY: *superior*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *drama*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTIONS: *psychological, sociological*

I've never been a fan of Orson Welles. An admirer, sure. I've enjoyed almost everything I've seen from his repertoire. But most of his films have a remote, imperial quality, so though I've liked many of his works, I haven't loved many of them, But I finally got a chance to see the film that Welles himself considered his best work-- and CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT more than justifies his estimation. It's also one of the greatest cinematic adaptations of a Shakespeare play, perhaps precisely because Welles, a genius of cinema as the Bard was for theater, freely adapted parts of "The Henriad" in order to produce Welles' highly personal take on the character of Falstaff.

By the time he made CHIMES, Welles had long been dogged by a reputation for producing expensive flops. One of the commentaries on the CHIMES DVD argued that Welles was essentially an independent filmmaker who was seduced by the aesthetic of Hollywood. But Welles was no Cassavetes; he clearly loved the spectacle possible only in big-budget movies. To get funding for his exploration of the relationship between the reprobate Falstaff and his symbolic son Prince Hal, Welles told a producer that he was going to film an adaptation of TREASURE ISLAND in Spain. This might be viewed as justifiable larceny, for while the world didn't particularly need another version of the Stevenson classic, Welles' unique reworking of Shakespeare probably had only one shot at getting made. 

The continuity of CHIMES derives from the middle two of the Henriad, which plays are titled for the reigning Henry IV, the ruler who succeeded Richard II by virtue of covert assassination. Despite the title, the central character is really Prince Hal, the roguish heir apparent to the throne. Hal knows that someday he must succeed his father, but he seeks escape from the severe demands of his king-father, and takes refuge in escapades of ribaldry with minor lord Falstaff, who becomes a surrogate father who allows him the license Henry IV will not. 

In keeping with history, the randy Hal of CHIMES (Keith Bailey) must transition into a proper king, one capable of defending the realm from insurrectionists, particularly a Welsh faction that hopes to replace Henry IV (John Gielgud) with the rightful heir to Richard II. Even though Henry IV's claim to the throne may be spurious, Hal must defend his real father, who places endless conditions on showing love for his son, as against Falstaff (Welles), the image of the over-permissive parent. The DVD included considerable commentary, based in Welles' own observations, that Hal's transition to royalty marks the end of "Merry Old England." I don't know if I would have picked up on this theme without said commentary, but there's definitely the sense that the ruler who accepts the burden of sovereignty must in some sense put himself outside the boundaries of ordinary humanity, even if that humanity is represented by lustful, cowardly reprobates like Falstaff.

The original play-cycle is dominantly naturalistic, though two of the "Henry" plays include a character based on the historical Owen Glendower, and Shakespeare briefly suggests that Glendower may be some sort of wizard. Welles does not include Glendower or any other figures with metaphenomenal associations, though. Unlike the playwright, the film director needed to focus upon the role played in Hal's evolution by the Battle of Shrewsbury. During that contest, Prince Hal contends with an opponent his own age, the renowned English knight Hotspur. Welles excels in depicting the rough-and-tumble nature of primitive armed conflict-- indeed, the battles in CHIMES are among the best of their kind in cinema, even though the director had only about seventy extras to stage the action. The simultaneous triumph of Hal over Hotspur, and the forces of Henry IV over those of his rivals, contribute materially to Hal's eventual decision to renounce the self-indulgent world of Falstaff-- though, prior to Henry IV's death, Hal allows Falstaff to take credit for the death of Hotspur.

The death of Henry IV leads to the great end scene in which the newly crowned Henry V forswears Falstaff publicly. As in the play, this leads to Falstaff's death of a broken heart, though Welles implies that on some level Falstaff understands the necessity of the new king's sacrifice, and he approves of the rejection, in a loving manner impossible for Hal's real father. Though Welles' acting in his own films is not always the equal of his direction-- I frankly didn't think much of his character in TOUCH OF EVIL-- here he outdoes himself in both departments. CHIMES failed to become a major success in Welles' time, but thanks to the DVD market, this masterpiece at last has the chance to shine as the cornerstone of the great director's work.