Product Details

• Actors: Orson Welles
• Directors: Orson Welles
• Format: PAL, Black & White
• Region: Region 2 (Read more about DVD formats.)
• Number of discs: 1
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000NELAK2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,137 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

This is one of the great Shakespearean adaptations and a true 'lost classic'. It's also the last masterpiece that Orson Welles directed in his lifetime, and with 'Citizen Kane,' 'Magnificent Ambersons' and 'Touch of Evil' comprises a quartet of major cinematic works that he accomplished. The film is an inventive re-editing and condensation of Shakespeare's plays, spanning from the end of Richard II to the beginning of Henry V. The film focuses on the character of Jack Falstaff, played by Welles himself in a virtuoso performance. Falstaff's relationship with young Prince Hal (later Henry V) is explored, and uncannily parallels Welles' own experience with the young talents of Hollywood.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Caveat Emptor, June 9, 2008

By 

Thelonious "music, philosophy and math" (West Coast, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chimes At Midnight (DVD)

FYI - Amazon combines reviews across different versions and sometimes this is unhelpful. This review is specific to the "Hollywood's Attic" (aka "Nostalgia Family Video") version (it has a pink/orange cover with a drawing of Welles as Falstaff) as opposed to the Brazilian/Portuguese version (close-up photo of Welles and a child on the cover).

I'm not going to argue quality of transfer or mastering as I'm really not a great judge of those things. I do want to warn people that the copies available here seem to all be DVD-R's and not commercially produced DVD's.

This, of course, means that they won't last as long and are more fragile. The film is perfectly watchable - I just thought people should know before they buy (and the sellers don't seem to be inclined to put this in their listings - which I find somewhat shady)

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Restoration Job on a Masterpiece?, March 22, 2008

By 

Mr. Peter M. Donnelly "peterd135" (West Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chimes At Midnight (DVD)

Hey! What's happened here? I purchased this modestly priced DVD to tide me over, having become increasingly frustrated at waiting for a restored version of this masterpiece to appear. Certainly, this print presents the movie at the best I have ever seen it. The print is of excellent quality, the sound clear and devoid of hiss. The notorious post synch problems have been almost eliminated. What's going on? Whatever, I am most grateful for the work done. Can anyone supply me with more information about who has undertaken this work. Bravo!

Peter Donnelly
West Hobart
Tasmania
Australia

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid DVD of a Masterpiece, June 4, 2008

By 

J. Hinkson (Takoma Park, MD) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chimes At Midnight (DVD)

Chimes at Midnight truly is Welles' best film. It's a visual delight--from the quiet, elegiac opening to the justly admired battle in the middle (among other things, this movie is the grandfather of the modern battle epic), to the haunting final scenes. It's a movie that has been hard to come by for a while. This is a good DVD of the film--good picture and no foreign subtitles. Hopefully this movie will get the deluxe treatment it deserves one of these days, but this is a serviceable copy.