The Other Side of the Wind (2018) is the Orson Welles time capsule of a film finally released 40 years after filming. Even at the time, Welles' odd parodying mockumentary on his own comeback was extremely meta, his subsequent death before release and indefinite development amplifies how self-referential it is, only adding to the experience itself. These scenes sometimes loosely congregated and already complicated enough, are even more so when Welles' intentions are taken into consideration. The two films within a film adds a purposeful disorganization, seeing this fictional directors film, and seeing the fictional documentary shot of that director's final day. The on screen director's desired comeback with flash and fringe only seem to perfectly parallel Welles' comeback with this avant-garde concept. Interestingly enough, Welles is creating both of these at once, using this fictional director's edgy return as his own. (Maybe)Unintentionally, neither of them truly get their desired resurgence. An ending almost too perfect to a vision continually paradoxical. Edited posthumously, is this the product Welles intented? Did he ever intend one at all?
Review of The Other Side of the Wind
