According to David Fincher, Orson Welles is a talented filmmaker, but definitely not a film god like he's often regarded. Speaking to the French outlet, Premiere, Fincher was asked about his thoughts on Welles. This is clearly a question aimed at Fincher because of his feature film, Mank (2020), which details the struggles of Citizen Kane (1941) writer Herman J. Mankiewicz during the making of what would become an Academy Award-winning hit. Fincher believes that Welles was above all a showman and a juggler with this immense talent. Fincher went on to say this, "Well, I think Orson Welles's tragedy lies in the mix between monumental talent and filthy immaturity," explained Fincher. "Sure, there is genius in 'Citizen Kane,' who could argue? But when Welles says, 'It only takes an afternoon to learn everything there is to know about cinematography,' pfff... Let's say that this is the remark of someone who has been lucky to have Gregg Toland around him to prepare the next shot... Gregg Toland, damn it, an insane genius!" He continued, "I say that without wanting to be disrespectful to Welles, I know what I owe him, like I know what I owe Alfred Hitchcock, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, or Hal Ashby. But at 25, you don't know what you don't know. Period. Neither Welles, nor anyone. It doesn't take anything away from him, and especially not his place in the pantheon of those who have influenced entire generations of filmmakers. But to claim that Orson Welles came out of nowhere to make 'Citizen Kane' and that the rest of his filmography was ruined by the interventions of ill-intentioned people, it's not serious, and it is underestimating the disastrous impact of his own delusional hubris." While some might scoff at what Fincher says about Welles, however, in the decades after Citizen Kane, when Welles struggled to live up to the acclaim of his feature debut, there were many that started to wonder how much of the success was due to the filmmaker and how much was due to his talented crew? In Fincher's eyes, that's the real question and points to the fact that Welles might have been talented, but maybe not as talented as he actually believed he was. See more »
"This is a business where the buyer gets nothing for his money but a memory. What he bought still belongs to the man he who sold it. That's the real magic of the movies."
David Fincher puts it all on the line in his latest film, Mank. The result is a gorgeous and heartfelt film that takes the viewer back to 1930's-40's Hollywood.
Gary Oldman is great as the cynical, alcoholic writer who has no filter and rarely has anything nice to say. He is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast that makes each scene and interaction truly enjoyable. It is obvious that everyone involved in this project, took thier roles seriously.
This is a much different film than the gritty, violent, and dark pictures Fincher has become known for. However, the attention to detail, editing, gorgeous cinematography, and use of lighting and sound is still as effective as ever.
I expect Mank to be popular when the Academy Award nominations are announced, as it deserves.
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"This is a business where the buyer gets nothing for his money but a memory. What he bought still belongs to the man he who sold it. That's the real magic of the movies."
David Fincher puts it all on the line in his latest film, Mank. The result is a gorgeous and heartfelt film that takes the viewer back to 1930's-40's Hollywood.
Gary Oldman is great as the cynical, alcoholic writer who has no filter and rarely has anything nice to say. He is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast that makes each scene and interaction truly enjoyable. It is obvious that everyone involved in this project, took thier roles seriously.
This is a much different film than the gritty, violent, and dark pictures Fincher has become known for. However, the attention to detail, editing, gorgeous cinematography, and use of lighting and sound is still as effective as ever.
I expect Mank to be popular when the Academy Award nominations are announced, as it deserves.