Confidential Report (1955) [PLFMB 30881]

The film
Dreadful. There's a promising beginning describing a light aircraft discovered flying empty and a flashback device that promises to keep one's attention, but from there on the plot is silly and confusing. Why the characters do what they do is baffling. The acting (apart perhaps from Welles himself) is of that histrionic 50s calibre that compares so poorly with the naturalistic style we are used to today. Much of dialogue is shouted and rushed and there is a great excess of actorly "passion" on show.

There are well documented problems with the editing of this film, it having been taken from Welles's control, and the editing does seem bizarre, but it's hard to see how it could ever be particularly satisfying.

The LD
The LDCE title page that appears at the beginning of the disc is about the sharpest, most stable, cleanest bit of video from an LD I've ever seen, but that just makes the contrast with the film that follows all the more evident. The source material for this transfer was clearly in less than perfect shape.

Nevertheless, the black and white picture is what one would expect for 1955 and the sound is good. The Teletext captions are skillfully implemented - one can even change their size.

The LD comes with two large postcards with stills from the film, a small poster and a high quality leaflet about the film in English, German, Italian and French.

Thank you for your review nextwednesday!

Saw this title for the first time recently.
From the start very compelling.
A surreal rollercoaster ride to be sure !
Orson Welles has a unique theatrical presence that can not be underrated !
The eerie black and white visage drives home the mysterious undercurrents of the film.
Highly recommended title, as well as any other Orson Welles films !!

Once again, kudos for this review !!!

The new Criterion DVD boxset contains three versions of this movie. (The Corinth Version, "Confidential Report", and a new comprehensive version.) http://www.criterion.com/films/767-the-complete-mr-arkadin Perhaps the laserdisc contains one of the cuts that is missing some vital plot points? I've watched the Criterion DVD and I was never confused as to the plot of the movie.

I'd also differ with you regarding your assessment of actors then and now. I don't think many of today's actors would fall under a "naturalistic" style. De Niro, Pacino, and Nicholson in recent years have gone over-the-top in some movies, and really chewed the scenery. (On the plus side, it provides a lot of fodder for comedians who do impressions.) There have always been actors who underplayed scenes in the old days, like Buster Keaton, Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Gregory Peck, Victor Mature, etc. A lot of younger actors today aren't naturalistic, they just seem like they are blandly reading cue cards to me. Kristen Stewart appears like she is about to doze off in every movie she is in, for example.

I've got the same disc and watched it for the first time recently. It was sometimes a struggle to follow but it was manageable. I imagine that whatever the edit though it's still a mess of a film, it's problems go far beyond editing issues. Only a genius like Welles could make such a bad film.