When it comes to writing reviews, I don't have much of a concrete process. But there is one thing that I consistently do, and I've made it a cornerstone of how I try to approach each film. It's simple- I avoid reading other reviews. Twitter reactions? Sure! In-depth reviews? Nope. When I was younger, I would soak up other critics' thoughts on films like a sponge, and it was a huge hindrance on my own work. With a few major exceptions, I mostly hold firm to this idea. I'll try to catch up on the reviews I'm interested in after the fact, but I ideally look at each new film as a blank slate.
With Orson Welles' The Other Side of the Wind, I don't recall reading a single full-length review of the director's long-delayed project. But how does my process hold up when I already watched a documentary about the film long before seeing the final product? As many cinephiles know, the Netflix release of Welles' massive endeavor was accompanied by Morgan Neville's They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, a making-of documentary that goes well beyond the typical requirements of that medium. Since last week, there has been a lively debate over the order in which fans should watch the two films, focused on a very basic question- documentary first or Other Side of the Wind first?
Film Twitter was quick to offer suggestions. The Film Stage's Jordan Raup suggested watching the film, then the documentary, and then the film again, while New York Times critic Manohla Dargis encouraged followers to opt for the doc first. As more experts got a chance to see the documentary, many noted that it was perhaps just as essential as the film itself. Writing for Vulture, Bilge Ebiri called it "an integral part" of The Other Side of the Wind, and "a completion of Welles's whole project." In my review last month, I found that Neville's film seemed to nudge viewers towards a certain understanding of its kinship with Other Side, in that Welles may have actually intended for his final project to be a documentary about the production process of a film.
Nonetheless, whether or not They'll Love Me When I'm Dead is more like Welles' original vision than the film itself is ultimately irrelevant. Both exist, and film scholars will have to deal with it. In its survey of the final years of the filmmaker's life, the documentary focuses much of its energy on interpreting the many mysteries of The Other Side of the Wind. As I noted in my own review, Neville turns his attention to everything from Welles' relationship with revolutionary auteur Peter Bogdanovich to the Citizen Kane director's attitudes toward New Hollywood, creating a broad view of the late stages of his career and life. Through its mixture of cinematic fragments and interviews, we see the rather obvious truth: The Other Side of the Wind was essentially an ever-evolving autobiographical picture of the filmmaker's personal and professional life.
With all of that rattling around in my brain already, watching the film itself became a difficult, even cumbersome experience to endure. As a piece of storytelling, The Other Side of the Wind is rough and frenetic and slippery, the kind of film that operates in a challenging register just beyond clear comprehension. It's a series of experiments, and it's hard to get a read on exactly what Welles has put together. For those willing to embark on the journey, I imagine part of the fun will be attempting to cobble together some cohesive theory on the numerous connections between these different elements. Which, to be honest, is nearly impossible to do if you've already had your opinion of the film colored by a very good, very thorough documentary.
In addition to its status as potentially the true final portrait of The Other Side of the Wind, They'll Love Me When I'm Dead plays much like a long-form video essay, full of unparalleled insights and nuanced criticisms of an impressively enigmatic piece of work. If you're anything like me, you should see the film itself first, form a few opinions of your own, and then take on the doc for a deeper dive into Welles' past and the tumultuous production history.
I guess from here, the question becomes: did I enjoy The Other Side of the Wind? The answer isn't immediately clear to me. It's like watching a piece of film history, and I'm definitely the wrong person to be talking about this movie in the context of Welles' career. It's a gorgeous film to look at, and its ambitions are momentous, but I would be lying if I didn't note my frequent restlessness. When you already have an idea of what Welles is going for, the rough edges, aspect ratio switches, and extreme bursts of energy all begin to feel like a drag.
But I'm sure I'll watch it again. Probably more than once. There's something naturally thrilling about this whole crazy project, and it demands a deeper, more complex understanding. It's a labor of love and a companion piece to one of the more fascinating documentaries of the year, bringing to life a movie that could have been lost to the ages. In that respect, it demands to be seen. And in the midst of its unknowable madness, I found something to appreciate.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.5/10)
Images courtesy of Netflix
With Orson Welles' The Other Side of the Wind, I don't recall reading a single full-length review of the director's long-delayed project. But how does my process hold up when I already watched a documentary about the film long before seeing the final product? As many cinephiles know, the Netflix release of Welles' massive endeavor was accompanied by Morgan Neville's They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, a making-of documentary that goes well beyond the typical requirements of that medium. Since last week, there has been a lively debate over the order in which fans should watch the two films, focused on a very basic question- documentary first or Other Side of the Wind first?
Film Twitter was quick to offer suggestions. The Film Stage's Jordan Raup suggested watching the film, then the documentary, and then the film again, while New York Times critic Manohla Dargis encouraged followers to opt for the doc first. As more experts got a chance to see the documentary, many noted that it was perhaps just as essential as the film itself. Writing for Vulture, Bilge Ebiri called it "an integral part" of The Other Side of the Wind, and "a completion of Welles's whole project." In my review last month, I found that Neville's film seemed to nudge viewers towards a certain understanding of its kinship with Other Side, in that Welles may have actually intended for his final project to be a documentary about the production process of a film.
Nonetheless, whether or not They'll Love Me When I'm Dead is more like Welles' original vision than the film itself is ultimately irrelevant. Both exist, and film scholars will have to deal with it. In its survey of the final years of the filmmaker's life, the documentary focuses much of its energy on interpreting the many mysteries of The Other Side of the Wind. As I noted in my own review, Neville turns his attention to everything from Welles' relationship with revolutionary auteur Peter Bogdanovich to the Citizen Kane director's attitudes toward New Hollywood, creating a broad view of the late stages of his career and life. Through its mixture of cinematic fragments and interviews, we see the rather obvious truth: The Other Side of the Wind was essentially an ever-evolving autobiographical picture of the filmmaker's personal and professional life.
With all of that rattling around in my brain already, watching the film itself became a difficult, even cumbersome experience to endure. As a piece of storytelling, The Other Side of the Wind is rough and frenetic and slippery, the kind of film that operates in a challenging register just beyond clear comprehension. It's a series of experiments, and it's hard to get a read on exactly what Welles has put together. For those willing to embark on the journey, I imagine part of the fun will be attempting to cobble together some cohesive theory on the numerous connections between these different elements. Which, to be honest, is nearly impossible to do if you've already had your opinion of the film colored by a very good, very thorough documentary.
In addition to its status as potentially the true final portrait of The Other Side of the Wind, They'll Love Me When I'm Dead plays much like a long-form video essay, full of unparalleled insights and nuanced criticisms of an impressively enigmatic piece of work. If you're anything like me, you should see the film itself first, form a few opinions of your own, and then take on the doc for a deeper dive into Welles' past and the tumultuous production history.
I guess from here, the question becomes: did I enjoy The Other Side of the Wind? The answer isn't immediately clear to me. It's like watching a piece of film history, and I'm definitely the wrong person to be talking about this movie in the context of Welles' career. It's a gorgeous film to look at, and its ambitions are momentous, but I would be lying if I didn't note my frequent restlessness. When you already have an idea of what Welles is going for, the rough edges, aspect ratio switches, and extreme bursts of energy all begin to feel like a drag.
But I'm sure I'll watch it again. Probably more than once. There's something naturally thrilling about this whole crazy project, and it demands a deeper, more complex understanding. It's a labor of love and a companion piece to one of the more fascinating documentaries of the year, bringing to life a movie that could have been lost to the ages. In that respect, it demands to be seen. And in the midst of its unknowable madness, I found something to appreciate.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.5/10)
Images courtesy of Netflix
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