The fact thatOrson WellescreatedCitizen Kane, a film cited by many film pundits as the single greatest of all time, at such a young age almost did a disservice to the rest of his career. While the acclaim for his riveting drama certainly aided in getting him additional work, Welles’ subsequent projects would always be compared to the masterpiece that kicked off his career. It’s somewhat disappointing to identify Welles only as “the genius behindCitizen Kane,” because he worked within a multitude of genres for several decades since the word “Rosebud” became a subject of debate among cinephiles everywhere.Among his many masterpieces,Chimes at Midnightwas an inventive adaptation of William Shakespeare’s work that told a familiar set of stories from a new narrative.
Welles was certainly no stranger to work of “The Bard,” and he had begun his career as an actor, and performed many of the playwright’s major parts. Welles also directed versions ofMacbethandOthelloin which he took on the title roles, and did about as great of a job breathing life into the classic lines as one would expect. There’s certainly a value in recitation, but Welles was also an artist who was determined to take his own spin on the existing material.Chimes at Midnightmanaged to combine multiple Shakespeare plays intoa haunting examination of the effects of war.
Chimes at Midnight
When King Henry IV ascends to the throne, his heir, the Prince of Wales, is befriended by Sir John Falstaff, an old, overweight, fun-loving habitual liar. Through Falstaff’s eyes we see the reign of King Henry IV and the rise of Henry V.
What Is ‘Chimes at Midnight’ About?
Chimes At Midnightserves as a loose adaptation of the “Henriad” playsofHenry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, Richard II, Henry V,andThe Merry Wives of Windsor, albeit one that changes lines and context to present a more streamlined narrative. While previous adaptations of the story primarily focused on the dynamic between the elder King Henry IV (John Gielgud) and his young son Prince Hal (Keith Baxter),Chimes At Midnightis primarily told from the perspective of Falstaff, the boisterous knight who loyally serves the kingdom of England for multiple generations. While it would have initially seemed like Welles casting himself as Falstaff and subsequently framing him as a protagonist is nothing more than an extension of his ego, the truth is that it’s a character who has never been given the credit he deserved in previous versions of the story. While Falstaff is typically characterized as a rowdy, womanizing hooligan who draws Hal into the seedier elements of England’s underbelly, Wellesdepicts him as a tragic herowhose merits are never appreciated by those that he serves.
Welles turns Falstaff into a somewhat objective bystander who assesses how England changedthroughout the medieval wars.It becomes evident that Hal changes significantly when he is called to serve his father in the war against France, as he previously had done little more than interact with thieves, prostitutes, and other lower-class individuals at the Boar’s Head Tavern with Falstaff and his friends. Falstaff is forced to watch as Hal becomes embittered by the endless fighting, and eventually begins to put more emphasis on preserving his father’s legacy. What’s tragic is that Falstaff has to both admire Hal’s evolution and cringe at the radical ways in which his mind has been warped by violence; although the two may not be biologically related, Falstaff serves as a much more effective and compassionate father figure to Hal than Henry IV ever was.
‘Chimes at Midnight’ Explores the Oppression of War
Chimes At Midnightincludes a series of amazing action sequencesthat dwarf the technical wonders of Welles’ previous films. While it was not unusual to seehistorical epics at this point in cinema history(as classics likeLawrence of ArabiaandSpartacushad been commercial and critical hits), Welles did not depict a version of war that was intended to get the audience on their feet applauding. The fighting is tough and largely centered around intimate brawls, with the formal marching onto battlefields only constituting a minority of what goes on. Welles uses this brutality to call out the double-edged sword of hailing conquerors as being “brave.” While initially Hal and his allies seem to be waging wars to preserve the peace of their nation, it becomes evident that they have begun to accept their roles as the oppressors. War becomes a drug, and Welles shows how difficult it can be to put an end to this cyclical process of violence. It’s a film grounded in the history that Shakespeare himself was inspired by, but the themes of national tension and jingoistic ideology makeChimes At Midnighta universal warning that is still relevant today.
Chimes At Midnightsucceeded in showing an aspect of Shakespeare’s plays that never could have been achieved on the stage, as the exterior shots he gets of England’s battlefields and cities are truly extraordinary. Although the film retains all the scenes of family dysfunctionand political maneuvering that any fans of Shakespeare know by heart, it also personifies England itself as a true character. The loss of innocence that Hal goes through mirrors that of the nation that he rules, making Falstaff’s role in the conflict even more heartbreaking. The final scene in which an empowered Hal is forced to cast away Falstaff is perhaps the most heartbreaking moment that Welles ever captured on screen.
Welles had a personal investment in the character of Falstaffthat madeChimes At Midnighteven more powerful within the context of his career.Welles’ biographer compared him to Falstaff, as both were often forced to ask for money as a result of their recklessness; however, subsequent studies suggested thatWelles rejected his own father’s attempts at kinshipin the same way that Hal rejects Falstaff. It’s this type of personal narrative that makesChimes At Midnighta more personal film for Welles thanThe Lady From Shanghai, The Informer, Mr. Arkadin, or even his starring role inThe Third Man. It was by using the words of The Bard that Welles was able to cope with his own trauma.
