The release of The Other Side of the Wind can be characterized as a major film event, desired by film buffs for several years. This is because this is the last work directed by the legendary Orson Welles, creator of “Citizen Kane” – considered by many experts the best movie in the world (watch here).
Welles gave up directing for failing to finalize this feature during its production that lasted virtually the entire 1970s. The film reels were lost in warehouses and its conclusion became a myth. After the director’s death in 1985, few had hoped that The Other Side of the Wind debuted. Netflix has changed this, and we can check out one of the most brilliant works of this man who has always been a visionary.
Indice
In the movie we follow the path of an eccentric director named Jake Hannaford, who for many years filmed in Europe to escape the Hollywood scheme of producing films. Knowing to be at the end of his life, he decides to return to the United States to perform the one that is his most ambitious work, at the same time he also cleans up his life of excesses and his relations with the people who have passed, one way or another, from his life. This plot, as you can see, has a lot to do with Welles himself, who also felt at the time of production that it would be his last chance to make a movie in his own way, after years of “catching up” with the American studios system that no longer wanted to fund his cinematic adventures.
Welles mixes reality with fiction, giving an air of documentary to The Other Side of the Wind. This style is totally purposeful, since its intention is that we, spectators, have the sensation that we are seeing a real person, and not an actor playing a part. In this way, we embark on the madness of Hannaford’s mind in the attempt to create his ultimate work and thus perpetuate his view of society before he dies.
Synopsis 1: An iconic filmmaker creates an edgy comeback movie in the age of “anything goes”. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Synopsis 2: On the last day of his life, a legendary director struggles to complete a new project and contemplates his legacy in this layered film by Orson Welles.
Age rating: 14