Orson Welles’ Final Film, The Other Side Of The Wind, May See The Light Of Day

Is there any possible piece of cinematic treasure than a previously thought-to-be-lost Orson Welles (F For Fake, Mr. Arkadian) feature finally finding the light of day?

Well, according to The Guardian (via Deadline), that is apparently what has happened.

The outlet is reporting that Welles’ unseen film, the 1972 picture The Other Side Of The Wind, could now find a proper release.   The film has gone unedited and unfinished, and follows an aging filmmaker in the final hours of his life.   Starring John Huston (Wise Blood, Under The Volcano), the film has been in a vault since the icon’s passing, and with nearly four decades under its belt, it was perceived that it could never be shown.

That said, it’s still a bit of a road to the big screen for the film.   Rights issues are currently holding the film from making its premiere, as Jacqueline Boushehri, one of the film’s producers, is currently looking into the film’s rights, as is Welles’ former lover, Oja Kodar.   Both are currently looking to shell the film’s rights.

There has been talking of finishing the film, but that seems highly unlikely a this point, and while that in and of itself could play a big part in whether or not to get too excited for the picture, the idea of seeing a never before seen Orson Welles feature is one of the most interesting possibilities I’ve ever heard.   It goes without saying that Welles is one of cinema’s most revered names, so a picture so seemingly autobiographical in a way (Spanish filmmaker Andres Vincente Gomez has said that the film is Welles’ ‘testament’) is massively intriguing.   Hopefully not only will we be seeing the film on the big screen soon, but this could be a really great addition to the Criterion Collection sometime in the near future. The final film of Orson Welles? Yeah, sounds like it’d be worthy of that ever so beautiful Criterion ‘C’.

What do you think?

Source: Deadline / The Guardian