Chimes at Midnight
Orson Welles · 1965
Orson Welles’s 1965 Chimes at Midnight condenses five Shakespeare plays into a stark, tactile drama centred on Sir John Falstaff and Prince Hal. Shot in Spain on a tight budget, it privileges physical presence and moral ambiguity over narrative fluency or sonic consistency. Its enduring power lies in Welles’s performance, Edmond Richard’s muted cinematography, and a vision of kingship as betrayal dressed as duty.