It is easy to
see why F is for Fake is often called
an “essay film,” because of how it transitions from one narrative of forgery to
the next, each time connecting them with common threads. But it is also far
more than that; a documentary with filmed sequences and original stories mixed
in. It is an unpredictable viewing experience, which is what one would expect
from the mind of Orson Welles, who becomes a link on the narrative chain along
the way.
Originally
titled Hoax, the film is about
various significant forgeries and fakes that have had significant impact. These
include the art forgeries of Elmyr de Hory, the biography forgery of Howard
Hughes by Clifford Irving, transitioning into the imitation of the infamous
tycoon in his well-known classic, Citizen
Kane. And if Welles made a film about artistic hoaxes, there is no way that
his radio broadcast of “War of the Worlds” can’t be mentioned. Welles pulls the
audience in with this unconventional documentary style, distract us with the
same precision of a magician.
Upon reflection
after watching F is for Fake, there
is not much in the narrative that could not be explained fairly quickly. In
fact, the final twenty-minute hoax at the end of the film was told by Welles in
an interview with Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show.” What makes up a majority
of the film is a bit like watching a magic show, or at least listening to
magicians talk about their tricks. At the same time, one must never forget the
influencing presence of Welles as director, ever pulling the strings in the
film’s puppet show. We are often too distracted to notice the little lies that
are told to us along the way.
The Blu-ray
release of F is for Fake has a high
definition digitally restored presentation of the film, with an uncompressed
monaural soundtrack. The special features include an audio commentary by
Welles’ former girlfriend and co-star of the film, Oja Kodar, along with
director of photography Gary Graver, recorded in 2005. There is also an introduction
to the film from the 2005 DVD release by director Peter Bogdanovich. Additional
archived features include a documentary from 1995 about the unfinished film
projects of Orson Welles, a 1997 documentary about Elmyr de Hory, a 2000
interview with Clifford Irving on “60 Minutes,” and a 1975 interview with
Welles from the talk show, “Tomorrow.” There is also an audio recording of the
1972 press conference given by Howard Hughes to expose Irving U.S.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical
Significance: 8/10
Special Features: 9.5/10
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