"The Lady From Shanghai" is known better as a film studio mishap than the good movie that it is. Orson Welles, one of the most celebrated film makers in history, directed, acted, as well as wrote this movie like he did so many others. Unfortunately like many of the others, in regards to the film studio's rights and ownership advantages, it was butchered. Sure, the film is in circulation on home video and such means but you're not getting the original Orson Welles film. What you get is a studio version of the Orson Welles film.
The film is a good mystery nonetheless but one who knows these facts about the film can not help but feel a bit unsatisfied. One can certainly appreciate that whenever a person's work is disassembled and taken away, one has to feel a certain loss and dismay. Orson Welles is one of the very best in his craft as his "untouched" films show. Though even in flawed studio treatments of his films like "Lady From Shanghai" it is still apparent that it came from the gifted hands of a talent.
This film may be a bit difficult to follow but a mystery should be. The manipulation of the viewer is the key to the greatness and therefore essential to any mystery film. If a mystery film doesn't make sense then it takes some entertainment out of a mystery and this movie does make sense after some observations on a second viewing. With extra viewings, hopefully you should see and appreciate bits of talent that only proves that Orson Welles deserves the accolades that he received in the latter half of his life. A film with a story not to be told but seen.
"The Lady From Shanghai" - Flawed yet still entertaining.
The film is a good mystery nonetheless but one who knows these facts about the film can not help but feel a bit unsatisfied. One can certainly appreciate that whenever a person's work is disassembled and taken away, one has to feel a certain loss and dismay. Orson Welles is one of the very best in his craft as his "untouched" films show. Though even in flawed studio treatments of his films like "Lady From Shanghai" it is still apparent that it came from the gifted hands of a talent.
This film may be a bit difficult to follow but a mystery should be. The manipulation of the viewer is the key to the greatness and therefore essential to any mystery film. If a mystery film doesn't make sense then it takes some entertainment out of a mystery and this movie does make sense after some observations on a second viewing. With extra viewings, hopefully you should see and appreciate bits of talent that only proves that Orson Welles deserves the accolades that he received in the latter half of his life. A film with a story not to be told but seen.
"The Lady From Shanghai" - Flawed yet still entertaining.