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Chimes at Midnight

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Chimes at Midnight

Released Mar 17, 1967

1h 55m

History

Drama

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96%

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51 Reviews

85%

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1,000+ Ratings

Henry IV (John Gielgud) usurps the English throne, sets in motion the factious War of the Roses and now faces a rebellion led by Northumberland scion Hotspur (Norman Rodway). Henry's heir, Prince Hal (Keith Baxter), is a ne'er-do-well carouser who drinks and causes mischief with his low-class friends, especially his rotund father figure, John Falstaff (Orson Welles). To redeem his title, Hal may have to choose between allegiance to his real father and loyalty to his friend.

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Critics Consensus

A classic story adapted by a filmmaker near his creative peak, Chimes at Midnight unites Welles and Shakespeare - and powerfully distills the best of both.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

...multiple dimensions of tragedy and devises a passionately vigorous repertory of images to embody it...

Nov 21, 2020

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Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

Welles' vision and imagination is unmatched in film. His use of light in a forbidding, dark castle is a wonder.

Rated: 5/5

Jan 28, 2016

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Chris Nashawaty

Entertainment Weekly

Thanks to an astonishingly crisp restoration, Orson Welles' 1965 Shakespearean masterpiece can now be appreciated by anyone who thought his best days behind the camera ended with Touch of Evil.

Rated: A

Jan 15, 2016

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Most are advised that watching the movie feels more like homework than entertainment.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 30, 2021

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Matthew Rozsa

matthewrozsa.com

Welles may be best known for his 1941 film "Citizen Kane," but as far as I'm concerned, "Chimes at Midnight" is his magnum opus.

Rated: 4/4

Dec 18, 2020

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Eve Tushnet

Patheos

...aside from that small tug on Superman's cape I have only grateful praise for this thing.

Aug 14, 2020

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Isa B

Falstaff (Chimes at Midnight) is on a shortlist of greatest films ever made. It is the greatest Shakespearean adaptation in existence. The poor dubbing even somehow adds to the film's greatness. It's as if someone back in the 1400s had a cinema camera and filmed it. Certain elements of the film which might be considered technical flaws in another film are assets to Chimes at Midnight. Orson Welles was born to play Falstaff. I highly recommend! 100/100 🏆

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/05/24

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Alec B

Welles is obviously a great Falstaff but not in the ways you'd expect. His bold performance consistently defies conventional takes on the character.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/14/23

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Irene M

I watched it when really tired and fell asleep :( Essentially its a lot of Shakespearean dialogue outside of a play. Good to see Orson Welles. the battle scene was gruesome.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/04/23

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George S

Welles twistedly demonstrating a version of himself and Gielgud glibly delivering presumably the best Shakespeare monologue in cinema history

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/02/23

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Audience Member

Superlatively photographed and well-acted version of Shakespeare's Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, concentrating on the changing relationship between Falstaff and Hal, as the responsibilities of kingship force a cooling of their hedonistic games. The final cold rebuttal and Falstaff's subsequent death are especially moving. A very fine adaptation by Welles.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Tony S

Superb Shakespeare adaptation by a great director, with an excellent twist on a character of Falstaff and probably the best of Welles's acting career on display. In fact, this is might as well be an improvement on a how Falstaff was handled by the master himself and all that is communicated by just one look and a smile.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/26/21

Full Review

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Synopsis

Henry IV (John Gielgud) usurps the English throne, sets in motion the factious War of the Roses and now faces a rebellion led by Northumberland scion Hotspur (Norman Rodway). Henry's heir, Prince Hal (Keith Baxter), is a ne'er-do-well carouser who drinks and causes mischief with his low-class friends, especially his rotund father figure, John Falstaff (Orson Welles). To redeem his title, Hal may have to choose between allegiance to his real father and loyalty to his friend.

Director: Orson Welles
Producer: Ángel Escolano, Emiliano Piedra, Harry Saltzman
Screenwriter: William Shakespeare, Raphael Holinshed, Orson Welles
Distributor: Peppercorn-Wormser
Production Co: Alpine Films
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 17, 1967, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jan 1, 2016
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $123.4K
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Mono

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