F for Fake (1973)

F for Fake
Directed by Orson Welles
Written by Orson Welles
1973/France/Iran/West Germany
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Criterion Channel
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Orson Welles: What we professional liars hope to serve is truth. I’m afraid the pompous word for that is “art”.

What is this?  It’s not a documentary, nor a mockumentary, nor a fiction film.  Let’s call it a fun essay on the junction between truth and lies.

The setting is the resort island of Ibiza.  Director Orson Welles, writer Clifford Irving, and painter Elmyr De Hory are enjoying the jet setter life style.  They are all tricksters in one way or another.  Irving famously faked an autobiography of Howard Hughes.  Prior to that he had written the book “Fake” about the prodigious forged output of Elmyr.

Welles is gleeful as he explores the question of the value of art without a name and a certificate of authentication behind it.  If a forged Modigliani is indistinguishable from a real one is the fake the lesser work of art?  Welles also gets a chance to perform magic tricks, tell impossible sounding stories, talk about the famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast, and generally pontificate.   With Oja Kodar, Welles’ real-life girlfriend, as a young beauty who walks out of Picasso’s life with 27 original portraits.

I had fun watching this.  It’s interesting without necessarily being a must-see IMHO, unless, of course, you are a Welles completist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twlA_yzagXo