A mysterious tycoon suffering from amnesia hires a smuggler to investigate his past.
Orson Welles was in the middle of his long European sojourn when Mr. Arkadin was made, having left America after a number of unpleasant experiences with studio interference. His works produced abroad were often made on shoestring budgets, in many different locations, and over a long period of time, with Welles often leaving to act in other director's films to raise money for his own.
The origin of Arkadin can be traced to two sources: a radio show featuring a character Welles had played in the popular thriller The Third Man entitled The Lives of Harry Lime, as well as his own debut film Citizen Kane, with which Arkadin shares a similar wealthy and powerful Welles role and a flashback structure. The globetrotting, vagabond structure of the narrative mirrors Welles' own life and career, and in many ways this, combined with its baroque visual style and energy, makes it arguably the director's quintessential film.
The international cast includes Welles as the title character, American radio actor Robert Arden, Armenian actor Akim Tamiroff (who would feature in several subsequent Welles films), British veteran Michael Redgrave, Greek actress Katina Paxinou, Russian actor Mischa Auer, and Italian actress (and future Welles bride) Paola Mori.
The film was shot mostly in Spain, with additional work done in France, Germany, and Italy. In order to retain the "deep-focus" photography which was a hallmark of his earlier work, Welles implemented an extreme wide-angle lens for most of the production, which complements the grotesque nature of its characters and the set/costume design. Most the dialogue was recorded in post-production, with Welles continuing to re-write scenes, and often dubbing characters with his own voice.
Unfortunately, Welles had a disagreement with the film's producer (longtime mentor Louis Dolivet) and was removed from the editing process before completing his cut. Since then, various versions of the film were shown in different countries, some changing the entire structure of the story, each eliminating certain scenes and including others, and it was not shown in the U.S. until 1962. Despite the loss of Welles' input, the film was championed by members of the French New Wave, and remained popular with cinephiles over the years as Welles' legacy grew after his death in 1985.
In 2006, two German Welles scholars hunted down all existing prints and edited what they referred to as the "Comprehensive" version, attempting to include all material shot by Welles, and reverting back to the earliest form of the film while trying to maintain story continuity. While no version can ever legitimately be called a Director's Cut, each one forms a piece of a puzzle to an already-enigmatic film.
Running time is approx. 105 minutes.
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