F FOR FAKE (Verites et Mensonges)

France, 1975, 85 minutes, Colour.
Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, Elmyr de Hory, Clifford Irving, Edith Irving.
Directed by Orson Welles.

F For Fake is a strange film, understandably so when it is realised that it comes from Orson Welles. It is a creative essay rather than a feature film. Welles was well known in the 30s for his hoax with The War of the Worlds (even made into a telemovie called A Night That Panicked America). In his many films, he has been a master crafts - man and a magician.

1. The overall impact of this film? In terms of its subject, style, the way that it worked on its audience, indications of the title, and its triteness?

2. For what audience was this film made? Why?

3. Audience response to Orson Welles as a faker, his history, his screen and radio fakery? Welles' opinion of himself as a faker? His self-presentation in the film, the way he spoke, the magician style in which he was dressed, his editing the film and his being seen in the processing laboratory etc.? How self-conscious was his self-presentation?

4. The film's illustration of the use of cinema for editing, persuading people, suggesting unreality? The film as a contribution to exploring the role of cinema? The visual presentation of the laboratory and the way film can be edited etc.?

5. The reasons for making this film? The involvement of the various participants?

6. The focus on the forging painter and his story? The impression of this man via his interviews, the visual presentation of himself and his way of life in Spain, his stunts, ambitions and motivations, his painting talent, the recognition over the world, the constant discussion of experts and their opinions, the criticism of experts, the threat of prison? What verdict did the audience make on him as regards his life, personality, morality, the legality of what he was doing? Was the film a fair presentation of him?

7. The fact that Clifford Irving wrote his biography? The possibility of their later collusion in fakery? The significance of the interviews with Irving? The personality
of Irving, his role as exploring the life of a faker, his own faker? Did he learn something from the painter? The interview with his wife and friends? Did the film help us to understand Irving?

8. The focus of the film on Howard Hughes? His American career and the shots presenting his past, the focus of attention on the hotel-motels and Ms invisibility? The oddities of legend about Howard Hughes? Photos. a voice being interviewed? Irving's role in the Hughes' fake? Who was deceiving whom? Motivations and exploitation? The gullibility of the public?

9. Welles' own presentation of his fakery in this context? The background to The War Of The Worlds. the interviews with the actors, the visualising of science fiction material? The memory of the effect on people?

10. The relationship of Welles and Howard Hughes? Citizen Kane could have been about Hughes.

11. The impact of the Picasso story? How plausible was it? The cinema style used to make it plausible? The previous introduction of the actress. her use in the initial part of the film? Her personality, the scenes of her posing for paintings, the use of photographs of Picasso, the plausibility of the story about the grandfather? The revelation of Welles' fakery? To what purpose?

12. The overall impact of the film about truth and falsity? The daring and risk of fakery? People's susceptibility and gullibility? The role of cinema and the media in terms of fakery? The revelation of human nature in terms of this kind of belief?