Orson Welles gives a talk at a Paris film school (1982) - Part 1

The great Orson Welles shares his views on cinema and movie-making with French film school students.

[@jhb1493]

“To me, Orson is so much like a destitute king. A destitute king, not because he was thrown away from the kingdom, but on this earth - the way the world is - there is no kingdom that is good enough for Orson Welles. That’s the way I feel.” - Jeanne Moreau

[@qhamanimhlophe9142]

what did she mean by that?

[@DSL-33166]

@@qhamanimhlophe9142 Hollywood. Money. Plebian tastes.

[@simoneastwood3779]

Well said, Madam!

[@jcjrfilms]

Who needed to hear this today? Every word?

[@ZwaneMakki]

I did as I make my 3rd AI sci fi feature film in 4K. Love AI. Glad Garden of Allah Hotel Hollywood is #DEAD

[@kittymarch4203]

he has such a strong voice

[@juanitolopez9731]

When I was a film student in London, in 2003-2007, I used to imagine what if Orson Welles was still alive. He would be about 90. Just imagine him coming to London to give a speech to film students, invited by the British Film Instute. Seeing him in this video, makes me dream that day that never was.

[@DwightMS1]

One of my great regrets is never having known Orson Welles.

[@spinoz2319]

"That's what you think."

[@gopherstate777]

@@spinoz2319 That's what we know!

[@spinoz2319]

@@gopherstate777 That's a quote from Touch of Evil. Vargas: "Quilan? I'd like to meet him." Joe Cotten: "That's what you think."

[@lisaparkhill682]

Hell Yes!!!

[@Andrew-of8uq]

Same

[@srinivassridhar5151]

Man, Orson Wells was unpretentious and too ahead of his time!! simply the best!!

[@ardalire651]

You can tell he doesn't really need the translator... I wish we talked more about his skill with other languages. And also his skill as a visual artist/sketch artist. Genius on so many levels we often forget.

[@MokkaMatti]

@@diegocordero2000 You can see a few (all-too-brief) examples in the series he made for the BBC in the mid-1950s, appropriately titled "Orson Welles' Sketchbook" kzbin.info/aero/PLxEfOhTrjfv3_-imU-gapxapDRibaZTD4&si=-kL9tdX8T4D6bbBf

[@danthemanporto]

this is a gem! tremendous gratitude to the uploader!

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

Muhuhhhhhhhhhhhh the French! Film students are known for their excellence! :)

[@mrfixxxer118]

Good job m8, made me laugh ^_^

[@guileniam]

Lmao

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

@@mrfixxxer118 I am glad to hear that

[@ilshyf]

This is filmed in Cinémathèque française, Paris, February 22 1982.

[@madahad9]

I've read many books about Welles. If there is one individual who rightly deserved to be called a genius of his medical m it is Welles. Sadly, he just couldn't help sabotaging his own career. But when one reads these books you get the sense that he was never going to fit into the Hollywood mold and be compromised by those forces that have tamed and broken many others. I highly recommend reading Young Orson. It spans the period of time from youth to the release of Citizen Kane. In such a short time he accomplished a dizzying amount, from stage to radio to screen. It is amazing.

[@aliensoup2420]

I guessed both directors he was thinking of that attract an audience with their name only. Most people don't pay attention to a movie's director, but both these names are house-hold terms that everybody recognizes. DeMille is synonymous with grand spectacle, and Hitchcock is synonymous with suspense thriller.

[@arricammarques1955]

Welles stating plenty of truth within this recording from 1982. Orson would have thrived with digital cinema. Plenty of aspiring technicians, would have thrived under his direction. Viva Orson Welles! :)

[@LoyalOpposition]

Film has been so awful since 1982. Music, too.

[@Potidaon]

Music has been great over the last 30 years.

[@SL-cl9gt]

He was born too early.

[@johngraves6878]

Such a delight.

[@BooringBoo]

It must've really been difficult for Welles to follow his stream of thought with the constant yet surely needed interruptions by the translator.

[@Firethealcoholic]

He's in the unique position of being just on the edge of not needing a translator. You can see him following along and even sometimes emphasizing a word the translator mentions, so he clearly has grasp of the language. So I'd bet it was like having his sentences repeated back to him. Helps to be cultured, especially in France. XD

[@SandrineVoxServices]

Not really because he was a good French speaker so he could understand the translator and then keep going with his thoughts

[@AslansMane88]

and by the french champaigne. 😅

[@bobdownes162]

Something like Coitus Interruptus.

[@hschenck3394]

Such a badass

[@dylanbuchanan6511]

If Orson Welles were alive today I don’t think he could survive how bad and homogenous movies are today. Welles would probably fall over dead.

[@mysonisanembarrassment]

"if he was alive today, he would die" GREAT point dumdum

[@juanitolopez9731]

He surely would hate all these new trends of cinema-making. The Oscars ceremony has become a circus, and the traditional film festivals of Cannes, San Sebastian, or Venice look more like a fashion parade of Ascot, with their stupid hats, than anything else. Cinema has become a tasteless vulgarity.

[@mysonisanembarrassment]

@@juanitolopez9731 there ya go, a little more thought into your statement. Makes it seem like you have an actual opinion.

[@juanitolopez9731]

@Drake Mallard Yes, it is my personal opinion.

[@mysonisanembarrassment]

@@juanitolopez9731 great job big guy

[@athecheat]

he seems to be the lord of backhanded compliments

[@lisaparkhill682]

💖

[@claudetteferguson9841]

What he says about a star and comparing it to wanting to be President of the USA rings true today for sure

[@AnnaLVajda]

Yeah we have a former drama teacher as Prime Minister of Canada and it seems painfully obvious he just is acting like a competent politician but is not one actually just learned some tricks from his Dad who had the same job years ago. Then America had Trump who had some reality show experience but was really more of a competent business man type which is what they needed more than some politician imo.

[@Potidaon]

Trump a competent business man. Good one.

[@kiwitrainguy]

Given that this was recorded in 1982, Welles was probably referencing Regan.

[@SymonSaysTV]

Men i love him...! What a men, even if i don't share the same point of view about "stars". I prefer by far a very good unknown actor then a star. Stars make a film less believable as the persona of the star is all you see. Lets welcome many more great unlnowned actors in lead roles....!

[@arricammarques1955]

Many talented actors within SAG, rarely earn a living, thanks to the casting distributors, featuring the same actors in US cinema. European, indie productions far superior.

[@JmR5x5]

I don't think you heard what he said correctly. Orson implies an actor's and a star's vocations are dissimilar. Going as far to say that a star is closer to a politician running for president than they would be to an actor.

[@iria2663]

The greatest person of the 20th century

[@harrylime9702]

Of the history of humanity*

[@adikravets3632]

13:08 Orson got him

[@Jack-2day]

Orson deftly played it off though, in his inimitable jocular way

[@webmarch06]

英語もフランス語も解らないのが悔しい。もっと長生きしてもっと沢山の映画を撮って欲しかった。 偉大な芸術家でした。

[@gopherstate777]

English is easy just find a good friend who speaks it. Soon you will dream in English and that is when you got it, my friend.

[@webmarch06]

Thank you my friend who dreams the same.

[@elkmeatenjoyer3409]

Never too late to learn, compared to japanese, English is an easy language. This is coming from a latino that learned it by playing videogames and listening to doommetal and reading the lyrics.

[@webmarch06]

thank you. Today, thanks to computers and the internet, we can translate texts, but it's a pity that we can't translate spoken words in real time. It may come true sooner or later.

[@NuageAuSol]

l'ESEC devant Orson Welles! Quel chance pour les étudiants!

[@MarcosElMalo2]

You have to watch this while reading the transcript.

[@StoryeTime]

Grandiose ! Merci !

[@elizabethanderson2968]

The omniscient bard of aesthetics and natural law x

[@MisterBoom55]

i'm French and the translator annoys me. He even translates Welles' s semi-French sentences. It completely breaks the usually captivating way in which Orson speaks. Also the public obviously understand English since they laugh and clap at Welles' jokes well before the translator interrupts.

[@clementhossaert5234]

I disagree, I find him to be proficient and precise, and what can you do but retranslate the semi-French sentences for those who can't heads or tails of his strong accent, in French too. Besides, people who don't understand English most probably exist in the audience.

[@VasiliosBakagias]

Immortal!!! ♥️❤️🌏🌎🌍

[@gblot]

Film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum reports this discussion took place at the Cinematheque Francaise.

[@alainjames9556]

Holy smoke. Welles dissed Hitchcock @2:54 . Said he detested him. I don't get it. I wish he had elaborated.

[@patricias5122]

I understand why that would cause a huh? reaction. Hitchcock was a genius and a bully who abused female actresses, and everyone knew it, including Welles. But nobody would talk about it.

[@alainjames9556]

@@patricias5122 Ingrid Bergman spoke so emotionally about him - so warmly... So his "abuse" was apparently not universal. Frankly, my interest in Hitchcock is his work. His approach to cinema. The way each frame looks. The fact that, in my opinion, the actors in his films are giving some of their greatest performances - across the board.

[@AnnaLVajda]

@@alainjames9556 who knows lots of actresses praised Weinstein too and he's in jail now. Hitchcock seemed pretty creepy to me actually. If Orson detests him so will I I trust Orsons judgement.

[@alainjames9556]

@@AnnaLVajda I think you should look at the context of Welles' comment above. I just did. He was not referring to any abuse by Welles or DeMille. I think you might like to watch this tribute by Ingrid Bergman, calling Hitchcock an "adorable genius". kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXzTpqikndaKoZY

[@DSL-33166]

Not enough room for two Fatman in the Holy wood

[@NickBottom]

Is there any way to get the whole thing?

[@orangebetsy]

5:25 I can attest to that, as a violinist heeheehee. FLAP THEM ARMS!

[@superlyger]

He felt that Hitchcock sold out- became a slave to the studio system, developed a 'formula' and started churning out formula pictures to reap the box office. No longer was he trying to be original or an artist. Welles hated Vertigo and the pictures that followed. He disliked Bergman more.

[@TT_1221]

:) He wasn't a fan of Jerry Lewis either . . . :)

[@LoyalOpposition]

@@TT_1221 I wonder why the French liked him. Maybe that was their way of saying "See, American.. What a fucking idiot".

[@LoyalOpposition]

I agree about Hitchcock being formulaic, but he still had a couple of good movies. Vertigo, Psycho, and The Birds are awful, but I think Bergman was great.

[@juanpablog527]

@@LoyalOpposition He wasn't formulaic at all lol. WTF are you talking about? Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, The Birds are nothing alike.

[@patricias5122]

He knew that Hitchcock was a misogynistic bully. He knew. The film world knew. Nobody would talk about it.

[@viggosimonsen]

Strange he should detest Hitchcock. I would have expected quite the opposite. How can you dislike Hitchcock as Film Maker? Ok, listening a bit further to his lecture, I understand his dislike. Hitchcock was certainly not the ideal of a director, as per Orson Welles' definition: The servant of the actor

[@Mrsilenciobackgammon]

13:19

[@AlexChiusday]

Apart from losing nº1 position to Vertigo :-3

[@RavenMadd9]

terrible translation job on the french in cc

[@AlexChiusday]

Why did Welles hated Hitchcock?

[@Deepurplerain]

Et oui, la création dans le cinéma se fait en collaboration ,désolé Mr Capra, qui clamait haut et fort son celèbre motto,"Un film, un homme,un réalisateur". Puis totalement vrai que l'intellectuel est "l'ennemi" de l'art créatif,il sera mieux en spectateur, critique,producteur même, mais les maitres ne fut jamais artiste en tant qu'intellectuel, peut-etre à la maison! mais pas dans leurs films, ils furent des conteurs,des humanistes des observateurs sans futiles obstacles,des peintres,écrivains visuels comme Bunuel,Ford Kurosawa Renoir, ils captaient cernaient la beauté la tragédie l'ironie, toujours présente dans notre monde,naturelle ou amené par l'homme.

[@DSL-33166]

I like Orson. But my ADHD is kickin in, and this french stuff...

[@LoyalOpposition]

Movies (and music) have gone downhill SO badly since....

[@karolecampesine]

ahahahahahaha owned it

[@飯田ケイ子]

オーソン・ウェルズは、とうがでよくでるが、りたとのあいだにできた、れべっか・みたい、おとなのかをやすみんはみたけど

[@Spectalys]

Peter HamsunIl It's embarassing that the french don't know simple english. Translator, give me a break. Are you serious ...

[@roedalacket]

Yes, I'm serious:)

[@BrothersandCoFilms]

Bro, do you even know simple french? It's the closest language to the english. Why does the rest of the world have to speak our language?

[@MacJaxonManOfAction]

French is not the closest language to English, neither geographically or linguistically. But you made a good point to that other dude, so good on you.

[@organzaaznagro3322]

If you knew how difficult French language is, you would not show off with your english language ! The English speaking world is not the center of the world, dude !

[@MokkaMatti]

@@organzaaznagro3322 I'm pretty certain that Finnish is more difficult to learn, let alone master, than French.

[@roedalacket]

It's embarassing that the french don't know simple english. Translator, give me a break. Great upload btw.

[@LoyalOpposition]

Do you know French?

[@superlyger]

English became the default international language after the 🇺🇸 ended Anglo/ Franco imperialism through the Suez Crises. The language of the hyper-power (ie USA) is usually the standard.

[@patricias5122]

They do know English. Trust. They all know English. The translation is needlessly intrusive.

[@alexandreseynaeve8251]

The translator's job is just fine.(actually he made just one little mistake but the rest was perfect). I feel sorry for you : You're probably 98% ignorant about French language.

[@roedalacket]

​@@alexandreseynaeve8251 My good friend, you needed help understanding Orson by translating simple English in 1982. This isn't good. So, besides the standard of dubbing English movies (not very smart), what else led the French to need a translator?