Campanadas a medianoche [Chimes at Midnight] (1965)

(On Cable TV, September 2021) The idea of Orson Welles taking on Shakespeare’s Falstaff as writer-director-star is almost irresistible. Seeing him show up as a grotesquely rotund lead (underscored with the roundest armour suit even seen) is a good start, and his intention to combine plays, deliver an ambitious battle sequence and blend a bit of comedy with the drama is laudable. The problem is: I have to be in a very specific frame of mind to appreciate Shakespearian dialogue (I have written about this before — I find Shakespeare more approachable in French translation), and today was not one of those days. I made it to the end, but reluctantly. I think I can see enough reasons to come back to this later on, but for now I’m going to rate the film as not quite interesting enough.