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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 7, No. 3. May 3, 1944

The Welles Technique

The Welles Technique

In both films all the old Kane tricks are tried out again, with just as much success. There are the odd camera angles—a most remarkable shot comes to mind of Joseph Cotten leaving a tramp steamer at a Russian port; there are the curious facial shots, and of course the idea—and only Welles seems to have thought of it—of having both back-and foreground in focus at the same time; and the extraordinary dialogue (for films) in which people pause, and cut in, and overlap as we do in ordinary life. The speech in a Welles film is vital and alive.

Perhaps the main feature in these Mercury films is that all the characters are exactly right, down to the briefest appearance. [unclear: obeusly] good [unclear: ctors], those who are interested in acting as an art, will play in the best films; to have people of the calibre of Joseph Cotten and Dolores Costello makes a film worth while at once. It is interesting, too, to see how good and intelligent direction can bring out good acting. Dolores del Rio, believe it or not, plays in Journey Into Fear, and is quite amazingly good.

These films should be seen; they are satisfying. And if you don't like "screwy" films, at least see them, and acknowledge Orson Welles's brilliance in experiment.

Whui.