You are here:

The Eyes of Orson Welles

Name: The Eyes of Orson Welles
Director: Mark Cousins
Released: 2018
Duration: 111 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

2018

Director

Mark Cousins

Runtime

111 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Mark Cousins presents a formalist visual essay that deconstructs the cinematic language of Orson Welles. Instead of a traditional biography, the film employs a poetic, non-linear structure to explore Welles's aesthetic contributions and visual techniques. Given its focus on a single auteur, the film lacks broader social commentary and remains centered on the technical mastery of Orson Welles within the Western cinematic canon. Ultimately, the film's narrow academic scope means it does not engage with contemporary identity politics, focusing instead on the evolution of film language through Welles's unique perspective.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Eyes of Orson Welles have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not emphasize LGBTQ identities and instead focuses on the technical analysis of Orson Welles's visual style.

How does The Eyes of Orson Welles portray gender?

Fair

The film centers on the male genius archetype, focusing primarily on the creative ability to act of Orson Welles and avoiding demeaning portrayals of women.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Eyes of Orson Welles?

Fair

Operating within the historical context of mid-20th-century Hollywood, the documentary highlights the formalist achievements of a white, Western auteur without addressing multi-layered racial dynamics.

How does The Eyes of Orson Welles represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film celebrates the foundations of classical Hollywood and European influences, adopting a fluid, non-traditional storytelling approach while remaining rooted in the Western cinematic tradition.

Does The Eyes of Orson Welles include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no indication that physical or neurodivergent disabilities play a primary role in the narrative of this exploration of cinematic language.

Present on Screen

Uses a sophisticated, non-linear, and poetic structure to explore cinematic language.
Provides a deep, scholarly deconstruction of Orson Welles's visual techniques.
Focuses on the unique perspective of Orson Welles rather than a traditional biography.

Limited or Absent

Could benefit from engaging with multi-layered racial or cultural dynamics.
Relies heavily on the traditional male genius archetype.
Does not address contemporary social identity or representation issues.

Official Synopsis

A poetic journey into the visual world of the legendary filmmaker and actor Orson Welles (1915-85) that reveals a new portrait of a unique genius, both of his life and of his monumental work: through his own eyes, drawn by his own hand, painted with his own brush.

How are these scores produced? →