Movie Review: Mr. Arkadin (1955)

Orson Welles is among the most original and innovative moviemakers of his time, unafraid to explore new themes and take risks. In this post, we look at a one-of-a-kind movie, ‘Mr. Arkadin’, or ‘Confidential Report’, as it was titled when released in Britain, that only Welles could envision.

A French-Spanish-Swiss joint venture, the movie, written and directed by Welles, stars Robert Arden and Paula Mori, besides Welles himself in its lead. It is a bizarre tale where a millionaire pays his daughter’s lover, a petty thief, to investigate himself, the millionaire.

Breathtaking in magnitude, the movie is another ambitious project from Welles shot in Spanish locations like Costa Brava, Segovia, Valladolid, and Madrid.

The plot begins with footage of a pilot-less small plane in the sky as the narration tells the audience that this is a fictitious story that explains this unusual situation.

The plot then shifts to a well-dressed young man, Guy Van Stratten (Arden), coming to meet an old man who seems resigned to his soon-to-come demise. Stratten strongly warns the old man that he should flee the scene and that both their lives are in danger.

While the old man is unperturbed by any of this, Stratten forces the former to listen to his tale. Stratten is a petty crook in Naples who smuggles and sells American cigarettes in post-war Italy to earn a living. One night, he and his girlfriend Milly (Patricia Medina) are at the docks when they encounter a man who has been fatally stabbed by a one-legged assailant. As police approach the area, the assailant makes his escape by firing at the police. The dying man utters the words “Gregory Arkadin” and “Sophie” to Stratten, and Milly insists that these words are clues to a large fortune and then dies.

Stratten, an unscrupulous conman, will stop at nothing to get this fortune. Upon some investigation, he discovers that Gregory Arkadin is a supremely wealthy and powerful tycoon who owns castles and yachts all over the world. He also comes to know that Arkadin’s spoiled daughter Raina resides in a Spanish palace and leads a carefree life.

Stratten, with designs of usurping the fortune, seeks out Raina (Paula Mori) at a party, dances with her, and manages to make an impression. Despite warnings from Raina that her father has eyes and ears everywhere, Stratten aggressively pursues her.

Soon, he learns that the enigmatic Arkadin wants to meet him. At this meeting, Stratten discovers that the old tycoon has his number and has learned everything about him and his less-than-perfect lifestyle and womanizing ways.

However, to his surprise, Arkadin makes a strange proposition for him. He wants Stratten to uncover his own past for a price of $10,000, a fortune at that time, and to stay away from Raina. When Stratten questions Arkadin on his motivation to put him on the strange assignment, the latter claims to have woken up with amnesia in the Alps with a large sum of money and seeks to find out his own identity.

Stratten travels all over Italy to find out Arkadin’s past. He meets a performer at a flea circus, a junkie, an antique shop owner, and then a former wealthy nobleman and uncovers a trail of deceit and criminality from Arkadin. He finally finds the mysterious Sophie, where he learns Arkadin’s darkest secret.

However, he also discovers that Arkadin has been keeping close tabs on his own investigation, eliminating every contact through which he, Stratten, unearthed the story. Arkadin has effectively used Milly to uncover all of Stratten’s current investigation and past secrets. Stratten then realizes that his own life is in danger.

Stratten, however, has one more card left to play. Disregarding Arkadin’s warning to stay away from Raina, Stratten has been continuing his clandestine relationship with her. However, can Stratten hide his own true colors and past deeds?

‘Mr. Arkadin’ is an offbeat film noir movie, well beyond its time. The movie would also impress contemporary filmmakers like Christopher Nolan. It showcases some of the signature camera effects Welles uses in his movies. The characters, locations, atypical plot, and breathtaking cinematography make the movie a must-see for all fans of film noir.