F for Fake

When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden's green and gold,

Our father Adam sat under the Tree and scratched with a stick in the mould;

And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart,

Till the Devil whispered behind the leaves, "It's pretty, but is it Art?"

 

from The Conundrum of the Workshops by Rudyar Kipling

 

F for Fake (1973) is the last film made by the great magician and myth-maker Orson Welles.

It's a supremely entertaining movie packed with ideas, twists, surprises and fun. It is about art, about forgery, about what's real and what's not. One of the main characters is a famous Hungarian art forger Elmyr, who is said to have sold over a thousand Matisses, Modiglianis, Picassos, etc. to famous art galleries all over the world. And it's simply amazing watching him effortlessly reproducing the paintings of great masters..

The film is a fake documentary and is known for its unusual, ahead of time editing style.

Welles the narrator is an absolute delight.