F for Fake (1973) [The Criterion Collection]

Director: Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Richard Wilson, Paul Stewart, Gary Graver, Peter Bogdanovich

Trickery. Deceit. Magic. In F for Fake, a free-form sort-of documentary by Orson Welles, the legendary filmmaker (and self-described charlatan) gleefully reengages with the central preoccupation of his career: the tenuous lines between illusion and truth, art and lies. Beginning with portraits of the world- renowned art forger Elmyr de Hory and his equally devious biographer, Clifford Irving, Welles embarks on a dizzying journey that simultaneously exposes and revels in fakery and fakers of all stripes – not the least of whom is Welles himself. Charming and inventive, F for Fake is an inspired prank and a clever examination of the essential duplicity of cinema.



Audio Commentary by cowriter and star Oja Kodar and director of photography Gary Graver

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