It's All True (1993)
-
80% of critics liked it
(20 reviews) -
56% of users liked it
(743 ratings)
Both a documentary and a unique exercise in film restoration, It's All True tells the complex story of Orson Welles' ill-fated attempts to make an anthology film about the life and culture of South America and concludes with a reconstruction of one of Welles' unfinished segments, edited together… More Both a documentary and a unique exercise in film restoration, It's All True tells the complex story of Orson Welles' ill-fated attempts to make an anthology film about the life and culture of South America and concludes with a reconstruction of one of Welles' unfinished segments, edited together from rediscovered original footage. The idea for Welles' South American project was conceived by the American government as a sort of cultural exchange to improve relations with Latin America. Using interviews and period footage, the filmmakers relate how the project quickly turned sour, as both the Brazilian government and RKO studio executives objected to Welles early footage; indeed, thanks to a local witch doctor, the film could literally be said to be cursed. Although Welles persevered, RKO eventually withdrew support from the project. The failures of It's All True and The Magnificent Ambersons, which was damaged by studio cuts made while Welles was overseas, are thought by many to have irreparably damaged the director's Hollywood career. It's All True concludes with a partial reconstruction of the "Four Men on a Raft" segment, in which Welles tells the true story of a dramatic, thousand-mile raft journey by four Brazilian peasants. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- G, 1 hr. 25 min.
- Directed By
- Bill Krohn, Myron Meisel
- Genres
- Documentary, Television, Special Interest
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1993 Wide
- On DVD
- Nov 30, 2004
Critic Reviews
-
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Welles had intended to narrate the section himself, but the writers and directors of this documentary have wisely opted not to second-guess Welles, simply presenting the material as it stands and adding music and sound effects.
-
Vincent Canby, New York Times
This documentary is a long, seductive footnote to a cinema legend.
-
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
The late Welles obviously had nothing to do with this new project. But you can feel his ambitious, quixotic intentions lurking in there somewhere.
-
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
A short, rather unsatisfying film about Welles's misadventures in Latin America at the start of World War II.
-
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Because Welles is arguably the most magnetic and mercurial of all American directors, the film would be interesting on any grounds, but it is also impressive because of the long raft sequence, shown here in an essentially complete state.
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
Cast
-
Miguel Ferreras Narrator -
Joseph Biroc -
Orson Welles
Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!
- Discover movies your friends are watching
- Keep track of what you want to see
- Add your reviews to your Timeline
