F for Fake (1974)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

F for Fake (1974) -- O. Welles

Orson Welles' first "essay film" -- not quite a documentary, not quite fiction -- helped herald in other works that crossed this line (by Werner Herzog especially, but also Mark Rappaport, Errol Morris, Michael Moore, and a steady stream of others).  Godard (and/or Chris Marker) was probably a progenitor but Welles is playing with his own legend as a faker (and the film feels sui generis), as well as focusing on two notorious "fakers", Elmyr de Hory (an art forger) and Clifford Irving (who faked Howard Hughes' autobiography) using found footage from another director.  He also tries to prank us with a story focused on his romantic partner, Oja Kodar. The editing here is pretty incredible -- and not everything that seems to be, well true, is actually thus.  Welles went on to make "Filming Othello" in this vein and one can only wish that he had had a chance to do more.