

Claiming that he doesn't know his own past, a rich man enlists an ex-con with an odd bit of detective work. Gregory Arkadin says he can't remember anything before the late 1920s, and convict Guy Van Stratten is happy to take the job of exploring his new acquaintance's life story. Guy's research turns up stunning details about his employer's past, and as his work seems linked to untimely deaths, the mystery surrounding Mr. Arkadin deepens.
Direction
Welles stages himself like a haunted cathedral.
Cinematography
Deep shadows, deeper lies — expressionist noir heaven.
Acting
Welles' voice alone could convict him.

Director
Orson Welles
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Welles disowned the theatrical release after producers re-edited without him; he secretly assembled his own 'Confidential Report' cut in Europe.
The film's nested flashback structure and fake biography directly inspired 'Citizen Kane' comparisons Welles found exhausting — he was recycling himself.
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