Shit show

The Other Side of the Wind (d. Orson Welles)

Fascinating and infuriating bullshit. Watch how the guys patronize the underage girl. Sexist and disturbing, but also indicative how they’ll treat people not like them: white, straight, male, connected, upper middle class, liberal/creative types. I felt uncomfortable watching it precisely because people like me don’t belong in that world. Look how smug the Peter Bagdanovich character is. The whole film is like that with John Houston prattling truisms endlessly. This was shot towards the post-Auteur period, but Welles and co. still believe in the centrality and self-importance of the film director. Even the film within the film seems like a throwback to Antonioni films of the 60s and the ruckus of studio and party life is pure Fellini. We get to see the Actress nude and cavorting impossibly in a western film set. She is supposed to be Pocahantas, dear god stab my eye now. The film doesn’t even have the balls to show us the Actor’s balls. It’s that kind of movie. If ever you wanna witness the train wreck that was/is white male privilege of the 70s, complete with homoerotic and homophobic undertones, this is your flick, film citizens.

#2019 #26