Orson Welles (1915–1985, USA)

Orson Welles was not just a filmmaker — he was a revolutionary.

Born in 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Welles stormed onto the scene with talent, vision, and a rebellious spirit that reshaped what cinema could be. At just 25, he directed Citizen Kane (1941), often cited as the greatest film ever made.

But Welles was no one-hit wonder: his career was filled with bold experiments, visual innovations, and a relentless fight against Hollywood’s commercial machine.

Why does Welles matter so much in 2025? Because at a time when algorithms decide what we watch and studios play it safe, Welles reminds us that cinema is art. His films ask big questions: about power, corruption, identity, and the fragile nature of truth.

His camera angles, lighting, and storytelling techniques were decades ahead of their time — and continue to inspire today’s directors.

But Welles’s story is also a lesson in artistic courage. He battled studios that cut his films, struggled with financing, and lived much of his later life as an outsider. And yet, he never compromised his vision. His work invites us to look deeper, think harder, and never settle for easy answers.

If you want to understand what great cinema can do — how it can challenge, surprise, and move you — Orson Welles is essential viewing.

Five essential films to (re)discover:

• 🎬 Citizen Kane (1941)

• 🎬 The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

• 🎬 Touch of Evil (1958)

• 🎬 The Trial (1962)

• 🎬 F for Fake (1973)

Philosopher avec Orson Welles

Orson Welles dit un jour au célèbre critique de cinéma André Bazin: "Je vais vous faire une confidence bien plus terrible : je n'aime pas le cinéma, sauf quand je tourne." Quatre émissions pour comprendre la philosophie du maître du cinéma, qui réinventa le cinéma … 4 épisodes •

Quatre émissions pour comprendre la philosophie du maître du cinéma, qui réinventa aussi la radio, le mal, Shakespeare, et l'art du jeu.

https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/serie-philosopher-avec-orson-welles