Shot in Spain, Germany, Italy and France in 1954 and 1955, Mr. Arkadin remains one of Orson Welles' most interesting films. Welles wrote the novel and the screenplay, starred and directed, a feat not unlike his monumental CITIZEN KANE. Through his career Orson Welles enjoyed examining the lives of unique men in films. In the instance of MR. ARKADIN, he presents a European financial jackal who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. It gets off to a fast start with a gun battle along the docks of Naples, where a dying man's last words pertain to Arkadin (Welles) and his wife, Sophie. Guy Van Stratten (Arden), knowing that Arkadin is one of the wealthiest men in the world, thinks he might be able to cadge some money out of the rich industrialist. Shot in the Welles style of dialogue overlaps and off-angles, the film constantly keeps the viewer's eyes and ears out of balance, achieving just the right edgy mood.
