Confidential Report

Original title: Mr. Arkadin

IMDb RATING

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An elusive billionaire hires an American smuggler to investigate his past, leading to a dizzying descent into a cold-war European landscape.An elusive billionaire hires an American smuggler to investigate his past, leading to a dizzying descent into a cold-war European landscape.An elusive billionaire hires an American smuggler to investigate his past, leading to a dizzying descent into a cold-war European landscape.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

9.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Photos104

+ 98

Top cast36

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Orson Welles

Gregory Arkadin

Peter van Eyck

Thaddeus

Michael Redgrave

Burgomil Trebitsch

Patricia Medina

Mily

Akim Tamiroff

Jakob Zouk

Mischa Auer

The Professor

Paola Mori

Raina Arkadin

Katina Paxinou

Sophie

Grégoire Aslan

Bracco

Suzanne Flon

Baroness Nagel

Robert Arden

Guy Van Stratten

Jack Watling

Marquis of Rutleigh

Frédéric O'Brady

Oscar
(as O'Brady)

Tamara Shayne

Woman in Apartment
(as Tamara Shane)

Terence Longdon

Secretary
(as Terence Langdon)

Annabel Buffet

Parisian Woman with Bread
(as Annabel)

Gert Fröbe

First Munich Policeman
(as Gert Frobe)

Eduard Linkers

Second Munich Policeman
(as Eduard Linker)

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Until recently, the version in possession of Corinth Films was generally regarded closest to Orson Welles' cut. In April of 2006, the Criterion Collection released a comprehensive three-DVD set of this movie, featuring three versions: the "Corinth" version, "Confidential Report" (the European cut), and the newly edited "Comprehensive" version. Each version contains a few shots or lines that are missing from the other two. Because this movie was taken out of Welles' control in post-production, it will never be known exactly what he had in mind for the complex flashback structure of which he spoke later in his life. "The Comprehensive Version", which airs on Turner Classic Movies, runs one hour 47 minutes.

Goofs
Orson Welles' prosthetic nose disappears when Arkadin meets with Jakob Zouk.

Quotes
Gregory Arkadin: And now I'm going to tell you about a scorpion. This scorpion wanted to cross a river, so he asked the frog to carry him. No, said the frog, no thank you. If I let you on my back you may sting me and the sting of the scorpion is death. Now, where, asked the scorpion, is the logic in that? For scorpions always try to be logical. If I sting you, you will die. I will drown. So, the frog was convinced and allowed the scorpion on his back. But, just in the middle of the river, he felt a terrible pain and realized that, after all, the scorpion had stung him. Logic! Cried the dying frog as he started under, bearing the scorpion down with him. There is no logic in this! I know, said the scorpion, but I can't help it - it's my character. Let's drink to character.

Connections
Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Fatale beauté (1994)

Soundtracks
Saeta
Performed by Antoñita Moreno.

User reviews76

Review

Featured review

6/10

Erasing One's Past

After seeing Gregoire Aslan knifed on a dock and hearing a couple of last words like Sophia and Mr. Arkadin, Robert Arden and girl friend Patricia Medina know at least part of it.

Mr. Arkadin refers to the mysterious gazillionaire played by Orson Welles. However Sophia is as elusive at first as the mysterious 'rosebud' in Citizen Kane.

Welles seeing that Arden is a man of wit and resource in the seamier side of life, hires him to find out about Sophia. In fact the story that Welles gives Arden is that before 1927 when he found himself in Zurich, Switzerland with several million francs, he has amnesia and has no memory of his past.

It's obviously a lie because one of the reasons that Arkadin is so mysterious is that he has steadfastly refused to be photographed. Not something someone would normally do unless they had a lot to hide.

Still Arden takes the assignment and it leads to some startling answers and puts Arden's life in peril.

Welles came up short with Mr. Arkadin. It's an intriguing story and has some good performances by the cast members already mentioned and people like Mischa Auer, Akim Tamiroff, Michael Redgrave, and Katina Paxinou from Welles's past. Problem is that Welles seems to be using a lot more in his bag of tricks than is necessary to tell the tale.

A little to arty for art's sake. Still it's an interesting story and well acted.