Mr. Arkadin (1955) Screencaps

 

If I had to thank one thing for what social media is throwing at me nowadays for inspiration is old movies on FILMGRAB. They ultimately made me want to watch these movies entirely, and it's very useful.

I save them on my phone for study. 

Anyways today I got some incredible captures from a movie called Mr. Arkadin (1955). I haven't seen this one yet, apparently it's free to watch on YouTube for now at least, but I do know that it was directed by the famously recognizable Orson Welles. He's got talent and most of his films are unique and interesting to watch. 

Old cinema really had the most simple yet captivating screenplay and cinematography in my taste. The atmosphere in some of these camera shots are insane which is why I considered these films to be somewhat passable if there aren't any good characters or good stories in them.

Not to sound deeply passionate, but man, these people on screen are fresh. They have these serious, impartial facial expressions that I'm drawn to the most.

Now to be honest, I can't discuss the whole summary of the movie, but these scenes are kinda understandable. There's definitely a moody ambience to it, also the B&W perfectly works. 

Now I suppose that this must be Mr. Arkadin himself. He's cool. I like it.

These scenes below could be great for drawing live-action stills. 

Movie characters that have more maturity and authenticity is a treat. These people look distinctive, I wouldn't want everyone to look the same and basic. The top-hat guy looks fun to actually draw, the scene above is a piece of art. 

Maybe I'm missing out on feature films that have this similar vibe to this one. Not gonna lie, I have watched a few films related to this and they can be satisfying, it almost feels like a real event happening which obviously isn't the case but you can instantly feel it inside.

These old hollywood actors and movies made me understand what people like about more complex but observant filmmaking. 

Also mention, a ton of camera angles don't make the picture cinematic. It's definitely a choice if the subject matter is intense or captivating but it gets exhausting and distracting for a while. I still think I should check out Mr. Arkadin. I heard the story was good, especially when it comes to exploring new directors. I have mentioned that Welles is talented but I in fact never saw any of his films including Citizen Kane, maybe I'll watch that soon but for now as of writing this, it's my final post of 2025. Hope you all had a great year. I certainly have, and bring on 2026!