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Film A Clef

Related to the historical film, film a clefs are based on actual historical figures and are quite clear in their depictions, but the names are altered to avoid complications or legal repercussions. The name comes from the literary genre "roman a clef," or "novel with a key." Primary Colors, based on US President Bill Clinton, is a prime example of a film where the actors border on doing impressions of real-life figures who are not named in the film. Perhaps the most infamous film a clef, however, is Citizen Kane, which was based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. Hiding the identities of the characters hardly spared Orson Welles from attack, as Hearst, through his newspaper, launched an offensive against the film on all fronts. It is also common to make films about the workings of Hollywood in this manner, and The Bad and the Beautiful, with its obvious allusions to studio bosses and nods to Val Lewton, is such a film.

Major Works
Rating
Year
 Title
 
 Director
  9 Stars 1932 Scarface   Howard Hawks
  9 Stars 1941 Citizen Kane   Orson Welles
  8 Stars 1957 Sweet Smell of Success   Alexander MacKendrick
  8 Stars 1949 All the King's Men   Robert Rossen
  7 Stars 1948 Rope   Alfred Hitchcock
  7 Stars 1952 The Bad and the Beautiful   Vincente Minnelli
  6 Stars 1990 White Hunter, Black Heart   Clint Eastwood
    5 Stars 1983 Ein Man wie Eva   Radu Gabrea
  5 Stars 1986 Heartburn   Mike Nichols
 
 
 
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