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What are the best lead performances of the movies?
As I indicated yesterday, in light of the forthcoming Oscars, I’ve been wondering: What are the greatest leading performances of all time in the movies?
You can never ask a movie buff a question like this and get just one simple answer, so I have several.
My favorite actor of all time is James Stewart, and one of my favorite films of all time is Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo,” so it stands to reason that Stewart’s performance in that film gets my vote for the best male performance of all time. Kudos to SRCPutt for his amazing predictive powers.
Stewart was well known (perhaps too much so) for his self-effacing “aw, shucks” personality, and there are elements of that in “Vertigo,” but there’s something much, much more complex going on here. Later in his career, particularly after World War II, Stewart began bringing darker shadings to his roles, and Scottie Ferguson is his most complex and fascinating display of that.
On the surface Scottie’s an engaging, affable sort, but once tragedy strikes his life, fear and obsession come crawling out in frightening ways. For someone who was so well known for playing likable, all-American types, Stewart made Scotty creepy bordering on sick, yet he was always sympathetic. It’s an amazing balancing act, but Stewart never misses a step.
My favorite actress of all time is Judy Garland but my favorite performance of hers is not Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.” Instead, I choose her performance as Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester in the 1954 version of “A Star is Born.” Of course, Judy’s singing is front and center (I defy anyone to watch “The Man That Got Away” for the first time and keep their mouth closed), but she reveals dramatic depths here that were only hinted at before. She’s vibrant, yet afraid; dynamic yet vulnerable. And she’s very funny too - a quality that is too often overlooked because her real-life troubles get way too much attention.
Other picks:
Robert De Niro in “Raging Bull,” not only for the amazing physical transformation, but for the way he makes Jake La Motta compelling even though he’s a despicable lout.
Kate Winslet, my favorite actress working today, who never steps wrong but gave her best performance as Clementine in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” She made Clementine both lovable and maddening, thus making her all too believable as the love of one’s life.
So what are your picks for the best leading acting performances of all time?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Ask the Audience
Comments
By SRCputt
February 8, 2007 2:58 PM | Link to this
Probably my favorite female performance of recent vintage is Emily Watson in “Breaking The Waves” so I’ll pay tribute to the performance that clearly inspired it: Giulietta Masina in “La Strada”. My favorite actress is Jodie Foster, and I remember her raving in an interview 10-15 years ago about Meryl Streep’s performance in “A Cry in the Dark”. And another performance in the last 20 years I love is Jessica Tandy’s work in “Driving Miss Daisy”.By Allie D.
February 8, 2007 2:17 PM | Link to this
I am totally with you on Stewart’s performance in Vertigo, which I think has been unfairly criticized by some who didn’t think he was quite right for that part. I think I would also rate him just as high for his perf in Rear Window. Otherwise I think I’ll have to go with Jack Nicholson in 5 Easy Pieces, although Jack has a few movies that could take that same spot. Actresses — again, we totally agree, especially in regards to Winslet AND Eternal Sunshine. One of my all-time favorites is Shirley McClaine in Terms of Endearment.