1. Emil Jannings in The Last Command- Emil Jannings gives a great performance which relies on subtlety and expert physical command to create an incredibly powerful performance.
Ranking of films
1. The Circus
2. The last Command
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Showing posts with label 1928. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1928. Show all posts
Best Actor 1928: Results
1. Emil Jannings in The Last Command- Emil Jannings gives a great performance which relies on subtlety and expert physical command to create an incredibly powerful performance.
Ranking of films
1. The Circus
2. The last Command
Best Actor 1928: Emil Jannings in The Last Command
Emil Jannings won the first best actor Oscar for portraying Gen. Dolgorucki / Grand Duke Sergius Alexander in The Last Command.
The Last Command is a more interesting film than I expected it to be, a film about a Czarist Russian General who goes an becomes a movie extra after the revolution.
This film presents some astoundingly subtle acting from Emil Jannings in this role. With Jannings you will not see the over done motions and gestures usually seen in silent acting, but instead subtle gestures to greater effect. Jannings begins in the film just perfectly as the proud Russian General who loves Russia and must try to keep control during the turbulent time of the Revolution. His presence is just right always having the right pompous movements in his steps and a right clearly controlling nature in the way in which he moves.He never forces himself to look like the General he just is the General, always perfect and completely fulfilling the look of the part as a silent actor needs to. There is never a doubt in his performance which makes the General's own confidence all the more believable.
He is amazing in this part really because even when many around him overact with their faces and movements Jannings never really does. The closest he comes is when he laughs, but than again he is laughing. He has strong scenes throughout the film because he shows his emotions only with his face, because that is all he can really do in a silent film, and shows the emotions always incredibly well. Especially strong scene is when he attempts to romance a woman, where Jannings clearly shows an interesting romantic side of the General. Showing an actual warmness and passion into his performance with his subtle facial gestures.
His strongest scenes though are the one where he is attacked by revolutionaries and another in his final scene. The scene where he is attacked by revolutionaries is brilliantly handled by Jannings, showing the General attempt to keep power and order is effectively handled. But than after being attacked by the mob his face of surprise and anguish is spectacular. He shows not one obvious emotion but rather allowing us to see what the General is thinking. His change to great general to a lowly film extra is perfectly handled showing his depression and loss clearly. His last speech where he finally gains his old command (although fictionally in a film) and passion back is expertly done by Jannings giving a great performance, and showing that silent performance can be subtle and truly effective.
This film presents some astoundingly subtle acting from Emil Jannings in this role. With Jannings you will not see the over done motions and gestures usually seen in silent acting, but instead subtle gestures to greater effect. Jannings begins in the film just perfectly as the proud Russian General who loves Russia and must try to keep control during the turbulent time of the Revolution. His presence is just right always having the right pompous movements in his steps and a right clearly controlling nature in the way in which he moves.He never forces himself to look like the General he just is the General, always perfect and completely fulfilling the look of the part as a silent actor needs to. There is never a doubt in his performance which makes the General's own confidence all the more believable.
He is amazing in this part really because even when many around him overact with their faces and movements Jannings never really does. The closest he comes is when he laughs, but than again he is laughing. He has strong scenes throughout the film because he shows his emotions only with his face, because that is all he can really do in a silent film, and shows the emotions always incredibly well. Especially strong scene is when he attempts to romance a woman, where Jannings clearly shows an interesting romantic side of the General. Showing an actual warmness and passion into his performance with his subtle facial gestures.
His strongest scenes though are the one where he is attacked by revolutionaries and another in his final scene. The scene where he is attacked by revolutionaries is brilliantly handled by Jannings, showing the General attempt to keep power and order is effectively handled. But than after being attacked by the mob his face of surprise and anguish is spectacular. He shows not one obvious emotion but rather allowing us to see what the General is thinking. His change to great general to a lowly film extra is perfectly handled showing his depression and loss clearly. His last speech where he finally gains his old command (although fictionally in a film) and passion back is expertly done by Jannings giving a great performance, and showing that silent performance can be subtle and truly effective.
Best Actor 1928: Charlie Chaplin in The Circus
Charlie Chaplin sort of received his first Oscar nomination for portraying once again The Tramp in The Circus.
The Circus is not the funniest silent comedy ever for me, or even that funny at all. I really did not really smile or laugh very much while watching it, I more of found some of scenes sort of neat and intriguing but really for historical reasons.
Chaplin plays the same character here he played in most of his films, The Tramp. Now in terms of acting in the normal prescribed fashion it is mostly typical silent fare. There is the obvious gestures and faces but Chaplin does not over do them too much, but rather as much as a good silent actor would. He makes his sad faces sad, his scared faces scared, his happy faces happy, all the right way even if it is the obvious way. There is nothing wrong with what he does and he certainly does this well enough. They never seem completely over acted, yes they certainly are a little just to be noticed but not as much as they could be. There are no moments where his faces seem wrong, but they are never that good. There are a few reactions were he shows a little more subtlety like his final face in the film, but there are not enough in the overall performance.
The rest of his performance though resides in his physical comedic performance. Chaplin is clearly experienced here with always making the right moves and doing his trade mark waddle in the right way. He clearly is always perfectly in step and in line making the Tramp's movements completely natural despite being completely absurd. Now I did not find what he did all that funny, but it was nice enough to watch. Most of the comedy attempts come from the direction of what happens to The Tramp than from Chaplin's precise acting. The things I liked more in the film were the set pieces more than his physical movements in this particular film. He though is perfectly fine and knows what he is doing here, even if I do not find it funny, I know many find that it works incredibly well. A fine old silent comedic performance from a skilled silent comedian, nothing more, nothing less.
Chaplin plays the same character here he played in most of his films, The Tramp. Now in terms of acting in the normal prescribed fashion it is mostly typical silent fare. There is the obvious gestures and faces but Chaplin does not over do them too much, but rather as much as a good silent actor would. He makes his sad faces sad, his scared faces scared, his happy faces happy, all the right way even if it is the obvious way. There is nothing wrong with what he does and he certainly does this well enough. They never seem completely over acted, yes they certainly are a little just to be noticed but not as much as they could be. There are no moments where his faces seem wrong, but they are never that good. There are a few reactions were he shows a little more subtlety like his final face in the film, but there are not enough in the overall performance.
The rest of his performance though resides in his physical comedic performance. Chaplin is clearly experienced here with always making the right moves and doing his trade mark waddle in the right way. He clearly is always perfectly in step and in line making the Tramp's movements completely natural despite being completely absurd. Now I did not find what he did all that funny, but it was nice enough to watch. Most of the comedy attempts come from the direction of what happens to The Tramp than from Chaplin's precise acting. The things I liked more in the film were the set pieces more than his physical movements in this particular film. He though is perfectly fine and knows what he is doing here, even if I do not find it funny, I know many find that it works incredibly well. A fine old silent comedic performance from a skilled silent comedian, nothing more, nothing less.
Best Actor 1928
Emil Jannings in The Last Command
Emil Jannings in The Way of All Flesh
Richard Barthelmess in The Noose
Richard Barthelmess in The Patent Leather Kid
And Sort of Charlie Chaplin in The Circus
The Way of all Flesh is lost, and both of Barthelmess's films seem to be obscure archive only. Chaplin was nominated apparently but they took him out of the competition and gave him an honorary award instead. I myself will include him since he was sort of nominated and also so there will be an actual competition. I will come back to this year if I ever happen to come across one of those archives or if a copy of The Way of All Flesh is miraculously found but I doubt either of these things will occur anytime soon, so I will do this year as is anyways.
Therefore it is between Jannings in The Last Command or Chaplin in The Circus. Who do you Pick? Who do you predict?
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