John Wayne in The Quiet Man
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Showing posts with label Kirk Douglas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kirk Douglas. Show all posts
Best Actor 1952: Results
John Wayne in The Quiet Man
Best Actor 1952: Kirk Douglas in The Bad and the Beautiful
Kirk Douglas received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Hollywood producer Johnathan Shields in the Bad and the Beautiful.
The Bad the Beautiful tells an episodic story of how Shields has helped and hurt three people a screen writer, a movie star actress, and a director. It is terribly repetitive story, and when it ended I really thought, "that's it?".
Johnathan Shields is the son of a old filmmaker who has died, and had so little mourners Shields paid extras to go to his funeral. He uses his father's legacy, or lack thereof as an ambition to become a great filmmaker, along with a wannabe director. So they work together to make something special and become noticed. Early in these moments Douglas is his usual charming self which cannot be faulted. He also shows an to ambitious personality which is well handled too. He puts the right passion into his performance that reflects well the passion of Shields in his desire to make it to the top. Well he does, but Shields hurt his director friend by not giving the director the star directing job for Shields' first major film, something the director was integral part of. This first betrayal was well handled by Douglas, but it was only a slight one and really something Shields had do to in the situation.
Shields' next challenge is to turn a downtrodden daughter of a late movie star, Georgia Lorrison (Lana Turner) into a star. Douglas is good early in these scenes with Turner, as they are not so romantic together but rather passionate. It is a strange concept, but Douglas handles the relationship as something Shields utilizes to make her into a star. He again shows the right passion, and power in her molding of her that is effective. He does bring her to stardom, but again he betrays her by not returning her love after their triumph together. This time a far larger betrayal and one unfortuantely Douglas does not really portray well enough. He really did not indicate it quite well enough beforehand, and his whole big statement of not wanting to be manipulated by anyone else seems to come out of nowhere. I will blame both the film and Douglas as well on this one. The film always brought it on a little too quickly, but Douglas needed to make a better transition. It is not a terrible part of his performance but it is a weakness especially since he was so successful with a similar character in Champion, here he falls short.
Finally the last person he helps is a novelist/screenwriter (Dick Powell). Douglas in this third of the film actually seems almost transparent and it really does not focus enough on him, and perhaps too much on Powell. He is shown to help the screenwriter by bringing his brilliance out as a writer. Shields though has a flop due to his own direction, and hurts Powell's character by leading his southern belle of a wife into an affair with a movie star, which leads to her death in a airplane crash. Douglas' performance here became pretty much old hat, as he repeated but to an lesser extent what he did in the other two thirds of the film. Not that he is bad, but he just did not add anything to Shields here. He again though did not make Shields' brutal edge entirely believable, although again the film did not give it enough time for it to be really effective. So that's Douglas performance, charming as usual, and properly passionate but lacking in ways. My review might seem like an abrupt cut off but that is the way the film deals with his performance, it just cuts off. Douglas and the film probably have benefited by giving his one scene at the end to show what Shields has become after all these events that have transpired, but the film does not give it to him. I still think it is a good enough performance overall, but it is lacking in some aspects.
Johnathan Shields is the son of a old filmmaker who has died, and had so little mourners Shields paid extras to go to his funeral. He uses his father's legacy, or lack thereof as an ambition to become a great filmmaker, along with a wannabe director. So they work together to make something special and become noticed. Early in these moments Douglas is his usual charming self which cannot be faulted. He also shows an to ambitious personality which is well handled too. He puts the right passion into his performance that reflects well the passion of Shields in his desire to make it to the top. Well he does, but Shields hurt his director friend by not giving the director the star directing job for Shields' first major film, something the director was integral part of. This first betrayal was well handled by Douglas, but it was only a slight one and really something Shields had do to in the situation.
Shields' next challenge is to turn a downtrodden daughter of a late movie star, Georgia Lorrison (Lana Turner) into a star. Douglas is good early in these scenes with Turner, as they are not so romantic together but rather passionate. It is a strange concept, but Douglas handles the relationship as something Shields utilizes to make her into a star. He again shows the right passion, and power in her molding of her that is effective. He does bring her to stardom, but again he betrays her by not returning her love after their triumph together. This time a far larger betrayal and one unfortuantely Douglas does not really portray well enough. He really did not indicate it quite well enough beforehand, and his whole big statement of not wanting to be manipulated by anyone else seems to come out of nowhere. I will blame both the film and Douglas as well on this one. The film always brought it on a little too quickly, but Douglas needed to make a better transition. It is not a terrible part of his performance but it is a weakness especially since he was so successful with a similar character in Champion, here he falls short.
Finally the last person he helps is a novelist/screenwriter (Dick Powell). Douglas in this third of the film actually seems almost transparent and it really does not focus enough on him, and perhaps too much on Powell. He is shown to help the screenwriter by bringing his brilliance out as a writer. Shields though has a flop due to his own direction, and hurts Powell's character by leading his southern belle of a wife into an affair with a movie star, which leads to her death in a airplane crash. Douglas' performance here became pretty much old hat, as he repeated but to an lesser extent what he did in the other two thirds of the film. Not that he is bad, but he just did not add anything to Shields here. He again though did not make Shields' brutal edge entirely believable, although again the film did not give it enough time for it to be really effective. So that's Douglas performance, charming as usual, and properly passionate but lacking in ways. My review might seem like an abrupt cut off but that is the way the film deals with his performance, it just cuts off. Douglas and the film probably have benefited by giving his one scene at the end to show what Shields has become after all these events that have transpired, but the film does not give it to him. I still think it is a good enough performance overall, but it is lacking in some aspects.
Best Actor 1952
Kirk Douglas in The Bad and the Beautiful
Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata!
Gary Cooper in High Noon
Jose Ferrer in Moulin Rouge
Alec Guinness in The Lavender Hill Mob
Best Actor 1949: Results
James Cagney in White Heat
Dennis Price in Kind Hearts and Coronets
Best Actor 1949: Kirk Douglas in Champion
Kirk Douglas received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Micheal 'Midge' Kelly in Champion.
Champion is a pretty well made film noir as a man becomes rises as a boxer but falls as a man.
Midge Kelly at the beginning of the film is shown to be the champion of the world in boxing. It then flashes back to his very humble beginnings as just a normal Joe traveling through with his brother Connie Kelly (Arthur Kennedy). They are both struggling to find his way, and early here Douglas is his usual very charming self. Douglas early shows Micheal a charming guy, who is quick to get into a fight to make a quick buck, or defend himself or his brother.
Midge and his brother find themselves on the wrong end of a scam, and instead of owning part of a diner they end up workers at it. There is the small concession of the beautiful daughter of the diner owner Emma (Ruth Roman), who Midge charms quickly, which is quite natural since Douglas is especially charming here. Midge and Connie leave though after Midge is forced into a shotgun wedding by Emma's father once he finds out that she and Midge are having a relationship. Midge instantly leaves with Connie after the wedding, Douglas here suggests well another side of Midge, a darker side that refuses to be controlled, or kept in a position by someone else.
Midge finds he is a natural in boxing, and after training quickly begins winning matches. Midge stays charming for awhile, and passionately refuses again to throw a fight to appease gamblers. Because of this and his fairly sudden rise to the top this brings out a different side of Midge. Midge who forgets his old manger who helped him from the beginning and his brother. Douglas becomes properly cold, and loses his charm. Douglas suggested this of Midge early on and he slowly realizes this change in Midge for it to be properly effective.
Midge begins not only to disregard everyone else for his success but he also begins to coldly manipulate them as well. Douglas is coldly effective in two scenes particular, where he manipulates a woman Grace Diamond he has being going with for awhile who attempts to manipulate him, but his cold denial of her, and his rejection of her is outstanding. Another manipulation Midge does is he manipulates his wife not to get a divorce. Douglas shows Midge to still be charismatic, but now in a stark cruel fashion. This change of Midge is chilling because Douglas properly brought Midge to this point, and also because the degradation of Midge as a person is so great.
Douglas' performance is especially effective because he does not try to portray Midge as a villain but as a truly fallen man. He did not fall exactly because Midge was always an bad man, but Douglas portrays it that he did because his want of survival, and his refusal to be looked at as lower than someone else. I particularly think Douglas' final moments are incredibly powerful because he shows the real honest cause of Midge's fall at the end of the film as he spouts himself as the Champion and finally showing everyone else that he is better well being punch drunk in a sad final moment of a once charming honest man who has fallen to nothing.
Midge Kelly at the beginning of the film is shown to be the champion of the world in boxing. It then flashes back to his very humble beginnings as just a normal Joe traveling through with his brother Connie Kelly (Arthur Kennedy). They are both struggling to find his way, and early here Douglas is his usual very charming self. Douglas early shows Micheal a charming guy, who is quick to get into a fight to make a quick buck, or defend himself or his brother.
Midge and his brother find themselves on the wrong end of a scam, and instead of owning part of a diner they end up workers at it. There is the small concession of the beautiful daughter of the diner owner Emma (Ruth Roman), who Midge charms quickly, which is quite natural since Douglas is especially charming here. Midge and Connie leave though after Midge is forced into a shotgun wedding by Emma's father once he finds out that she and Midge are having a relationship. Midge instantly leaves with Connie after the wedding, Douglas here suggests well another side of Midge, a darker side that refuses to be controlled, or kept in a position by someone else.
Midge finds he is a natural in boxing, and after training quickly begins winning matches. Midge stays charming for awhile, and passionately refuses again to throw a fight to appease gamblers. Because of this and his fairly sudden rise to the top this brings out a different side of Midge. Midge who forgets his old manger who helped him from the beginning and his brother. Douglas becomes properly cold, and loses his charm. Douglas suggested this of Midge early on and he slowly realizes this change in Midge for it to be properly effective.
Midge begins not only to disregard everyone else for his success but he also begins to coldly manipulate them as well. Douglas is coldly effective in two scenes particular, where he manipulates a woman Grace Diamond he has being going with for awhile who attempts to manipulate him, but his cold denial of her, and his rejection of her is outstanding. Another manipulation Midge does is he manipulates his wife not to get a divorce. Douglas shows Midge to still be charismatic, but now in a stark cruel fashion. This change of Midge is chilling because Douglas properly brought Midge to this point, and also because the degradation of Midge as a person is so great.
Douglas' performance is especially effective because he does not try to portray Midge as a villain but as a truly fallen man. He did not fall exactly because Midge was always an bad man, but Douglas portrays it that he did because his want of survival, and his refusal to be looked at as lower than someone else. I particularly think Douglas' final moments are incredibly powerful because he shows the real honest cause of Midge's fall at the end of the film as he spouts himself as the Champion and finally showing everyone else that he is better well being punch drunk in a sad final moment of a once charming honest man who has fallen to nothing.
Best Actor 1949
John Wayne in Sands of Iwo Jima
Gregory Peck in Twelve O'Clock High
Broderick Crawford in All The King's Men
Richard Todd in The Hasty Heart
Kirk Douglas in Champion
Best Actor 1956: Results
Best Actor 1956: Kirk Douglas in Lust For Life
Kirk Douglas received his third Oscar nomination for portraying troubled artist Vincent Van Gogh in Lust For Life.
Lust for Life is an effective and interesting biography of the troubled artist, I particularly liked the look of the film which reflected the art of Van Gogh quite well.
Kirk Douglas seemed to be the perfect cast for Van Gogh as soon as you see him in this film. He simply looks like him in this movie. He has the right face, and body type that fits Van Gogh perfectly. Douglas from the opening scene though also shows Van Gogh's strange form of constant depression at all times no matter what in his life. Douglas rightly shows a constant pain in his face even if he is not saying anything, there is clearly always something harming him from the inside, even if outwardly he does attempt to hide it at times.
His constant struggle with pain though is quite interesting though because as the title says he does have a Lust for Life. The Lust is shown through his devotion to his painting, but also his need and want to understand the common man. His passion for the people is incredibly well shown by Douglas who shows a certain in happiness in being able to watch and paint these particular people, even if he always shows a pain behind that happiness that never goes away. His most principal pain being his lack of friends and his inability to be comfortable with his surrounding.
Douglas is so painfully forceful in his performance as Gogh that it is sometimes hard to watch. He desires certain things so much, his intensity is so extreme that it cannot be ignored. Douglas makes Gogh pain so real that it is hard to take, because Douglas strikes the right emotional note. He especially does this in his scenes where he lusts after his cousin. His intensity, and raw that makes the scenes in a very interesting way painful to watch. Douglas is downright chilling especially when he puts his hand over a candle flame. Douglas makes Gogh's pain, and frustrations all too real all the time.
Douglas' performance is sad complicated work that makes Van Gogh a very vivid man. He combines all of Van Gogh's complex emotions brilliantly. His want for some companionship, but also his anger when challenged about anything about himself. He never makes Van Gogh as simple man in anyway. He is always a man in a sad state, even with his brilliance well shown even if he is not fully even aware of his own talent. It is a complex complicated performance, one in which he fully utilizes his whole body to suggest Van Gogh lusts, pains, and hopes. A challenging character Van Gogh is and Douglas is more than equal to the task.
Kirk Douglas seemed to be the perfect cast for Van Gogh as soon as you see him in this film. He simply looks like him in this movie. He has the right face, and body type that fits Van Gogh perfectly. Douglas from the opening scene though also shows Van Gogh's strange form of constant depression at all times no matter what in his life. Douglas rightly shows a constant pain in his face even if he is not saying anything, there is clearly always something harming him from the inside, even if outwardly he does attempt to hide it at times.
His constant struggle with pain though is quite interesting though because as the title says he does have a Lust for Life. The Lust is shown through his devotion to his painting, but also his need and want to understand the common man. His passion for the people is incredibly well shown by Douglas who shows a certain in happiness in being able to watch and paint these particular people, even if he always shows a pain behind that happiness that never goes away. His most principal pain being his lack of friends and his inability to be comfortable with his surrounding.
Douglas is so painfully forceful in his performance as Gogh that it is sometimes hard to watch. He desires certain things so much, his intensity is so extreme that it cannot be ignored. Douglas makes Gogh pain so real that it is hard to take, because Douglas strikes the right emotional note. He especially does this in his scenes where he lusts after his cousin. His intensity, and raw that makes the scenes in a very interesting way painful to watch. Douglas is downright chilling especially when he puts his hand over a candle flame. Douglas makes Gogh's pain, and frustrations all too real all the time.
Douglas' performance is sad complicated work that makes Van Gogh a very vivid man. He combines all of Van Gogh's complex emotions brilliantly. His want for some companionship, but also his anger when challenged about anything about himself. He never makes Van Gogh as simple man in anyway. He is always a man in a sad state, even with his brilliance well shown even if he is not fully even aware of his own talent. It is a complex complicated performance, one in which he fully utilizes his whole body to suggest Van Gogh lusts, pains, and hopes. A challenging character Van Gogh is and Douglas is more than equal to the task.
Best Actor 1956
Rock Hudson in Giant
James Dean in Giant
Yul Brynner in The King and I
Kirk Douglas in Lust For Life
Laurence Olivier in Richard III
So who do you pick, and predict? The ranch owner turned oil man, the ranch hand turned oil man, the king who sings, the artist who screams, or the king who schemes.
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