I’ve been following the reviews of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon with disappointment. One reviewer in particular said that Joaquin Phoenix doesn’t seem to be playing a character that makes things happen, but one that shows up because the setting requires him to be there.
This got me thinking about actors who have done the best job of playing famous historical figures, regardless even of whether the film is good or not. The kind of performance that seems to embody that person. It’s not just a question of physical resemblance, or makeup, or even copying someone’s mannerisms - acting is more than mimicry. In the case of people who lived before film, the performance has to create something new.
For me that role would have to be Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler in Downfall. He really nailed down the magnetism of his personality, as well as the manipulation and violent outbursts.
This got me thinking about actors who have done the best job of playing famous historical figures, regardless even of whether the film is good or not. The kind of performance that seems to embody that person. It’s not just a question of physical resemblance, or makeup, or even copying someone’s mannerisms - acting is more than mimicry. In the case of people who lived before film, the performance has to create something new.
For me that role would have to be Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler in Downfall. He really nailed down the magnetism of his personality, as well as the manipulation and violent outbursts.
