Monday, August 4, 2014

Top 15 Performances in Roman Polanski Films

Roman Polanski knows how to direct a great performance. In particular, he knows how to get the best out of his female actors. Many of the characters below are not defined as good or evil. They have gray to them; mystery, allure. You really never know what to expect from a classic Polanski character. Just one reason of many that I find a great number of his films endlessly compelling.

15. Jolanta Umecka in Knife in the Water (1962) 
as Krystyna

Knife in the Water is built on the notion that two men would kill each other in order to have one woman. Polanski cast the virtually unknown Umecka in hopes that she could convincingly play a woman that men would kill for. Mission accomplished. Umecka uses her sexuality as a weapon, always keeping us guessing what she might do next.

14. Roman Polanski in The Tenant (1976) 
as Trelkovsky

Polanski has cast himself in a number of his own films, most notably as the title role in The Tenant. The film as a whole doesn’t fully work for me, but that has nothing to do with Polanski’s patient and disturbed performance. If the film’s script had been as dedicated as Polanski’s performance, then The Tenant would certainly be one of his best films.

13. Olivia Williams in The Ghost Writer (2010) 
as Ruth
I love women with fire. Female characters who stand up for themselves and speak their minds. Ruth is one such woman. A fiercely written character played perfectly by Olivia Williams. Much of the fun of The Ghost Writer is trying to gauge what Ruth’s motivations are. And, once revealed, the subtext of Williams’ performance becomes that much more impressive.

12. Nastassja Kinski in Tess (1979) 
as Tess

Just look at this still I’ve chosen to represent Kinski’s performance in Tess. She’s sitting outside on a beautiful day, dressed in expensive and lavish clothes. The world should be hers for the taking, but, instead, she sits lost and angry and vengeful. What could possibly be brewing in the mind of this beautiful young woman? What, indeed.

11. Thomas Kretschmann in The Pianist (2002) 
as Captain Wilm Hosenfeld

One of the most horrifying shots I’ve ever witnessed is a large can of pickles slowly rolling across the floor of a war-torn house. The can hits a step and the camera pans up to reveal a tall, foreboding Nazi standing in the room. He locks eyes with Władysław Szpilman, and the audience waits, fearing the worst, completely unaware of what’s to come.

10. Sigourney Weaver in Death and the Maiden (1994) 
as Paulina

The strength of Death and the Maiden depends largely on the mystery of Paulina. Throughout the film, Weaver has to make us question Paulina’s intentions while believing them simultaneously. We have to trust her, but also wonder if she’s just plain crazy. It’s an enthralling performance that deserved far more recognition than it received.

9. Emmanuelle Seigner in Venus in Fur (2013) 
as Vanda Jourdain

The most sexually charged performance Polanski has ever directed is that of his own wife, Emmanuelle Seigner, in Venus in Fur. But this performance extends much further than mere sexpot, as Vanda is a commanding and playfully manipulative woman who knows exactly what she wants. I had so much fun watching Seigner chew Mathieu Amalric to shreds in this film.

8. John Huston in Chinatown (1974) 
as Noah Cross

What makes John Huston’s work in Chinatown so effective is that he plays it straight. He doesn’t even hint at Noah Cross’ sadistic sensibilities, let alone openly discuss them. He’s a man who never dares to explain himself, which is why he remains such a mystery all these years later.

7. John Cassavetes in Rosemary’s Baby (1968) 
as Guy Woodhouse

Guy Woodhouse is one of cinema’s biggest assholes. When you take his actions into context, you realize how self-obsessed and greedy he really is. Yet what makes Rosemary’s Baby so goddamn creepy is that it never judges Guy. He never atones for his actions. He just stands there, head in his hands, unable to comprehend what he’s done.

6. Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974) 
as Evelyn Mulwray

We’re never quite sure about Evelyn Mulwray. Is she a femme fatale, carefully plotting out every complex step? Or is she an innocent pawn, in too deep and unable to escape? Evelyn Mulwray is one of Polanski’s most mysterious characters, and Dunaway inhabits that mystery wondrously. We don’t know, until we know. And when we know… look out.

5. Ruth Gordon in Rosemary’s Baby (1968) 
as Minnie Castevet

What I love so much about Minnie Castevet is that I’ve met that woman. Hell, anyone who’s sat in a nice restaurant in a nice part of New York City has met that woman. Loud, nosey, presumptuous and arrogant. She’s annoying, sure, but perfectly harmless. One would never suspect her of sinister misdeeds. Not for a second.

4. Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby (1968) 
as Rosemary Woodhouse

I’m still stunned that Mia Farrow wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for her tortured performance as Rosemary Woodhouse. So flawlessly does Farrow embody the young, idealistic, fresh-faced Rosemary in the beginning of the film. Which makes her transformation to the pale, fragile, traumatized Rosemary that much more haunting. A truly intoxicating performance.

3. Catherine Deneuve in Repulsion (1965) 
as Carol Ledoux
Throughout his career, Polanski has directed many women to excellent, if not career-best, roles. And while I’m still not sure if Carol Ledoux is Catherine Deneuve’s finest work as an actress (Belle de Jour still wins out for me), her Carol is as fine as acting gets. I’ll never tire of exploring the danger that lurks within Carol; of wondering what drives her madness, and what it will force her to do next.

2. Adrien Brody in The Pianist (2002) 
as Władysław Szpilman

Adrien Brody’s work as Władysław Szpilman is an Oscar-winning example of an actor going all in. Rather infamously, Brody gave up everything in preparation to play Szpilman. He got rid of his car, his home, he even broke up with his girlfriend, all in an effort to tap into Szpilman’s isolation. Whatever tricks and methods Brody implored, it certainly paid off. There isn’t a hint of artifice in this performance. Everytime I watch The Pianist, I watch a man simply being, and, in my mind, there is no better gift an actor can bestow.

1. Jack Nicholson in Chinatown (1974) 
as J.J. Gittes

Jack Nicholson is best known for being Jack Nicholson. All of his best characters have that Nicholson quality to them that makes them so great. The unpredictable energy, the explosive anger, the foreboding danger, the insane sense of humor. Now, what makes J.J. Gittes so appealing is that he has none of those characteristics I just described. He’s cool, calm, a deep thinker. Really, J.J. Gittes is an exercise in minimalism. It forced Nicholson to relent being the scene-stealer, and instead, acknowledge that the story is the star. Seldom has an actor giving himself over to the material played as captivating as it does here.


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32 comments:

  1. Jack Nicholson is probably my all time favorite actor so i'm happy to see him on top here. His performance in Chinatown is definitely one of his all time greatest. I love that movie and quote it all the time. It's a shame about the sequel though.

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    1. You know, I actually just watched the sequel for the first time a few months ago... really wasn't as bad as a thought. Same with French Connection II. Inferior? Oh, yes. Unnecessary? Certainly. But if those involved felt they needed to exist, then so be it. But I did think The Two Jakes was somewhat decent. At least Towne wrote it, you know?

      Any how, thanks for the comment, I do appreciate it. Now, the question of questions: favorite Jack performance?

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    2. Yeah, i didn't think The Two Jakes was a bad movie, but compared to Chinatown it wasn't much to brag about. I honesty can't remember much from it though as i only saw it once many, many years ago. Maybe i need to give it a second chance. Favorite Nicholson performance? Oh, that's a hard one. Chinatown is definitely up there. So is Five Easy Pieces, The Shining and even Batman. I loved his Joker. But i would have to go with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I love that movie and no one but Nicholson could have played R.P. McMurphy. Just thinking about it makes me want to watch it again.

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    3. You can't go wrong with Cuckoo's Nest. No sir. I rewatched that about two months ago, and it's as thrilling as ever. A shame Nicholson detested Forman so much by the end of it. I wonder if they could've made more great stuff together.

      And yeah, when compared to Chinatown, The Two Jakes is pretty bad. But all told, I didn't really mind it too much.

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  2. Such a great bunch of unforgettable performances. Adrien Brody in The Pianist is my personal #1 and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown is definitely my #2. But Jack Nicholson's breathtaking performance in that masterful film is undoubtedly in my top-5. What an awesome performance, really.

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    1. Hell yeah man, for sure. It was so tough to rank... well, all of these, but particularly the top 6. He really has directed some actors to some of their best work.

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  3. Awesome list! Love the Chinatown love here! I personally don't nominate Jack, since that year was so rich and I upgrade De Niro to lead for Godfather Part II, but he's so memorable and really strong. I just prefer the two supporting roles from the same film that you mentioned.

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    1. Thanks man! '74 was such a damn strong year, really, there are so many worthy performances to nominate as a whole. But Nicholson just kills me in that film. His insanely fast delivery of "Shut the fuck up," is priceless.

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  4. Great list! I thought Mia would be #2 and Brody would be #1, I haven't seen Chinatown. I probably should add that to my Blind Spot list next year.

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    1. Thanks! It's a real gem, Chinatown. One that I understand more everytime I watch it. One of the smartest, most clever films ever made.

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  5. Well you won't hear any argument here on my end towards this list lol. I couldn't agree more with the top 5 here. There aren't many actors out there who can touch the run that Nicholson had in the 70s (though OFOTCN is still my top for him). It's like he could do no wrong in that decade. As for Mr. Brody, totally deserving of all the awards he got for that performance. It's such a shame where his career has ended up in recent years. Also love John Huston as well, apparently this was the only performance as an actor he thought was any good. What a towering performance it is.

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    1. Thanks man! I go back and forth between Chinatown and Cuckoo's Nest as Jack's best. They are such vastly different performances. Both flawless. Brody... man, don't even get me started. It's devastating, really. Sometimes I see signs of that greatness again (I enjoyed him in The Darjeeling Limited, especially the aftermath of the slain child), but I have no idea what happened there.

      Huston though, he really brought it in Chinatown. What a monster.

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  6. THANK YOU! Olivia Williams is such a great actress!!! I love The Ghost Writer because of her!

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    1. SO happy you appreciate her work in the film. She's the stand out of that one to me, for sure.

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  7. Great list. Since there's several of his films that I haven't seen so far and one that I need to re-watch is Macbeth since I hadn't seen it since my senior year in high school. Here's my 10 favorite performances from the films of Polanski so far:

    1. Catherine Deneuve-Repulsion
    2. Adrien Brody-The Pianist
    3. Jolanta Umecka-Knife in the Water
    4. Mia Farrow-Rosemary's Baby
    5. Olivia Williams-The Ghost Writer
    6. Ruth Gordon-Rosemary's Baby
    7. Kate Winslet-Carnage
    8. Jack Nicholson-Chinatown
    9. Thomas Krestchmann-The Pianist
    10. Emmanuelle Seigner-Frantic

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    1. Thanks man, love how much cross over we have. And I dig you highlighting Seigner's work in Frantic. She was easily my favorite part of that film.

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  8. Love that you included Olivia Williams in this list - she was definitely one of my favourite performers of 2010 in The Ghost Writer. Such a subtly great performance!

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    1. Yes! She's such a talented actress, and so fine in that movie. Love her.

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  9. This must have been an incredibly difficult list to make, and it is truly an amazing list! I still haven't seen all the films he has done (as you can see from the list), so for now here's my 10 favourite performances from his films:

    1. Mia Farrow, Rosemary's Baby
    2. Catherine Deneuve, Repulsion
    3. Jack Nicholson, Chinatown
    3. Adrien Brody, The Pianist
    5. Ruth Gordon, Rosemary's Baby
    6. Faye Dunaway, Chinatown
    7. Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer
    8. John Huston, Chinatown
    9. John Cassavetes, Rosemary's Baby
    10. Thomas Kretschmann, The Pianist

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    1. Oh it was, for sure. Damn difficult. Love your list. And I was so, so tempted to put Farrow and Deneuve at the top 2 places. Damn tough call. Love your love for Williams and Kretschmann!

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  10. *Obviously* Brody's performance in The Pianist is my favourite performance of all time but this is a really great list overall. Yaay for Olivia Williams!

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    1. Thought you'd like me ranking him so high :)

      He's so good in that film. Flawless, truly.

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  11. Great post! Poor Rosemary. Her character, so bright and hopeful in the beginning, just looks eviscerated by the end.

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    1. Thanks! Yes, poor Rosemary, indeed. And that final look on her face... my goodness, what a transformation.

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  12. Way too many movies I haven't seen, here. I've never even heard of The Tenant. Wow. That said, I'd have Farrow and Gordon 1 & 2, respectively for Rosemary's Baby and Jack 3rd for Chinatown. Great work, as always.

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    1. Thanks man. I rewatched Rosemary's Baby the night before I posted this and man, I was stunned by how well Gordon's work holds up. I mean, that whole movie still holds up, but she's a showstopper.

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  13. Awesome to see Olivia Williams here, it's such an inspired, memorable performance, for me easily the best thing in the movie, one that actually made me rewatch it. Deneuve was just brilliant in Repulsion, such an almost silent role yet so filled with substance, she was so detached but you could see all those psycho thoughts and violence under the surface

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    1. Context is really important concerningDeneuve's work in Repulsion. For one of the most famous actresses in the world to take on a role like that... I mean, it's amazing. Nearly silent, psychotic, unsexy... I'm so impressed with what she did there. And Williams is definitely my favorite part of The Ghost Writer as well. Love her in that movie.

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  14. That's a strong list! Mia Farrow was robbed for Rosemary’s Baby. Also, Deneuve's performance deserved more recognition than it ultimately got. These days I'm so used to seeing the middle aged Deneuve, she's stunning in Repulsion.

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    1. Thanks man! Sooo stunning. And Belle de Jour... holy hell, forgetaboutit. And I agree, Farrow was straight up robbed. A snub I will never understand. If the WHOLE movie was snubbed then I'd get it, but it wasn't. So weird.

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  15. Nice job! Polanski films do have great characters, and often stellar performances. So glad to see Williams and Kretschmann made the cut! Venus in Fur and Death and the Maiden unseen, your top 10 is awesome too.

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    1. Thanks dude! Even if I don't always dig the films themselves, they usually have at least one excellent performance in them. Williams is so good in The Ghost Writer.

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