What We Talk About When We Talk About Acting (or, I <3 Nic Cage)

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Cinema Discusso > What We Talk About When We Talk About Acting (or, I <3 Nic Cage)

R. Mute: Jul 27, 2011

Busta Chimes.wav posted:

How much credit should we give to directors for bringing a certain performance out of an actor? Even when not going to extremes, like Roman Polanski asking Mia Farrow to walk through traffic in Rosemary's Baby, direction has a large influence on how an actor plays a part. Is it even possible to separate the two?

I think it goes beyond that, even. Roman Polanski doing that, Stanley Kubrick being insane, it directly influences an actor's performance, but equally important, for instance, is how scenes are shot. If your director/cinematographer decides to film a conversation by just jumping from one close-up to another, it's already limiting your actor's options. To go back to Patron Saint of Acting Nicolas Cage, imagine if the alphabet-scene in Vampire's Kiss if it was shot in a close-up. There are plenty of movies where dull direction and dull cinematography lead to dull acting. Maybe a great actor needs to be able to break through this, but that seems like a tall order.

Similarly, and continuing on with Nicolas Cage, a lot of actors are limited by casting decisions. I'm not even talking about type-casting. If it weren't for the quirks of some casting directors/directors, some actors would never be able to express their full range. I refer to Nicolas Cage because of Adaptation, naturally. We all knew he could act, but the role he played in that film was still pretty out there for him - and it worked. But you need someone to give you a chance.

I think there are a lot of very talented actors who just aren't able to show us their full ability.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2014 20:20

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 21, 2024 04:26

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Cinema Discusso > What We Talk About When We Talk About Acting (or, I <3 Nic Cage)