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The greatest performance on the silver screen?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 674
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in Movies #1
Who, in your opinion, has given the greatest ever performance in a film (in terms of acting) - either in a lead or supporting role? What made them stand out and what made their performance so special?

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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 380
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    #2
    Scubamonkey wrote: »
    Who, in your opinion, has given the greatest ever performance in a film (in terms of acting) - either in a lead or supporting role? What made them stand out and what made their performance so special?

    Just out of curiousity...why is it called the 'silver screen'??
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 674
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    #3
    MrKingfisher wrote: »
    Just out of curiousity...why is it called the 'silver screen'??

    Black and white? so kind of silverish? lol
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    degsyhufcdegsyhufc Posts: 59,251
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    #4
    Terry Kiser in Weekend at Bernies
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,832
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    #5
    MrKingfisher wrote: »
    Just out of curiousity...why is it called the 'silver screen'??

    They used to use a silver weave on the screens that the film was projected on to:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_screen
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    RussellIanRussellIan Posts: 12,034
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    #6
    Just impossible. In my current mood I'd jointly say respectively Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie in Carrie, for example, but then on another day I'd say they'd both been over the top to some degree!
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 380
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    #7
    afx237vi wrote: »
    They used to use a silver weave on the screens that the film was projected on to:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_screen

    Thank you, curiousity satisfied lol!! :)
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 380
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    #8
    Back to the topic of the thread....

    Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter - Silence of the lambs
    Bette Davies as Margo Channing - All about Eve :cool:
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    RussellIanRussellIan Posts: 12,034
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    #9
    MrKingfisher wrote: »
    Bette Davies as Margo Channing - All about Eve :cool:

    I prefer her as Rosa Moleen in Beyond The Forest... :o
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    TheMagic8ballTheMagic8ball Posts: 3,432
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    #10
    There really is no such thing. However for some my favourite performances of all time:

    Alan Rickman - Hans Gruber
    Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger for their roles as the Joker.
    Andrew Robinson - Scorpio
    Bruce Willis - John McClane
    Michael Keaton - Bruce Wayne/Batman
    Sigourney Weaver - Ripley
    Bill Murray - Venkman
    Jack Nicholson - Jack Torrance
    Malcom McDowell - Alex DeLarge
    Gene Wilder - Willy Wonka
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,163
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    #11
    Christopher Waltz in Inglorious Basterds.
    Paddy Considine in Dead Man's Shoes.
    Leo Di Caprio in The Basketball Diaries.
    Cary Grant in North By Northwest.
    Ralph Fiennes in Schindlers List.
    Robert De Niro in Deer Hunter.
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    mirrorimagemirrorimage Posts: 4,622
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    #12
    I would have to say Robert Shaw in Jaws.
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    Walter NeffWalter Neff Posts: 9,305
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    #13
    RussellIan wrote: »
    I prefer her as Rosa Moleen in Beyond The Forest... :o

    Bette certainly didn't think so, being forced to play that role which she knew she was all wrong for was the reason she asked to be released from her Warners contract, after 18 years.
    It has since become a camp classic after being parodied in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

    I would agree that her best role was in All About Eve, closely followed by Now Voyager.
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    MrMarpleMrMarple Posts: 3,471
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    #14
    At the minute I have gone with these:-

    Drama - Kathy Bates in Misery
    Comedy - Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny.

    One of the posters above mentioned Anthony Hopkins for The Silence of the Lambs.

    I would have agreed with this, but the sequals diminished the original portrayal IMO.
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    rybevrybev Posts: 1,900
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    #15
    MrMarple wrote: »
    One of the posters above mentioned Anthony Hopkins for The Silence of the Lambs.

    I would have agreed with this, but the sequals diminished the original portrayal IMO.

    Not sure i understand this comment.
    How can any subsequent performance of the same character diminsh the original one? The original one, like any other, is a captured moment in time - nothing can diminish or alter it.
    Your enjoyment of the role or reaction to it can change but nothing can affect the original performance.
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    rfonzorfonzo Posts: 11,781
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    #16
    Jack Nicholson as Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.

    Robert De Niro as Jake La Motta in Raging Bull

    Emily Watson as Bess McNeil in Breaking the Waves.
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    Eddie BadgerEddie Badger Posts: 6,005
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    #17
    Al Pacino in Godfather 1 and 2
    George C Scott in Patton
    Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
    Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
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    ShaiyaShaiya Posts: 3,512
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    #18
    Marlon Brando in The Godfather
    Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II
    Al Pacino in Scarface
    Bill Murray in Ghostbusters
    Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire
    Robert De Niro in Goodfellas
    Robert Shaw in Jaws
    Crispin Glover in Back to the Future
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    LMLM Posts: 63,779
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    #19
    Julia Roberts performance in Erin Brokovich is the best i have ever been by a female so far.
    She was funny, honest, tough and at times vulnerable. I have seen the film several times and each time i love the performance. I think she gained the acclaim and the very deserving Oscar because she was doing a film that wasn't a romantic comedy and was able to put everything emotion that an actor can channel into this role.
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    Dai13371Dai13371 Posts: 8,071
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    #20
    RussellIan wrote: »
    Just impossible. In my current mood I'd jointly say respectively Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie in Carrie, for example, but then on another day I'd say they'd both been over the top to some degree!

    I love quoting Piper Laurie.

    When my kids do something really daft, I always respond as best I can with "they're all gonna laugh at you" .
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    Mark AMark A Posts: 7,695
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    #21
    rybev wrote: »
    Not sure i understand this comment.
    How can any subsequent performance of the same character diminsh the original one? The original one, like any other, is a captured moment in time - nothing can diminish or alter it.
    Your enjoyment of the role or reaction to it can change but nothing can affect the original performance.
    Utterly, utterly, axiomatically TRUE! And anyone who thinks otherwise is a total plank.

    Regards

    Mark
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    Sez_babeSez_babe Posts: 133,998
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    #22
    Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
    Colin Firth - The Kings Speech
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    goldberry1goldberry1 Posts: 2,699
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    #23
    Sez_babe wrote: »
    Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
    Colin Firth - The Kings Speech

    With the performances of Jack Nicholson and Tom Hanks these two get my vote as well.

    Heath Ledger's performance was chilling - as the Joker you felt he was a madman capable of anything.

    Colin Firth as George 6th - wonderful.
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    Dai13371Dai13371 Posts: 8,071
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    #24
    rybev wrote: »
    Not sure i understand this comment.
    How can any subsequent performance of the same character diminsh the original one? The original one, like any other, is a captured moment in time - nothing can diminish or alter it.
    Your enjoyment of the role or reaction to it can change but nothing can affect the original performance.


    I agree. The only way it could possibly be seen as partly true is if that peoples' recollection of Hopkins' performance in the three films was of his inferior outings in the sequels being far more vivid than his performance in SOTL which could create a distorted view. This is of course not Hopkins fault although being inconsistent may be and it is easily remedied by re-watching the film again.
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    Sez_babeSez_babe Posts: 133,998
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    #25
    goldberry1 wrote: »
    With the performances of Jack Nicholson and Tom Hanks these two get my vote as well.

    Heath Ledger's performance was chilling - as the Joker you felt he was a madman capable of anything.

    Colin Firth as George 6th - wonderful.

    I forgot about Tom Hanks. Tom in Forest Gump - amazing! I keep meaning to watch more of his films, same with Jack Nicholson.
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    LMLM Posts: 63,779
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    #26
    goldberry1 wrote: »
    With the performances of Jack Nicholson and Tom Hanks these two get my vote as well.

    Heath Ledger's performance was chilling - as the Joker you felt he was a madman capable of anything.

    Colin Firth as George 6th - wonderful.

    I agree and it upsets regarding Heath because i've gotten into several debates and read on several forums how people think he only got the oscar because he died. I would bet my life that Heath would of won and been alive and well collecting his oscar if things turned out differently.
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