Big fan of Lancaster as well!
He is, I think, THE Great Underrated American Actor. There's such a rare combination of opposite cinematic 'virtues' in him, between his square-jawed classic Hollywood tough guy physique, and his introverted European sensibility and pensive demeanour.
Probably my favorite roles of his -besides 'The Swimmer'- are in Visconti's 'The Leopard' and Frankenheimer's 'Birdman of Alcatraz', as well as the-not-mentioned-nearly-often-enough 'The Gypsy Moths', where he reunites with 'From Here To Eternity's co-star Deborah Kerr, alongside Gene Hackman (and you better believe it takes a co-star like Burt Lancaster for Hackman's character to NOT be the alpha-male in a movie..... or for that movie to be 'The Conversation').
Oh yeah, and then there's his terrific proto-RoboCop turn in the ABSOLUTELY fantastic 'Lawman'; another great filmic reflection on vigilantism and the dehumanizing effect of blind systematic justice from 'Deathwish' director Michael Winner.
If you love Lancaster, you gotta see this one! (That ending!)
Louis Malle's 'Atlantic City', one of Lancaster's last films is also pretty good, with Lancaster as an aging former gangster trying to impress a cocktail waitress (played by a young Susan Sarandon.... that morning 'lemon juice routine"!).
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rudeboymurray (3271)
4 years ago
Yes, Lancaster is one of the greats. He was always an imposing physical actor but one who could also play tender beautifully. And, unlike so many of his contemporaries, he became, if anything, even lighter on his feet with age. His performance in Atlantic City is a beautifully delicate piece of work.
The Leopard and Birdman are both great performances, as you say. I haven’t seen the Gypsy Moths or Lawman but both are on my watchlist.
Brute Force and From Here to Eternity are among my favourite Lancaster roles, and I adore his late-career performance in Local Hero, one of my favourite movies since I was a kid.
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