Just watched that scene (on TCM now.) Holy *&(*&(!! It's as amazing as it was the first time I saw it. His expressions BETWEEN the lines. Even his gesticulating w/ his hands. My God. Mesmerizing.
How he did not win an oscar is one of the biggest academy mistakes in history. Beatrice Straight won for an even shorter scene in "Network" and while great, not nearly as fabulous as Monty.
I agree his scene is powerful and very convincing of someone who never recovered from his trauma. I had to look up the respective awards in Wikipedia and he went up against the actor in West Side Story. I also remember Mr. Chakiris's performance in West Side Story. I understand why he won, it was mesmerizing and also real.
Your second life is never like your first. Sometimes it's even better
I have never seen west side story , not being a fan of musicals in general , therefore I can't comment on the actor mentioned and whether or not his performance is worthy of an oscar win.
However , I can honestly say that this 12 minute scene featuring Monty is one that will stay with me for a long time .
One could argue that the film is littered with fantastic performances , and in a way , I feel sorry for Richard Widmark...because he comes out of it as the weakest link. I felt he "over-tried" or overacted , and it shows... Some might say that monty overacted his role etc etc , but the difference is simple , he was believable , we felt for his character. Whereas as Widmark comes across as second rate... mind you , being second rate to Schell , Clift , Lancaster and Tracy in this film is nothing to be ashamed of.
I learn something different with each viewing of this film. I thought Mr. Tracy's performance was the most predictable, so I valued it less than the others. Mr. Widmark had me upset at his character a lot, but in a good way. I took that as a character that was trying to tell a story. Since I wasn't there, when the industry tells this type of story, you need both sides for it to be realistic. This movie did that, and more. It made you think what the face of evil looks like.
Your second life is never like your first. Sometimes it's even better
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I've been revising my criteria for how I would vote in awards. Usually, I'm in the camp of how the actors (male and female) bring it everyday in an ensemble cast. Take the material and knock it out of the park repeatedly. But a single, dedicated to a one-off plot, all by itself performance can knock it out of the park. I recently saw Mike Ehrmantraut in an episode of the TV show "Better Call Saul", titled "Five-O", and he commanded the episode. The episode centered on his back story alone, and I hope he is nominated. So I do understand your opinion about Mr. Clift.
Your second life is never like your first. Sometimes it's even better
Except for his not answering the question about the hunter, the hare and the field, his portrayal of someone "feeble minded" was not convincing to me. He was very articulate in a tortured sort of way.
shareYes, that thought occurred to me as well. I think that his busts of lucidity were the result of having memorized certain patterns of speech, but in terms of logic, and deductive reasoning, he was terribly compromised. I'm not even sure if I'm talking about the role or the actor himself.
It was such a powerful performance. Poor Clift.
That was a pretty brilliant and nuanced performance, one of my favorite of the movie.
I have a newfound respect for Clift.
Montgomery Clift turned in an effective performance as a human wreck, but it was not all acting. The same could be said for Judy Garland in this film.
"Chicken soup - with a *beep* straw."
That scene almost made me cry. Monty was brilliant.
~El pueblo unido jamás será vencido~
I'm a huge Montgomery Clift fan - one of the great screen actors of his era, really, for a few years at least - but I have to take the opposite view here and admit that I didn't much care for his work here. The scene in itself was, of course, quite affecting but I thought he overplayed the twitchy mannerisms and came across as distractingly stiff and unnatural. By this stage in Clift's life he was, by all accounts, suffering greatly from his personal demons and the acting giant which he had, briefly, shown signs of becoming was no more.
shareMontgomery Clift drank continuously during filming, this added to the fragmented nature of the character. Tho he is known to have had a problem with prescription painkillers and booze he would refrain from drinking whilst filming normally. You can tell the difference with this performance to his regular 'dry' performances.
Let's not forget he had that horrendous crash that also left him with partial paralysis down the left side of his face. If you watch his earlier performances his mouth is much more expressive.
The paralysis he suffered and his addictions both of which he didn't hide lend credence to the character.
"Monty Got A Raw Deal". One of my favorite REM songs. From the title you initially think it's about Monty Hall from Let's Make A Deal fame. Then when you hear the words of the song you realize it's about Montgomery Clift.
shareHe always gives the best performance in every film.
I prefer him over Brando and Dean.