Wednesday 1 June 2016

Alternate Best Actor 1985: Aleksei Kravchenko in Come and See

Aleksei Kravchenko did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Flyora in Come and See.

Come and See is an effective and unflinching depiction of a boy experiencing first hand the horrors of World War II in a Nazi occupied portion of the Soviet Union.

Aleksei Kravchenko plays the young boy in Belarus who we first see in the opening of the film looking in a field for an abandoned rifle with his friend. Flyora as a character is defined simply enough as just a normal boy in this situation and there is not an extreme depth to him, nor does there need to be. Throughout the film he does not have an exorbitant amount of lines, and much of the burden of bringing across the personal story of Floyra is left to the young Kravchenko. In the early scenes as Flyora finds the rifle, and goes about joining the Soviet partisan forces. Kravchenko does well in the role by just finding the realistic attitude in the boy as he finds the right expression of joy while first finding the rifle, then unease as he must leave his mother and sisters to join the soldiers. Kravchenko finds the complexity of the moment by showing the certain happiness of a presumed maturation by becoming a soldier, while still representing the fear of taking this step in the unknown. Upon his arrival in joining the camp of soldiers Flyora finds that there is nothing special to be found as he is immediately assigned a menial task.

The frustration of the position is well marked by Kravchenko though this switches to something else when a girl Glasha comes upon him and kisses him. Kravchenko is excellent by portraying the sheer confusion of the young boy at the action as he just can quite know what to do with what happens, and importantly shows that it is not that Kravchenko did not like it, he just does not understand it. In their other scenes together Kravchenko reflects as he interacts with her in a certain shyness that so effectively depicts the state she has left him in. However such confusion are not allowed to last the horrors begin as Nazi planes bomb the encampment leaving Floyra temporarily deaf. He and Glasha attempt to run back to Floyra home. Kravchenko's work portrays this deafness is well as he portrays a narrow view almost caused by his inability to know anything beyond his eye sight. This leads to a disturbing scene where Floyra misses his town, including his family, in a pile of dead bodies having been massacred behind a house while Glasha sees what has happened. Kravchenko makes this all the more heartbreaking by showing still a youthful enthusiasm in Floyra as he runs to find his family, he believes is hiding, as though its like he's playing a game with his family.

Eventually Glasha is able to convince him what has actually happened after they once again find the partisans and the surviving locals of the area. Kravchenko holds back somewhat in this moment though in his portrayal of grief, though it feels honest nonetheless. Kravchenko keeps a detachment that seems to reflect that he did not personally see the deaths, though he already will never be the eager young boy looking in the sand again. Floyra briefly finds a respite of sorts though as he works with a small partisan group that does not end particularly well as his comrades die, and his efforts all fail. Kravchenko portrays an earnest optimism in these scenes with Floyra still on a mission and there a hope that one can notice in his eyes. This hope is not long for the world though as the film moves into his last act where Floyra comes upon a group of Nazis who have occupied a village, and put him into a house. The atrocities only mount in this scene, as Floyra only escapes death himself when the Nazis allow those to leave who do not have children.

Floyra is stuck there as he must witness the terror of the scene as the Nazis casually go about murdering those in the house, raping a woman who left it, and even pretending like they are going to shoot Floyra in the head for a photograph. The scope of Kravchenko's performance technically becomes limited as he barely says a word, but the power of his performance is not diminished in the slightest. Kravchenko's reactions stand as an almost unbearable human attachment to the unrelenting butchering by the Nazis. Kravchenko is absolutely haunting as the sheer extent of every murder is seen through his eyes. Kravchenko only through these moments seems to age fifty years and by the end of the massacre Kravchenko appears more like an old man than a child. There's not a hint of hope, joy or any optimism it seems in his face, just every sight he saw pent up in him which has worn away Floyra's soul. This is only broken when Floyra finally shoots his rifle at a painting of Hitler. Kravchenko is outstanding as all the pain, anger, and finally the unbearable grief pour out in this silent yet palatable scream of this living victim. Aleksei Kravchenko's work here is truly remarkable as he is never lost in the film, but only amplifies its visceral imagery through his portrait of not just the loss of innocence but also the loss of life even without death.

97 comments:

Robert MacFarlane said...

Question to everyone: Is there any performances they feel like they were too hasty to dismiss?

Matt Mustin said...

I feel like I may have been too hard on Russell Crowe in Gladiator. I still don't love his performance by any means, or the film for that matter, but he does have presence.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I guess Robert DeNiro's work in Goodfellas. I thought of it as a simple gangster performance by him on the first time I watched it, and it took a rewatch for me to actually see his brilliance.

Oh, and I knew Kravchenko would get a 5 :).
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the rest of the (rather limited in number) cast.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I recently realized I think I misread what High Jackman was going for in Prisoners. I initially dismissed him as overdoing it, but I'm starting to realize he was overplaying it to emphasize how pathetic Keller's outbursts and attempts to control the situation were. It's actually a nice subversion of the sort of machismo vengeance driven protagonist we're used to. I feel bad for throwing him so much shade in 2013.

Calvin Law said...

Sounds a lot like it has similar strengths to Abraham Attah's work in Beasts of No Nation.

Calvin Law said...

Robert: well there's a few for me, personally.

1. Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street. I used to think this performance was just a very standard comedic sidekick portrayal but the more times I watch the film he actually stands out very well on his own.

2. Stephen Rea, The Crying Game. Not so much dismiss as thought he was good but nothing particularly special, re-watches have made me realize what a truly special performance he does give.

3. Anthony Wong, The Mission. I used to think he was the boring stick in the mud, now I realise how effective his understated approach and deadpan chemistry is and how it works so well for the film.

4. Much of the cast of Jackie Brown. I've always thought Grier, Forster and Jackson were great, but re-watches have made me realise I was wrong to ever dismiss the other performances as mere caricatures as Fonda, De Niro, and to a lesser extent Keaton and Tucker, do so well in making their characters have such a strong flavour to limited screentime.

Calvin Law said...

Matt: I agree with you. Crowe has a few performances I not so much dismissed but just didn't see the true brilliance of. Gladiator is not one of them, but he certainly carries the film terrifically. Master and Commander is one that comes to mind; I used to nitpick at the slight offness of his British RP but he's now my win for 2003.

Matt Mustin said...

Calvin: Yeah, he kinda has a habit of growing on you, doesn't he?

Calvin Law said...

Matt: Oh certainly. Another actor that comes to mind with 'growing on you' is Paul Dano. Also his Love and Mercy co-star Jon Cusack has another performance of his I initially dismissed in Say Anything.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: The review's tag says 1985 alternate supporting, instead of alternate best actor.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Phew! I'm happy as fuck with this review and rating. :)

The Hitler Portrait scene is astonishing in my opinion.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Rating & Thoughts on Olga Mironova.

Calvin Law said...

Also in terms of dismissing performances, I think I have to mention Tom Hanks. I used to dismiss Forrest Gump and Philadelphia, but now re-watching those films I actually find him quite impressive within certain limits (I give him a 4.5 for Forrest Gump and a 4 for Philadelphia). He's also grown on me a lot in Captain Philips, Cast Away and Bridge of Spies, where I give him all 5's now.

Calvin Law said...

Robert: Your re-thoughts on Jackman are brilliant, actually, and now I think I have more appreciation for the film's characterization of not only his character but Gyllenhaal's Loki too, in that Gyllenhaal's attempts to control the situation, in a far less emotional, uncontrollable manner, represent and contrast mindless machismo violence with an intelligent, thoughtful and far more effective approach to getting to the truth of things.

Calvin Law said...

Also, some random castings:

Guardians of the Galaxy (1980s directed by John Carpenter)
Star-Lord: Kurt Russell (who else)
Gamora: Sigourney Weaver (this will be a VERY all-star cast)
Drax: Sylvester Stallone
Groot (voice): Donald Sutherland
Rocket Racoon (voice): Michael Palin
Yondu: Kurtwood Smith
Ronan: Edward Fox
Korath: Andre Braugher
Nebula: Veronica Cartwright
The Collector: Dean Stockwell

Luke Higham said...

Louis: What are your Overall Winners for Picture, Director and all of the technical awards for 1971.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: What's your rating for Come And See and The Devils.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: What are your top 5 WW2 films set in the Eastern Front.

Luke Higham said...

Everyone: What are your top 5 or 10 child performances.

Louis: I'll ask for an updated list of your top 10, when you post the results.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Paul Dano is one of the best things about War And Peace.

And I hope Louis reviews Russell Crowe in Master And Commander. (I absolutely adore that performance)

GM said...

@Luke

1. Ana Torrent, Cria Cuervos
2. Jacob Tremblay, Room
3. Ana Torrent, The Spirit of the Beehive
4. Martin Stephen, The Innocents
5. Brigitte Fossey, Forbidden Games

Can't wait to see Kravchenko

Calvin Law said...

Luke: I will give you a list when I've seen Mr Kravchenko. :)

How is Stephen Rea in War And Peace?

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: That's OK, I've seen the list on your blog. :)

Rea is rather great, though he is featured more prominently in the first two episodes and has a brief scene with Dano in the finale.

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

Mironova - 4(Her eyes are unforgettable alone. Her performance, though brief, is effective in that she captures a certain otherworldly distance in her early scenes, then pivots well to a strict realism in portraying her own character's devastation at seeing the horror)

The rest uniformly work within the context of the film, but none of them stand out alone.

Calvin:

I have to agree with you on Hanks in Gump as if you really look at that character and performance, it's hard to think of anyone who could pulled off that role half as well. I don't love that film, but Hanks success with that character does deserve more credit than I gave him.

Luke:

Picture: 10 Rillington Place
Director: Richard Fleischer - 10 Rillington Place
Cinematography: McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Score: Duck, You Sucker!
Sound Mixing: Fiddler on The Roof
Sound Editing: THX 1138
Makeup & Hairstyling: The Devils
Production Design: McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Costume Design: McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Editing: The French Connection

Come and See - 5
The Devils - 4.5

I need to see more films in that setting for a top five.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you loved his performance. He was really amazing.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I disagree on Hanks in regards to either of his Osacr wins. If anything I consider his work in Gump to be one of the worst winners of any acting category, a sentiment that's only grown over time.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Does this mean Hanks will be upgraded for Forrest Gump?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Robert: I've grown to like Hank's work less and less on multiple viewings, but I do have to admit, he does lead the film really well, and it's not a bottom of the barrel disabled performance like Sean Penn in I Am Sam. But to each his own, I guess.

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

No I just meant previously in general before I wrote my review.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Who do you think could have been a better choice for Kelly and Holden in The Country Girl?

Calvin Law said...

Louis: Oh certainly. Although you know who I've a sudden retroactive inclining towards for a 2010's Forrest Gump? Nicholas Hoult. Very random. But his performance in Fury Road (rewatched it yesterday, loved it even more, and it's now my #2 of the year, watch out Carol) coupled with his work as the slow sort in Warm Bodies make me think he could do a magnificent job. And maybe Ben Foster in an enlarged role as Lieutenant Dan (a more lighthearted version of his role in Rampart). Or hell maybe turn it into a dark comedy more in line with the novel directed by Todd Solondz.

Calvin Law said...

Also, 10 Rillington Place over A Clockwork Orange now? Both are great but I'm pleased with your new choice :)

Luke Higham said...

DDL and PTA may be collaborating again. :)

Luke Higham said...

Louis: What are your top ten War Films.

Alex Marqués said...

Luke: I really, really hope that happens.

Calvin Law said...

Does stuff like Stalag 17 count?

Calvin Law said...

Saw The Nice Guys. I have the same problems that Louis and Robert had and more, in that the mood whiplash was a bit too much at some points, the mystery was a bit weak. I thought unlike Kiss Kiss Bang Bang it doesn't do enough to cover this with a subversive knowingness that film had. Having said that, though it's no Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I still thoroughly enjoyed it, Crowe and Gosling were excellent, and has some of the most memorable comedic moments of the year so far. My #4 behind Civil War, Hail, Caesar! and Everbody Wants Some!!

Luke Higham said...

Everyone: Are there any Leading and Supporting Actress performances from 2000 to 2004, that could possibly get a 5 from Louis.

I've got:
Ellen Burstyn in Requiem For A Dream
Nicole Kidman in The Others
Imelda Staunton in Vera Drake

Robert MacFarlane said...

I could see Louis hating Burstyn, to be honest.

GM said...

@Luke Björk?

Luke Higham said...

Saw The Nice Guys. I enjoyed it a lot and is my #2 of the year.
Crowe - 5
Gosling - 4.5/5
Rice - 4.5
The rest of the cast are 3 to 3.5s.

RatedRStar said...

Robert MacFarlane: I had Jared Leto in my bonus lineup so we will see possibly on Ellen.

Luke: Same with Phil Davis, he was in my lineup for 2004 also so we might see what Louis reckons of Staunton.

Omg I am having nightmares of 2004 Supporting, firstly because of Roberts wrath that Garden State performers Ian Holm and Peter Saarsgard could appear and that I requested Daniel Wu instead of Nicholas Tse although I still maintain that Wu takes a number of risks in his performance, particularly his final confrontation with Jackie Chan.

RatedRStar said...

Also, on the too hasty to dismiss, Joaquin Phoenix for The Master is a pretty clear one for me lol =D.

Calvin Law said...

Having just re-watched L.A. Confidential I'm bumping Spacey to my win and a 5, and also have Pearce over Crowe slightly. He's still fantastic, but Exley just impressed me even more this time round.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Did you have the same interpretation as I did and think Jack Vincennes was gay?

Calvin Law said...

Robert: I can certainly agree with that interpretation. I actually think it's my new favourite Spacey performance. So many layers to it.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I actually have the same interpretation with Jeremy Renner in The Town, which is why he's my win for that year.

Calvin Law said...

Intriguing subtext.

L.A. Confidential Retroactive Castings:

1950's Stanley Kubrick
Ed Exley: George C. Scott
Bud White: Lee Marvin
Jack Vincennes: William Holden
Dudley Smith: Frederic March
Sid Hudgens: Edmond O'Brien
Patchett: Raymond Massey
Lynn Bracken: Jean Simmons (Audrey Hepburn lookalike)

1960's Akira Kurosawa
Ed Exley: Tsutomu Yamazaki
Bud White: Tatsuya Nakadai
Jack Vincennes: Toshiro Mifune
Dudley Smith: Takashi Shimura
Sid Hudgens: Minoru Chiaki
Patchett: Tatsuya Mihashi
Lynn Bracken: Kyōko Kagawa

1970's Roman Polanski
Ed Exley: John Cazale
Bud White: James Caan
Jack Vincennes: Gene Hackman
Dudley Smith: Trevor Howard
Sid Hudgens: Michael V. Gazzo
Patchett: Roy Scheider
Lynn Bracken: Faye Dunaway (Joan Crawford lookalike)

1980's Michael Mann
Ed Exley: James Woods
Bud White: Mickey Rourke
Jack Vincennes: Harrison Ford
Dudley Smith: Patrick McGoohan
Sid Hudgens: Danny DeVito
Patchett: Christopher Lloyd
Lynn Bracken: ???

2010's
Ed Exley: Ben Foster
Bud White: Matthias Schoenaerts
Jack Vincennes: Tom Cruise
Dudley Smith: Mark Rylance
Sid Hudgens: Michael Stuhlbarg
Patchett: James Spader
Lynn Bracken: Sarah Paulson

Calvin Law said...

Also, I love Wolf of Wall Street but this popped into my head the other day:

British version directed by Edgar Wright

Jordan Belfort: Simon Pegg
Naomi: Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Donnie: Nick Frost
Mark Hanna: Paddy Considine
Max: Jim Broadbent
Patrick Denham: Martin Freeman
Brad: Peter Serafinowicz
Saurel: Jean Dujardin
Aunt Emma: Penelope Wilton

Calvin Law said...

Actually swap Considine to Brad and put Bill Nighy as Mark Hanna.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I'd swap Woods and Ford for the 80's L.A. version.

Alex Marqués said...

Mark Rylance as Dudley Smith would be perfect.

Alex Marqués said...

I can imagine Oscar Isaac as Jack Vincennes.

Calvin Law said...

Robert: Even better now that you mention it.

Alex: I was thinking that too, but Cruise as a superstar self-loathing cop seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.

Calvin Law said...

Actually another 1970's cast:
Ed Exley: An early breakout Raul Julia
Bud White: Bruce Dern
Jack Vincennes: Walter Matthau
Dudley Smith: Charles During
Sid Hudgens: Frederic Forrest
Patchett: Alan Bates
Lynn Bracken: Anne Bancroft

Calvin Law said...

And my thoughts on The Nice Guys cast:

Gosling: 4.5 (hilarious energetic performance, after his obnoxious The Big Short turn he's truly funny and entertaining here. I particularly loved every time he mentioned 'fucking Chet')
Crowe: 4.5 (I loved both leads but might give Crowe the slight edge, he was extremely deadpan funny, but also very poignant and sweet in his own gruff way)
Rice: 4.5 (basically echo Louis' thoughts, my Supporting Actress win...although she might be lead if I were to use my Michelle Monaghan Kiss Kiss Bang Bang rationale)
Qualley: 3 (enjoyably yammers and squeals her way through her short screentime)
Knapp: 3 (great sleazy presence and I actually kind of loved his final scene)
David: 2.5 (he was fine but a bit forgettable)
Smith: 3.5 (she was both hilarious especially in her interactions with Gosling, but also quite moving too)
Bomer: 3 (smaller role than I expected but I really liked his cold incisive presence here)
DaCosta: 3 (does well as both the kooky kindly secretary and very funny as the uncouth and aggressive killer)
Basinger: 1.5 (could've been a HUGE detriment to the film. She's only in 2 scenes but she nearly ruins them completely by her out-of-place approach. In fact I'd say the second scene is technically a very tonally inept scene, saved by Gosling and Crowe managing to salvage something of it)

Calvin Law said...

Anyone here seen Gangster Squad? Terrible film.

Gosling: 2
Brolin: 2.5
Penn: 1.5
Stone: 2
Nolte: 2
Mackie: 2.5
Pena: 3
Patrick: 3
Ribisi: 2.5

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Yes, it's a poor film with another atrocious turn from Sean Penn.

Anonymous said...

Calvin and Luke: Thoughts on Gangster Squad?

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I haven't seen it since it's release, but I remember it being rather bad.

Calvin Law said...

Saw Me Before You. As many have correctly predicted, Claflin was pretty good, Clarke was TERRIBLE for about 80% of the film, but actually quite moving and solid in the rest. As for the film itself, it was okay, but really couldn't recommend it too strongly.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Calvin: Ratings for Claflin and Clarke.

Calvin Law said...

Claflin: 4
Clarke: Probably a 2.5 since her good moments were really, really good.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Will you be covering years from different decades at random or in chronological order.

E.g. 1970s - 1971, 1980s - 1985, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s.

Michael McCarthy said...

I'm not gonna lie, I think Me Before You looks abominable.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Geraldine Page, maybe Karl Malden.

Luke:

1. The Good the Bad and the Ugly (Some of its best scenes are about the war)
2. Apocalypse Now
3. Bridge on the River Kwai
4. Lawrence of Arabia
5. The Thin Red Line
6. Paths of Glory
7. All Quiet on the Western Front
8. Schindler's List
9. Gallipoli
10. Stalag 17

I don't have an exact order to answer your second question.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Excluding what you'll be reviewing next, have you watched any other films from 1985.

Luke Higham said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Calvin Law said...

Anyone seen Money Monster? I found it okay. Clooney was actually pretty good in the lead role, though it was a pretty easy case of being well-cast as well.

Clooney: 4
Roberts: 3
O'Connell: 3 (he actually gives a pretty good emotional performance in showing what a mess the man is, unfortunately his accent is really terrible and does distract from a lot of the performance)
West: 2.5

Michael McCarthy said...

Since it seems like I have time, I'm gonna change my predictions. Eric Stoltz hasn't stayed with me as much as his co-star.

1. Nakadai
2. Kravchenko
3. Stoltz
4. Dunne
5. Mason

Robert MacFarlane said...

I think this might be my favorite Game of Thrones of the season.

Louis Morgan said...

Robert:

I'd concur, it had my favorite character in it and everything.

Anonymous said...

Louis: thoughts on the episode?

Alex Marqués said...

1.Nakadai
2.Kravchenko
3.Stoltz
4.Mason
5.Dunne

Luke Higham said...

1. Nakadai
2. Kravchenko
3. Stoltz
4. Mason
5. Dunne

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Well again I thought it was a great episode. The Jon/Davos/Sansa scenes I found extremely compelling as they managed not to feel repetitive despite them all being about the same thing. Natalie Dormer was fantastic in her scenes as she somewhat revealed what Margaery's real game was. Arya's scene though brief was brutally effective. I loved Jamie's scene with the Blackfish with Clive Russell possibly giving my favorite performance of the episode. Of course that came from close competition from the two MC's in the surprise portion of the episode. I'll admit I was already overjoyed to see the Hound, but I found the short single episode arc offered to him was very affecting thanks in large part due to McCann and McShane's excellent work.

Anonymous said...

So, did I miss anything around here?

Michael McCarthy said...

My one nitpick in the episode was In Arya's scene. I mean, after all of her training and considering she knew she'd just betrayed the Faceless Man, it shouldn't've been THAT easy to sneak up on her.

Calvin Law said...

Just saw Love and Friendship. Beckinsale is my first Actress 5 of the year.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Do you think you could downgrade Penn's performance in Casualties of War to a 1 if you re-watched the film? Like you said, that part had a lot of potential.

Calvin Law said...

Penn's performance in Casualties of War grates on me more and more on every re-watch because everyone else is so on point in the film. Big to smallest roles.

If you believe it, I've read reviews where people think Penn is the highlight of the film and overshadows Fox.

Anonymous said...

Calvin: Really? Good God.

Anonymous said...

Calvin: For Lynn Bracken in a 80's version of L.A. Confidential, I'd suggest Jessica Lange. That's the only choice I can think for the role.

Calvin Law said...

Anonymous: Great choice. She'd also play very well off Mickey Rourke.

Anonymous said...

I'll do another retrocasting.
The Untouchables (1950's version, directed by Orson Welles)
Elliot Ness: William Holden
Al Capone: Orson Welles
Jimmy Malone: James Cagney
George Stone: Anthony Franciosa

Giuseppe Fadda said...

Louis what did you think of Diana Rigg in Game of Thrones' last episode? Because, along with McCann and Dormer, I thought she was the MVP.

Louis Morgan said...

Giuseppe:

She was great as well. I really liked her tender moment after her scene with Dormer, then she was at her thorny best with Cersei.

Anonymous said...

Louis: What roles could you see Wolheim play if he hadn't died in 1931?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

The Champ in The Champ
Barney in Come and Get It
Pablo in For Whom the Bell Tolls
Carl Denham in King Kong
Alexander Bullock in My Man Godfrey

To name a few.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Who do you think had more range out of these three actors (Colman, Grant and Gable)?

Matt Mustin said...

Louis, what's your ratings and thoughts on Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagon, as well as maybe your thoughts and rating for the film itself?

Anonymous said...

Matt:
Eastwood - 3 (What a disappointment, he's really not all that bad. This still is probably one of his least confidant performances, but he does try)
Marvin - 2 (Marvin on the other hand gives the sort of singing you wanted from him which is something to behold. Otherwise than that he's way over the top here and not in a good way)

Calvin Law said...

1960's The Green Mile (directed by Sidney Lumet)
Paul Edgecomb: Burt Lancaster
John Coffey: Ossie Davis
Brutal: Lee Marvin
Percy: Robert Blake
Wild Bill: Warren Oates
Hal: Jack Albertson
Jan: Shirley Jones
Melinda: Deborah Kerr

Anonymous said...

Calvin: How about a 70's version of Magnolia?
Magnolia (1970's version, directed by Robert Altman)
Frank T.J. Mackey: Al Pacino
Linda Patridge: Ann-Margaret
Jimmy Gator: James Stewart
Earl Partridge: Henry Fonda
Donnie Smith: Jack Lemmon
Phil Parma: John Cazale
Claudia Wilson-Gator: Meryl Streep
Officer Jim Kerring: Peter Boyle

Calvin Law said...

Great cast. I think I'd swap Cazale over to Kerring though and cast Jason Robards as Phil Parma.

1950s Magnolia (directed by Billy Wilder)
Frank T.J. Mackey: Montgomery Clift
Linda Partridge: Joanne Woodward
Jimmy Gator: Clark Gable
Earl Partridge: Edward Arnold
Donnie Smith: Elisha Cook Jr.
Phil Parma: Anthony Quayle
Claudia Wilson-Gator: Jean Simmons
Officer Jim Kerring: Jack Lemmon

1960s Shawshank Redemption
Andy: Sidney Poitier
Red: Robert Shaw
Norton:
Hadley: Strother Martin

Anonymous said...

Calvin: I'll do a 50's Braveheart.
Braveheart (1950's version, directed by David Lean)
William Wallace: Dirk Bogarde
Princess Isabella: Simone Signoret
King Edward: Claude Rains
Robert the Bruce: ?????
Murron MacCormick: Jean Simmons
Hamish: Dan O'Herilhy
Stephen: Patrick McGoohan

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I'd say Colman.

Anonymous:

Richard Attenborough for Bruce.