Best Supporting Actor 1981: Howard Rollins in Ragtime

Howard Rollins received his only Oscar nomination for portraying Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime.

Ragtime rather ineptly attempts to string together various stories from the Ragtime period in New York. I'm still not sure why Forman seemed to keep changing his mind on what type of film he is making, but when it sticks to the plot of Coalhouse Walker it is genuinely good. 

The story that becomes focused on in the second half of the film is about Coalhouse Walker. Coalhouse first appears in the film as the father of an abandoned child. He comes to take responsibility. In these early scenes Rollins has  great deal of pride in his performance that shows Walker to genuinely accept his responsibility, as well as someone who wants to be treated with respect by others. He has a quite dignity and intelligence in his performance that is necessary to set him up before his fall. Later though Coalhouse runs into some serious problems when he is mistreated by a few local firemen, which sets up a tragic chain of events. Rollins is very good at first showing how Coalhouse just wants to be treated with a little human decency, nothing more. Rollins makes it clear that all he wants is the genuine respect he deserves as any man deserves nothing more. Rollins really is good at showing how the frustrations are slowly bursting below the surface that works to his radical decision that he eventually comes to. Rollins's performance is a terrific dissection of the character of the man who wishes for a specific success, even as early on he is a near-do-well when not quite being there for the mother of his child. Rollins shows this affable charm about the man that suggests how he charmed her even as there is this kind of hopeless optimism in a way in his eyes. Not hopeless in terms of himself, Rollins shows the man that believes it, hopeless because it is going to be crushed sooner than later, despite the man finding success as a piano player and coming back to be a proper father. 

Going back to the scene of the man being harassed by scummy firehouse racists, who take exception to his ownership of a model T. Rollins really is brilliant through the scene by showing in such heartbreaking detail the attempts at the man in trying to resolve the situation with decency. First in his affable disbelief at the men's behavior however with a calm resolute manner of just kindly delivering every word as the man tries not to escalate the situation. Then when asking for a useless cop to help, Rollins again continues with this strict sincerity that compounds with it this internalized frustration, sadness but also firm conviction for dignity as he asks the firemen to clean up their vandalism. This sadly only getting him arrested and Rollins creates the tragedy by showing each painful step in the descent towards bitterness caused by the cruelty of the men, though even more so the system that refuses to recognize his equality as it should. Rollins always keeps the passion in Coalhouse as absolutely pure and true in the state of the man, and shows not a man waiting to radicalize, rather a man forced into it. 

Eventually he goes to his radical plan to get what he wants which includes killing, bombing, and overtaking a historic building to get his demands. Rollins is fantastic in portraying the man who has in a way become a terrorist leader even though his cause is righteous in terms of just wanting to be treated decently. The scene of seeing Rollins are strong work as he manages to so naturally play with his presence. This as he goes from moments of where we see a new man, the man who uses bombs and guns, the ease in his command now as the gang leader and there is this ease in the man's power. There is a charisma, no longer the charisma of a hopeful man, but rather the charisma of a man with power through violence. Rollins is reflexive in his performance though as he's amazing in the scene where Booker T. Washington tries to talk him into surrendering. Rollins touches upon the old Coalhouse as he treads on such genuine heartbreak as he speaks his demands with the sense of his losses in every breath and true poignancy. The shift then is so powerful when he goes from complementing Washington for his words as an "angel" as the old Coalhouse, before segueing so naturally, despite being an unnatural thing, as it changes to a blunt cynicism as he reminds Washington that they live in cruel earth. Rollins in the conclusion is great again when he makes his final choices, after being visited by the Father character. Rollins play the cool again of basically a gangster at first before sacrificing himself for his men. Rollins in this moment though just delivering so much humanity in his plea for his men to leave with such heart wrenching concern for them. You see again the real man who was mistreated even within the way the man is playing into that menace that has given him any sway. Rollins in his final moment is outstanding through his eyes and extremely content delivery. Contentment not for life but for basically accepting his death. His final "Get the hell out of her, don't you understand anything white man" is basically his last bit of rage, and last bit of life of a man who knows he's finished. This is a great performance, that honestly I might've honestly not appreciated just having been soured by the film's aimless first half, but knowing this was coming made me see the strength of this performance fully. It is a great feature film debut and it is a shame that Rollins ended up having a rather tragic career trajectory.