Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1992: David Bowie, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Wise and Frank Silva in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

David Bowie did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Phillip Jeffries in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me acts a prequel to the original Twin Peaks series but also really a bridge, 25 years before, for the third season of the show. In serving that purpose it is extremely effective as an episode in the series, though an outsider may be a bit lost if they are viewing it all on its own.

David Bowie is actually only in about two minutes of the film, if even that, in his role as missing F.B.I agent Phillip Jeffries. He appears mysteriously out of an elevator in F.B.I headquarters, rambles seemingly incoherently then disappears without trace, yet leaves an ever lasting memory in this time. Of course credit must go to David Lynch's brilliant set up of the scene, but this scene would not be what it is without David Bowie. Bowie is of course known best as his work as a musician however onscreen he has a singular screen presence, an almost otherworldly quality. This is most useful in this role as one sits up and takes notice the moment Bowie ever enters the frame, Bowie's mere existence amplifies the already enigmatic nature of scene. It is not merely about Bowie being so fascinating in it of itself, but as his performance as agent Jeffries. The beginning of which is Bowie portrayal of the state of Jeffries which seems to be a of a man who sees far beyond one's normal existential crisis. The very particular emotional distress Bowie exudes isn't of just a time traveler, but of a man who has been through hell learned terrible secrets behind his whole universe and is here to tell the story. There is a painful urgency yet confusion that Bowie brings in every bit of that strange anguish he delivers in the role. As he makes Jeffries this man barely in his place with only this minor grip on reality trying to explain his story before disappearing while we witness a blood curdling scream by Bowie. To make everything all the more fascinating though Bowie uses a southern American accent in the role, which is some strange masterstroke. This only makes the already effortlessly intriguing Bowie all the more captivating. Bowie in just a couple of minutes, again if that, leaves an undeniable impression, creating one of the most enthralling figures in the grand Twin Peaks universe.

Harry Dean Stanton did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Carl Rodd in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.

Speaking of effortlessly compelling actors look no further than Harry Dean Stanton, who can do more in a couple seconds than some actors can do in 3 hours. Stanton though is rather different than Bowie in terms of their exact presence, in fact sort of the opposite in that Harry Dean Stanton certainly always feels like a man of our world, which is part of his great appeal. Stanton appears as the trailer park owner that housed a murder victim whose death F.B.I agents Chester Desmond (Chris Isaak) and Sam Stanley (Kiefer Sutherland) are investigating. Stanton initially appears as a seemingly more ill-tempered sort when the agents knock on his trailer door before his normal wake time. Stanton is hilarious in his initial grumpiness though this does aside as he reveals Rodd to be a nice enough guy who just doesn't like being woken up early. Stanton is very entertaining though particularly in contrast to the straight laced F.B.I. agents. Stanton just has a way with any line quite honestly and couldn't be a better fit for David Lynch's unique style of comedy. Stanton finds the appropriate tone for sort of Americana humor found with Lynch, as Stanton makes it quite funny in that particular style, yet he also makes it quite earnest. Stanton finds the humor in just his every little moment, such as commenting on his coffee, or his straight forward confusion at what the F.B.I are doing exactly. Now Stanton just being this friendly trailer park owner, would be enough. There is more though as the seriousness of the situation does arrive, and in an instance Stanton naturally reveals another side to Rodd as the investigate the murder victim's trailer. Stanton in his single line of "See, I've already gone places... I just wanna stay where I am" alludes so haunting to the man's own history in his unknown but there is also something poignant in the second half of a man just wanting the stability in his quiet life. As usual Stanton makes quite an impression in just a few minutes as Carl Rodd giving a great introduction to a character, which he thankfully was allowed to reprise in the show's third season.

Ray Wise did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.

It is also worth noting that Ray Wise was not Emmy nominated for his work in the series leaving one of the all time great television performances unrecognized. Ray Wise's work actually there shows perhaps the wide gap there was between film/television, something that Twin Peaks, very much ahead of its time, was trying to reduce. I mention that as it is likely if someone gave that same performance today they likely would break out across the board, or least for a little while. Of course this is also trying to understand Wise's baffling low key career in general as I've found him to be an incredibly dynamic performer no matter where he turns up. Anyway Wise's reprise begins when he appears after the elongated prologue featuring Bowie, Stanton and the F.B.I. agents, as the film jumps to the titular town to focus on the final days of murder victim Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). Wise obviously playing her father Leland, who in the series we eventually discovered, spoilers, that he was her murderer. Of course it's not so simple and where in the series we saw the phases of the man from a certain distance, here we are given the intimate detail of Leland's broken self. The first side we see of him Wise is terrifying as Leland demands Laura wash her fingernails before dinner. Wise in the moment is of this horribly abusive father. Wise persecutes her though in this horribly controlling way as he does it as though he is teaching her lesson, with his "father knows best" delivery that makes the moment all the more chilling.

A moment later though Wise instantly switches to a heartbreaking tone in the purity of the despondence that he shows in Leland as he profusely apologizes to his daughter for his earlier demands. Wise in this moment is completely earnest and sympathetic in his portrayal of such a tender sorrow as Leland attempts to explain himself. This is extremely inconsistent from the previous scene yet this is not a flaw in Wise's performance but rather the truth of it. Wise in that moment shows that being absolutely the purest form of the true Leland Palmer, which is as this loving father. A loving father that Wise does bring such a terrible shattered warmth, as he shows a man attempting to genuinely care for his daughter. Wise though makes every moment of it seem as though he on this horrible edge, as he suggests Leland is always a second from a complete emotional breakdown. Wise is harrowing to watch though as he does not make this in any way false, despite what we have previously seen, as he presents something being deeply wrong in this yet there is an absolute truth in his guilt. Wise in doing this though realizes the grave predicament that Leland Palmer exists in.

The predicament is not that Leland is struggling with his worst impulses but rather that he is literally possessed by an evil spirit that thrives on the suffering of humans. Although the idea of the demon inside can be taken as a metaphor, but in this case it's not. Now the literal in itself is potentially a ridiculous concept but it never feels as such due to the brilliance of how Wise portrays it, as well as another reason which I will get to soon. Wise though creates this state of the man which he does not show as a Jekyll and Hyde but rather something much worse. Wise depicts it as a man essentially being torn from within as his own self is constantly corrupted, which he is occasionally released from yet he can do nothing about it. A genius element in Wise's work in that, even though it's not even required, he actually in many ways allows for both the literal and metaphorical interpretation of Leland's mind. Wise's work is outstanding as he manages to find all that makes of the man without losing control of it. He realizes so effectively this confusion in himself in every moment as in his physical manner there is always this horrid pressure to this as a man who seems never at ease whether he is giving into his shame, to the monster within, or if even he's not directly either. Wise portrays a man who is simply wrong from the inside out yet makes sense of this insane idea. Wise is downright amazing in every scene as he brings the warmth in portraying Leland's love for his daughter, but he is also terrifying as he brings about her own corruption and death. Wise's work in the television series was great, and this performance is an incredible companion of that work as he reveals the internalized horror of the man.

Frank Silva did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Bob in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.

The true source of the evil in the story though is in the spirit Bob played by Frank Silva. Silva's original appearance coming from a sudden bit of inspiration by David Lynch leading Silva, originally a set dresser, becoming one of the most iconic characters from the series. It's a fascinating thing as the image of Silva taken out of context perhaps shouldn't be terrifying, he's just a guy with long hair in denim, yet he's one of the most horrifying figures in any fictional work. Silva's performance is essentially a silent one except for some grunts, which should not be hand waved as his delivery of them as human animal are truly disturbing. Silva embodies this concept of this evil spirit, which is that of seemingly man's worse inclination and desires personified. Silva does not need to speak in order to strike fear. Silva's performance is almost entirely physical and as that it is something unforgettable. Silva's very being is of an urge, a terrible urge, to do whatever creates suffering. There is this lust, yet this hate, there is even a strange sorrow, yet joy all in Silva's performance that is pure unadulterated emotion. A single part of what Silva's doing could be even empathetic in someway yet his combination of all of it, all at once, in this way creates this figure that is one of the most unnerving as Silva is otherworldly yet entirely human all at once. He is a boogeyman that strikes that particular almost existential fear yet with a grounding that carries a most visceral sting. Although of David Lynch's work amplifies all of this, yet there is a reason that the mere sight of Bob behind a dresser is one of the frightening scenes in any film, as Silva gives the boogeyman a face, a most terrifying one.