Alternate Best Actor 2013: Christoph Waltz in The Zero Theorem

Christoph Waltz did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Qohen Leth in The Zero Theorem.

The Zero Theorem is a return for Terry Gilliam to a world of overwhelming nonsensical bureaucracy, and for me, a return to form. This time through the story of a loner programmer given a most unusual task. A film I've found rather compelling both times I've watched it, strangely enough suffering from the flu while doing so both times. Of course I can't say for sure whether that aided or hindered the experience each time, or if in fact was somehow the cause of the illness...food for thought.

Christoph Waltz is an actor who as much as he was embraced by mainstream Hollywood by winning an Oscar in his breakthrough role, then won a second only three years later. As notable of an achievement as that is, it did not lead Waltz to avoid being used as most international performers are, which is that of the villain. Although to be fair that is where Waltz's breakout came from, however these roles were far thinner than his Oscar winning role of Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds. One notable exception to this is here, where he not only doesn't play the villain, he has the chance to solely lead a film. Most importantly though it grants Waltz a chance to show off his range outside of flamboyant foreigners capable of great violence, though on very different parts of the moral spectrum. Here though Waltz must call upon a different aspect of his talent as the part of Qohen Leth is that of the quiet programmer, who unlike Waltz's roles that became his claims to fame, is an extremely reserved man who would rather stay home at all times, and have as little interaction with others as possible. A man who rather hideaway in his former monastery apartment rather than live out in the cold alienating world of this future.

Waltz's performance is fittingly a great departure as he changes his physicality within the role, rather than the outgoing gestures of his Quentin Tarantino collaborations. Waltz internalizes his work much more with his often furrowed brow of a man always trying to avoid eye contact with those around him, and his meek walk of a man trying to avoid notice. Waltz effectively establishes this precarious place of Qohen as a man trying so hard to not be part of the world around him, and makes sense of this man. This man who speaks in pluralities of "we" rather than I. A logic that Waltz brings to life brilliantly as again this painful modesty of a man who can't even bring up the courage to speak as one, deflecting towards any feelings or ideas as a group. Although of course the man wants to avoid actually interacting with a group, Waltz is fantastic in finding the difficult comfort the man has in these statements of the we, that avoids both being himself, but also avoids being part of anything. He makes a man completely isolated yet wholly without an individualism, which is a fascinating juxtaposition that Waltz brings a remarkable life to.

What Waltz does in his establishment of Qohen is that he is able to humanize a character that could have been a grotesque series of tics. Waltz though manages to find essentially the logic behind every strange little mannerism of the man. The mannerisms are never perfunctory, as he manages to create not only that logic to them, but an emotional truth within. Yes they are farfetched in a certain sense, however Waltz breathes into them a real sense of the cause of each. The causes being these methods of the man to disconnect himself essentially from the experience of life. Waltz offers this as not something hollow, but rather with a genuine pathos. A inherent sadness that Waltz brings to his eyes, that carries itself a man deeply wounded at some point in his experience, which we never fully are told the circumstances of. Waltz realizes this struggle as something quite tangible that offers the needed soul within the film, to grant the film a purpose within the character of Qohen. This is before Qohen is given the most unusual task by management (Matt Damon), to finish a theorem that is meant to prove that life is meaningless.

Now this performance is still a lead in a Terry Gilliam so there is a matter of balance to be maintained with the purposefully mad tone he brings to the proceedings. A tone that Waltz masters with his performance that is able to both create an honest character within Qohen as a man, while having just the right bit of color essentially within his work as he interacts with the world. This is as he finds a certain level of humor in his work, which actually a facet of all of Waltz's successful performances that I've seen, although here he very much delivers them within still the expression of this man's interactions with the world around him. In his scenes with his the less sympathetic forces of the world including management, as well as the majority of the other company workers, Waltz's delivers wonderful bit of unease of this experience. A man whose very being seems shaken by every bit of interaction as this horrible strain. Waltz manages to even within the specific nature of the character offer just enough of the right reality, to find the befuddling humor within certain circumstances of technically great anxiety. This is just a welcome facet of Waltz's work, but what stays with me about this performance is actually the most human elements within it.

This is found through the two central relationships within the film, the first being with the beautiful Bainsley (Melanie Thierry) who seems perhaps a little too eager to begin a sexual relationship with him, though through virtual reality. Waltz though is again fantastic in showing the struggle within the reticence within Qohen even with her apparent aggressive affection. This is worn away of course, and Waltz though is great by not playing it as this overt lust within these scenes. He rather grants the sense of Qohen opening himself, still timid in his manner, but with just a bit of extroversion as he finally looks and interacts with her with a real appreciation for another person. This also comes when she questions a very specific habit of Qohen's which is to habitually wait for a single phone call that he finally explains. This explanation being a highlight of Waltz as an actor as he brings such a painful passion and even inspiration within his eyes as he explains that he waits for a phone call that will give him the meaning of life. Waltz is heartbreaking as this explanation, as delusional as it may seem, he grants such a terrible sincerity of a man who has this desperation need for answers and so firmly believes they will all be answered in a single message.

Unfortunately for Qohen, he discovers Bainsley seemingly to be just a tool of management to keep him happy while he finishes the project. The other relationship though is in his stranger, pseudo fatherly relationship with a physically unwell young intern sent to help him, Bob (Lucas Hedges), who doesn't fully know what to make of Qohen. Waltz's work in these moments though is excellent in again portraying the state of Qohen when he is challenged a bit, as Bob both questions and supports the loner. Waltz has some especially important moments in his work where he is allowed to discuss his own past, including the relationship with his wife. This description being a brilliant bit of acting by Waltz as he manages to be completely unemotional in his delivery of the destruction of apparently the love of his life, while in his eyes still showing this sense of an unhealed wound, of a man whose shut off himself to avoid any further pain. I love the moment of empathy Waltz again slowly reveals within Qohen for the physically troubled young man, that is without hesitation even if still modest. We see this challenge though against Qohen's personal protections, that Waltz poignantly reveals.

An even greater one comes as Bainsley appears speaking of genuine affection for Qohen, and offering him a way outd. Waltz only says a few words, however finds a real power within this silence and frankly anguish in the man weighing this love, against his delusions and essentially the fear of this unknown. Waltz again does so much within the minor detail of his expression, portraying so well the pain of a man who tries to internalize everything. His mistakes though come to ahead as he finds himself lost within the virtual world, and faced with an uncaring management. Waltz is outstanding in this scene again of finally unleashing his anguish more forwardly, as this intense despondency as he questions trying to prove that life is trivial. Unfortunately for him, management has already determined this based on Qohen refusing to live his life based on the need for his "meaning of life" phone call that would never come. In the end though Qohen finds some serenity within technically a false reality, but it is an amazing moment for Waltz. As in this scene he loses the physical restraints to show this man embracing his existence with a delight and unrestrained splendor, even if it is perhaps all now an illusion. This is a great performance by Christoph Waltz as he finds the essential humanity within this more surreal journey, showing another facet of his talent and range, that hopefully he'll be able to explore again sometime soon.