Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1963: Alan Bates in The Caretaker

Alan Bates did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Mick in The Caretaker.

Alan Bates has on the cursory viewpoint perhaps the least challenging role of the three, and only three, characters of the film. This is that he isn't Donald Pleasence who is transformative as the somewhat enigmatic tramp, and chatterbox Davies, nor is he the seemingly enigmatic and cold Aston played by Robert Shaw. Mick seems to be just, a more or less, average young man and doesn't seem to be as much of a riddle. This role is essential though in that Mick offers perhaps the least alien perspective to most viewers. Bates's performance seems to suggest this idea from the first instance he appears onscreen, as we can seemingly understand him as Bates evokes a curiosity and even concern in Mick, as he watches his brother, Aston, walk home with the rather grungy looking Davies one night. Bates instantly establishes a certain unease within the situation as he watches the mismatched pair come closer to the house. Some time later, after Davies has been given a room to stay in by Aston, Mick comes to surprise Davies. The way Bates approaches the scene is interesting in that he too puts on a strange character. This in bringing a certain menace, yet also mischievous glee as he presses Davies with random questions, delivering them with this hostile humor. The key though here is that Bates plays this scene with a particular flow, creating random confusing asides with that sinister humor, but with sudden moments of incisiveness in his eyes between them, this in Bates creating the sense that Mick is very much playing a part.

This part as a man that is a creation with sort of smug confidence with also this comic degradation towards Davies. Bates does wonderfully with the randomness of his lines by very much granting a  purpose of them within this act. This is that he very much plays them with two purposes in mind. One being that Mick in one part is having a bit of a laugh at the situation, and as the more technically sane man here, plays the part of the insane man basically to have fun. Bates is careful to convey the act so effectively in his quiet moments in between Mick's purposefully sometimes inane rambling. This is also within his brief interactions with his brother. This where Bates removes that hostile "character" as he asks his questions towards his brother. These moments are so carefully realized though as Bates portrays a different curiosity in the interaction. This in the curiosity, similar to how he interacts with Davies, though with more of a weight in his eyes that are less of a hostile concern, and more of a attempt at a sympathetic understanding. In the early moments of their interactions this is shown as a failure with some great moments in Bates's performance being the silent ones. This as he shows a man befuddled by both of his fellow "tenets" with a lack of certainty towards how to handle situation.

Bates creates an effective juxtaposition within his performance by making Mick the least ambiguous, even if technically the writing within the role could allow for as enigmatic of a man. Bates's approach though is to play the man as basically playing around with the mentally unsound men he interacts with. This as Bates portrays very much a purpose, quite effectively so, in Mick's interactions with Davies, even as he plays seemingly cruel tricks. There is a goal within Bates's own performance as in each strange act, there is this moment of observance within his performance as though Mick is figuring out this Davies by engaging in these hostilities. At a certain point Bates's quite effective by creating the moment where he seems to decipher Davies. This as he naturally segues to Mick keeping with the act towards Davies, yet is less hostile in this creating this more affable energy with the man. This as his random quick hectoring having this more positive manner within Bates's performance, portraying a joy of the performance, and the same in interacting with the easier to interact with Davies than his difficult to decipher brother.

Bates manages to grant the sense, without having a scene of explaining things, the existence of Mick. This as a difficult one, for really just an average man, who has had difficulty in engaging in any conversation with his distant brother, who appears to be a responsibility of sorts of his, then enjoying that conversation with Davies due to the lack of that same type of distance. Bates's work is essential in granting meaning to Mick's many words, so carefully within his work. There is the moment of describing his hope for a home for example, Bates is fantastic by dropping the joking pretense to reveal a somber little dream of his for something more. In that though, again almost indirectly pondering about his brother, Bates evokes a more genuine concern, again as this attempted empathy for him, even if confused and in the end failed attempt. It is in this that Bates makes sense of the developments as Davies's words become hateful towards Aston, Bates portrays an unease suddenly in their banter. In turn, Bates delivers again the hostility towards Davies with his questions and posturing. This before perhaps Bates's greatest moment when he drops the act entirely with Davies to admonish him for calling his brother "nutty". Bates is fantastic by delivering just the full venom towards the man's lies, but within this certain passion in his eyes as this defense of his brother. An idea only more fully realized in a brief glance between the brothers, where Bates effectively shows some final direct understanding in a slight but warm smile. This as the brothers create a sense of an agreement, here in the eviction of the troublesome liar Davies, but also finally with the sense of Mick getting a better idea of who his brother is. Alan Bates delivers a terrific performance here, as that change in Mick is so heavily reliant on the nuances of his performance. The changes in the man are barely spoken, yet Bates wholly conveys the ideas behind the character. His performance offering essentially the needed insight to the other men, by offering a man who is far easier to decipher, though too loves a bit of duplicity.