Tuesday 6 August 2019

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.

27 comments:

GM said...

1. Chaterjee
2. Bates
3. Steiger
4. Nakadai
5. Keen

Anonymous said...

Louis: your top 20 donald pleasence acting moments

Bryan L. said...

1. Nakadai
2. Bates
3. Chatterjee
4. Steiger
5. Keen

Bryan L. said...

Louis: What would be your ranking of each decade since the 1930s according to its Best Picture winners? As in which one do you think had the best collective group of winners all the way down to the worst.


Asking because I've noticed that three of the BP winners from the 90s are also your #1 for their respective years, two others are in your Top Tens, and the rest are MIA.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

1. After the night - Wake in Fright
2. Attempting to stay - The Caretaker
3. The nature of Michael - Halloween
4. Implied Night - Wake in Fright
5. First arriving - The Caretaker
6. "YOU"RE THE DUKE" - Escape From New York
7. First Conversation with Mick - The Caretaker
8. All the little devils - Wake in Fright
9. Threatening Aston - The Caretaker
10. The Cave - The Greatest Story Ever Told
11. Second conversation with Mick - The Caretaker
12. Last Conversation with Mick - The Caretaker
13. Suggestion - THX 1138
14. Listening to Aston's story - The Caretaker
15. Blythe Thanks Hendley - The Great Escape
16. scaring off the kids - Halloween
17. Crucify him - The Greatest Story Ever Told
18. First meeting Hendley - The Great Escape
19. Blowing up Michael - Halloween 2
20. His introduction - You Only Live Twice

Bryan:

1. 1970's
2. 1960's
3. 1980's
4. 1950's
5. 1940's
6. 2010's
7. 1990's
8. 1930's
9. 2000's

Calvin Law said...

Yeah Bates is good here, though you liked him more than I did.

Been watching The Boys, kind of loved it. I won’t spoil though but here’s a cast ranking (it’s a pretty strong cast on the whole though):

Antony Starr
Jessie T. Usher
Dominique McElligott
Chace Crawford
Tomer Kapon
Karl Urban
Elisabeth Shue
Laz Alonso
Erin Moriarty
Simon Pegg
Jack Quaid
Karen Fukuhara
Jennifer Esposito

John Smith said...

1. Nakadai
2. Bates
3. Chatterjee
4. Steiger
5. Keen

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the cinematography of The Hustler and West Side Story.

Michael McCarthy said...

I saw The Farewell and really liked it, Zhao Shuzhen is pretty easily my supporting actress win at the moment.

Awkwafina: 4.5
Zhao: 5
Tzi: 3
Lin: 3.5/4
Jiang: 3.5
Chen: 3

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Speaking of Peter Weir, would he have been your preferred your choice of director for Titanic (1997)?

If so, who would you have chosen as screenwriter, cinematographer, and...Cal (maybe Ralph Fiennes)?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

The Hustler's cinematography is certainly some fine work from Eugen Schüfftan. This adhering to the general black and white pristine look of the time. It doesn't go beyond that however, particularly given the noirish nature of the story you could see how it could've particularly in the shady pool hall. Don't get me wrong, it looks good in terms of lighting. It certainly is lurid enough, but it doesn't push the envelop. The best part of the work really is the composition and framing of shots, that really accentuates the essential power dynamics, while always creating a certain sense of space in the pool halls, diners and dives of the film.

West Side Story is of course working with the vision of Robert Wise whose sixties musicals were decidedly less obviously stagy than some of the contemporary work. An essential part of this vision is in the camerawork by Daniel L. Fapp which does multiple things in this regard. One being actually playing around the lighting, in terms of creating a more vibrant use of colors, particularly in the creation of the time of day, and the mood of a given scene. The same is true in the camera movement, which is live, and flowing throughout the film. It isn't the stage set of so many lesser musicals, but something to give a more dynamic view that it realized beautifully by Fapp. The same is true for the composition and framing of shots, where again there are such unique ways to capture the expected musical moments, particularly the dancing, which are effectively inventive. There's something far more in the shots that accentuate the divisions of the parties, or sort of the grandeur of the romance. I quite frankly wish I liked the film as a whole, as the technical elements are very admirable, the cinematography being one of them.

Bryan:

I mean theoretically, sure, but it wouldn't have been the same movie even in conception. This being that Cameron wanted to make a melodrama romance of another era, but really the films from that era that don't typically hold up. This is as the romance is extremely basic, as is the event that gets in the way of it. He didn't want to make Casablanca or Gone With the Wind. He wanted to make a lesser film right to his instructions to DiCaprio to make Jack as basic as possible. Compare that against Rhett Butler, or Rick, they are complex men. Compare Rose, who's vaguely melancholic, to Scarlett, there's no comparison to be made there in the sheer quality of the character. Shoot, you got me ranting against Titanic, again, my point is that to make Titanic good it isn't about a few adjustments but a completely different philosophy, to make a film without any semblance of what was made.

Michael McCarthy said...

Oh btw

1. Alan Bates
2. Anil Chatterjee
3. Tatsuya Nakadai
4. Geoffrey Keen
5. Rod Steiger

Luke Higham said...

Michael: Your ratings.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Thoughts on the cinematography of Moulin Rouge and Chicago.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the South Park season 5 episode, "Butters' Very Own Episode".

Omar Franini said...

1. Bates
2. Nakadai
3. Steiger
4. Chatterjee
5. Keen

Louis: your 1963 top 10 for best director? And your rating and thoughts on Anouk Aimée in 8½?

Calvin Law said...

Louis: what are your thoughts on the scene with Daniel confronting Cobra Kai after they’ve trashed the Miyagi Dojo and stolen the MOH/trashed his car? I’m still sympathetic and really like some of the CK lot, Johnny and Miguel namely, but I have to say that was a very cathartic scene nevertheless and a great moment for Macchio.

Calvin Law said...

And also your thoughts on the ‘Superfreak’ scene from Little Miss Sunshine.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Calvin: I love that scene.

Louis: Could I have your cast ranking for Season 2 of Cobra Kai?

Michael McCarthy said...

Luke:

Here they are with a slight prediction adjustment

1. Bates (4.5)
2. Chatterjee (4.5)
3. Keen (4)
4. Nakadai (4)
5. Steiger (4)

Luke Higham said...

Michael: Your thoughts on Steiger. Is he dubbed and does it hold his performance back.

1. Bates
2. Chatterjee
3. Keen
4. Nakadai
5. Steiger

Calvin Law said...

Also I can’t wait to see The Farewell meself, glad to hear it’s good.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: I've been meaning to ask; does Michael watch the films in the early stages of whenever Louis announces the lineups? Just wondering.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your thoughts on The Simpsons episode "Homer at the Bat"?

Mitchell Murray said...

So, I'm not sure what compelled me to do this, but I watched "The Bridges of Madison County" today and...it's honestly what I expected/heard the film was. The story line is slow and schmaltzy and had several unneeded elements, namely the present scenes with Francesca's children. Surprisingly, though, I was never that disconnected or frustrated with watching the film; I wasn't especially invested with it, either, but I still found the movie to be passable overall, and the central romance to be decent enough.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Moulin Rouge's cinematography by Donald McAlpine is already a bit sabotaged by the film's editing that hates staying on a shot, particularly in the first act. I will say a lot of what the film does though is almost on a great idea, but McAlpine's work frequently falls just a bit short. In that the lighting is nearly gorgeous, it seems almost there, yet the contrasts between colors, despite how vibrant they technically are, isn't quite there leaving it too much at times. The same goes for the framing and composition of shots. Satine is in the middle of a shot, but she's oddly not quite emphasized enough in the composition and lighting of the shot. Another example of this is her and Christian on the roof, where oddly enough they're just a little to big in the composition to really make it a great shot, even though it is almost there. There are shots that do hit their points, but so often they fall short of it. This isn't to say it is poorly shot mind you, but it does fall short of its ambition.

I mean I do prefer it over Dion Beebe's work for Chicago, which suggests he's perhaps better in adhering to a more naturalistic aesthetic. This is as the shots just never quite ever hit their ambition. The lighting isn't quite truly vibrant despite going for an saturated look in the dream song sequences. The problem is it can't seem to decide if it wants to go for sheer vibrancy or something a bit more moody. In turn it's an in-between that neither works as a Cabaret style aesthetic or something like West Side Story. It's stuck in the middle that doesn't work nearly as well. The composition and framing, there's ideas, but they are never that compelling. The moving shots go from serviceable to kind of bad honestly.

Tahmeed:

One that is perhaps relentlessly dark framed through such innocence, that certainly is funny through that juxtaposition, however a little of it does go a long way.

1. William Zabka
2. Xolo Mariduena
3. Ralph Macchio
4. Rob Garrison
5. Martin Kove
6. Jacob Bertrand
7. Courtney Henggeler
8. Mary Mouser
9. Nichole Brown
10. Peyton List
11. Paul Walter Hauser (Same performance he's been giving, but hey it's still funny)
12. Tanner Buchanan
13. Gianni Decenzo
14. Owen Morgan
15. Hannah Kepple
16. Aedin Mincks
17. Khalil Everage

Louis Morgan said...

Omar:

1963:

1. Akira Kurosawa - High and Low
2. Robert Wise - The Haunting
3. Martin Ritt - Hud
4. Luchino Visconti - The Leopard
5. Federico Fellini - 8 1/2
6. Alfred Hitchcock - The Birds
7. Ingmar Bergman - Winter Light
8. Tony Richardson - Tom Jones
9. John Schlesinger - Billy Liar
10. Stanley Donen - Charade

Aimee - 3.5(She's effective in creating the sense of sort of chemistry with Mastroanni. This in sort of a repressed love in a way, not repressed through desire, but rather something of the past. This is as she brings the right sense of familiarity but also this low key distress in her interactions. This quiet sense of a pain that evokes a genuine love of even if it reduced by his failings.)

Calvin:

I mean give Macchio any scene that evokes a bit of Miyagi memories and it seems to brings the best out of him. He's heartbreaking though in the moment as he makes the distress so very real as he really suggests how brutal of a betrayal it was as connected to that friendship that was the center of the original series.

The Superfreak scene in some ways, nearly jumps to a different kind of film in a way, in just it is broader than much of the humor. I'll say though it does work on sort of the capital of the grandfather/granddaughter relationship that resolves itself through the moment of family unity, that manages to be as sweet as it is very messy.

Anonymous:

A hilarious episode in every aspect. This from all Homer as the Natural references, to Mr. Burns as the manager (namely his dead players team), and the hilarious use of the baseball players. This being a blatant guest appearance that works actually in context but also because they have fun with them. This in part through the misfortunes that are all gold, especially Steve Sax's run in with the law and Mattingly's sideburns, and I especially love Daryl Strawberry as the perpetual suck up "No Hustle either skip". Just a hilarious episode where the laughs don't stop, right to the end credits with the great "Talkin softball".