Tuesday 14 April 2020

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1978: Bruce Dern in The Driver

Bruce Dern did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying The Detective in The Driver.

The Driver, which follows a, well, driver (Ryan O'Neal) who is a getaway specialist, was much derided in its time. Although I will say unfairly, I mean the technical virtues of the film alone should've guaranteed it some praise, but I'll say it was before its time. As the film exists purposefully as a specifically cinematic piece, and makes no illusions regarding this fact. The overused criticism of "style over substance" too often ignores that style itself can be enough, particularly if it is the intention of the piece. That is the case for the Driver, which I suppose I will defend as a proper strictly cinematic work by director Walter Hill, that could only exist as a film, and does so with spectacular style. Although I will say this approach was in a way perfected in its spiritual successor of Drive, though by adding a bit more direct substance, I still think it stands well as the purest form of this approach. A film that exists through the language of film.

Speaking to the film's minimalist approach is right within the script that names each character as their role, rather than a person. The approach being to make an action picture distilled to its purest form. Bruce Dern is quite simply ideal for this type approach, as the pseudo antagonist to the driver as the detective trying to catch. This is because if the character itself might be limited, you have a performer like Bruce Dern who is quite simply always a character. The challenge presented to Dern being to make something out of a purpose archetype of the dogged detective who do what it takes to catch his man. I will say many a performer likely would've been completely forgettable in this role, but this part is just right for the always at least a little off-beat Dern. This is as in a way one will take notice of the detective, just as we see him passively playing pool in the opening scene, because well it's Bruce Dern. Bruce Dern is more than just casting though, as he is an actor, who importantly doesn't quite approach a scene like anyone else, much in the same way of say a Christopher Walken, his co-nominee from 1978 for the actual Oscar. This as he questions witnesses looking at a lineup, Dern's slightly manic eyes, and posture almost like a pecking bird, offers us a bit more of an indecisive character within the detective. This is technically as the detective is merely just asking questions, but Dern does far more with it than that. Take as he attempts to interrogate the driver after the first heist of the film, and Dern just owns the dialogue he has, and the scene. This in bringing that bit of mania in his expression as he speaks of his wish to catch the "cowboy that's never been caught" with a delighted glee, that creates a greater sense of obsession than is honestly in the dialogue. Dern makes investigation scenes have something extra to them, as he can add that color to any line, even just remarking on the size of a gun, or just in that atypical physical manner of his that skews things just a bit, while still definitely delivering on the direct point of the role. This in bringing a bit more ego in the detective as he lays down his trap, and boasts about his method. One of Dern's best moments being talking directly with the Driver and commenting on the driver's life. Dern has the right degree of fun with it, showing in turn that the detective loves the chase a bit, and gets a kick honestly out of playing the game with the Driver. Dern in a way showing the needed performance even in the Detective's own action scene of sorts, by bringing to life the dogged determination and frustration of the moment as we follow him nearly silently trying to catch a crook. Dern effectively becoming the protagonist in a way, if only for a scene. My favorite moment of his performance though being the ending, helped by a great edit, where the driver goes to attempt to pickup what he thinks is illicit payment to only find himself surrounding by cops lead by the detective. Dern leading with the right smug posture. What's best about it though, as both men find they were had in some way, Dern delivers a slight modesty in his final lines even a sense of understanding in his eyes as they both accept their "loss". Dern makes the most out of the type, he's given here, making more than there is in the right way, as offering essentially the character for the role.

50 comments:

Michael McCarthy said...

1. Yaphet Kotto
2. Barry Bostwick
3. Christopher Plummer
4. Scott Reiniger
5. Bruce Dern

I may rewatch Dawn of the Dead tonight and change these.

Michael Patison said...

1. Christopher Plummer
2. Yaphet Kotto
3. Barry Bostwick
4. Scott Reiniger
5. Bruce Dern

Calvin Law said...

He’s fine but I would probably say a 3.5 or so. I will say that this and Baby Driver are examples of films that just left me a bit empty even though I appreciated the craftsmanship. Which makes how much Drive hit me all the more appreciated to be honest, and I think the underrated screenplay has a lot to do with it.

Jack Narrator said...

1. Kotto
2. Plummer
3. Reiniger
4. Dern
5. Bostwick

Robert MacFarlane said...

1. Plummer
2. Kotto
3. Bostwick
4. Dern
5. Reiniger

Lucas Saavedra said...

1. Kotto
2. Plummer
3. Bostwick
4. Dern
5. Reiniger

Razor said...

1. Plummer
2. Kotto
3. Bostwick
4. Dern
5. Reiniger

Mitchell Murray said...

5) Dern
4) Reiniger
3) Bostwick
2) Kotto
1) Plummer

Calvin Law said...

Mitchell: this is really nitpicky but could you rank the names in 1, 2, 3 order rather than reverse? Just makes it easier for Louis to look up later on.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your cast and decade of release for a Kurosawa version of Parasite?

Bryan L. said...

1. Plummer
2. Kotto
3. Bostwick
4. Reiniger
5. Dern

Luke Higham said...

1. Kotto
2. Plummer
3. Bostwick
4. Reiniger
5. Dern

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your rating and thoughts on Alan Bates in An Unmarried Woman.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Is Jane Fonda a 4 or 4.5 for Comes A Horseman.

GM said...

1. Kotto
2. Plummer
3. Bostwick
4. Reiniger
5. Dern

Anonymous said...

Louis: Thoughts on the performers who played the corrupt judges in Dredd?

RatedRStar said...

1. Kotto
2. Plummer
3. Reiniger
4. Bostwick
5. Dern

Anonymous said...

Louis: Apparently Hill sent a copy of the original draft to Raoul Walsh, who liked it very much. Your cast for a Walsh version of the film? Also, thoughts on the idea of McQueen as the driver (Hill's first choice) and Mitchum as the detective (the studio recommended the latter who refused).

RatedRStar said...

I must say, I think the remake of Dawn of the Dead is quite overrated in comparison with the original, it basically is a gore fest with hardly any humour, surprise surprise Zack Snyder did it.

Another issue is that there are way too many characters, whereas the original only has 4.

John Smith said...

1. Kotto
2. Plummer
3. Bostwick
4. Reiniger
5. Dern

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

1. Kotto
2. Plummer
3. Bostwick
4. Reiniger
5. Dern

BRAZINTERMA said...

1. Kotto
2. Plummer
3. Bostwick
4. Reiniger
5. Dern

Mitchell Murray said...

Calvin: It's a force of habit, but i'll try not to do it again.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis and everyone else: What are some films that you guys admire/respect greatly for the craftsmanship, or performances, but can't really bring to love due to a lack of an emotional connection?
For me, that film is Raging Bull. I love De Niro and Pesci's performances in it, and I can definitely understand the hype, but it's always left me cold for some inexplicable reason.

Mitchell Murray said...

Tahmeed: Well for me, those films are usually larger mainstream projects - movies with a clear scope, budget and technical prowess, but nothing to really attach too thematically.

"Titanic" is perhaps the most immediate example I can think of; I like the handling of disaster itself, and the performances of everyone who isn't Billy Zane, Danny Nucci or David Warner....I dislike pretty much everything else.

"Dances with Wolves" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" also qualify in this regard.

Mitchell Murray said...

I should mention the host of smaller films that, for myself, are only worth seeing because of a single performance i.e. "A Better Life", "Stand and Deliver", "A Single Man", "Unfaithful" and "Gorillas in the Mist", for all of their oscar nominated turns.

Calvin Law said...

Tahmeed: a few off the top of my head - Breathless, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Road to Perdition, Repulsion, and for a while Tarkovsky’s films though I’ve since come round to them.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Bates - 3.5(His performance is limited, as basically pseudo-dream guy for the time, anyways, as a sensitive artist, who also is also rugged and masculine. Bates delivers on this point with a charm though and an honesty that takes his performance a bit past type. Although the film I'd say doesn't know where to really go once he's introduced, Bates delivers on his part and shares a nice low key chemistry with Clayburgh.)if extremely limited.

4.

Anonymous:

I mean they're all fine, the main is the only one who really gets to do anything other than be a little skeevy looking. The main one though brings a nice smugness, though a little skewed confidence when saying the cost for Dredd is for a reason, along with his moment of attempting to mock Dredd's "last words".

Anonymous:

Driver 1940's directed by Raoul Walsh:

The Driver: Humphrey Bogart
The Detective: James Cagney
The Player: Lauren Bacall
The Connection: Claire Trevor
Glasses: Arthur Kennedy
Teeth: Steve Cochran

McQueen would have been an ideal driver. Mitchum also would've been a great detective, and would've been a far better use of his time than the perfunctory Philip Marlowe reprise he ended up being in.

Bryan:

Parasite 1960's directed by Akira Kurosawas (allowing him to reuse the sets form High and Low)

Poor Father: Toshiro Mifune
Poor Mother: Isuzu Yamada
Poor Son: Tsutomu Yamazaki
Poor Daughter: Shima Iwashita
Rich Father: Tatsuya Nakadai
Rich Mother: Kyoko Kagawa
Husband: Masayuki Mori
Wife: Machiko Kyo

Michell:

I think Tahmeed was asking about films that don't have any obvious flaws, you just don't connect with them emotionally for whatever reason, and that reason isn't always really identifiable. For me it is actually The Hurt Locker, which I don't have any problems with, but I always feel largely detached while watching it.

Mitchell Murray said...

Ahh...well, the films I mentioned still fall into that, somewhat. They all have strong elements to them, and yet they ultimately did very little for me.

Also I agree with you on "The Hurt Locker"; It's a well done film with a memorable leading turn, yet I was just kept at a distance throughout. Same deal with "Zero Dark Thirty", if I'm being honest.

Bryan L. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bryan L. said...

Louis: Perfect. Also, your choice for The Rich Friend cameo?

Lastly, HM for “UH OH” from ILD for Adam Drivers best acting moments?

John Smith said...

Louis, have you seen the show Atlanta?

Michael Patison said...

Tahmeed: Here's a couple of mine
The Age of Innocence
The Last Emperor
Moonlight (outside Mahershala and Trevante Rhodes, I just don't find it very emotionally gripping)
Birdman (it's easy to appreciate every single aspect of the movie, and I do like the movie, but I just don't get it's importance and leaves me feeling a bit hollow)

Tim said...

Tahmeed Das Boot and the TV Show Band of Brothers
both impressive and obviously made with a lot of Passion, but i Always Feld strangely disconnected. Band Of Brothers tried to give as many characters as possible their time, but for me that did not really work out as many still remained Pretty on-the-Surface if you ask me and some just have one specific Episode, so we go one to the next one just as i start to actually like them.
Das Boot does not even want us to learn the names of the men, and is rather interest in capturing the Feeling of the situations they are in, but i never really felt attached to them and therefore not the movie itself either

Bryan L. said...

Tahmeed: For the record, I do respect these films. Can't stress that enough.

Raging Bull
The Age of Innocence
The Hurt Locker
Carol (Stunning aesthetic and the leads are very good. It just didn't enrapture me like I was hoping it would.)
If Beale Street Could Talk
Zero Dark Thirty
Widows (Although this is because I fell for the marketing)

Michael McCarthy said...

Louis & Bryan: Yoshitaka Zushi for Rich Son?

Bryan L. said...

Michael: Yes.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Have you finished Holocaust. Your thoughts on the series and the cast. If not, I'll ask again on the results post.

Louis Morgan said...

Michael:

Of course.

Luke:

I thought the series was fine, though once you understand the progression it does get a little repetitive. Schindler's List did more in far less time, and was entirely a true story. This feels like the first attempt at it, and it's decent enough in that regard, but I wouldn't classify it as great.

Weaver - (A good performance in bringing that sort of patriarchal grace to the role, along with the certain striking decency of the good doctor. Weaver's performance works well though more than anything as just this consistent stern reminder of just sort of a good man, and is effective most in portraying the sort of resignation that comes slowly from the progression towards extermination inflicted upon an average man.)

Bottoms - (I think the role would've been better served with Woods here, as Bottoms is fine, but doesn't really deliver the needed intensity you'd want from passive civilian to guerrilla fighter. He's a little bland at times, never terrible mind you, but just not remarkable.)

Warner & Holm - (Both are pretty limited in terms of the roles where we see them largely as heads of the machinations of murder. They both are good in portraying this type of evil of course. Warner with that sort of refined manner about it similar to the way Kenneth Branagh would play the part honestly. Holm in turn is effective in portraying the more sniveling sort of evil, and makes a memorable impression with limited screentime.)

Harris - (Like Weaver but more limited in what she is given to do. She does it all well, but just there isn't really even an arc for her.)

Goring - (Very small part in the scheme though effective in being just an affable elder gentlemen than heartbreaking in portraying the completely frozen state of the man who is suddenly being mistreated.)

Louis Morgan said...

Wanamaker - (He's quite good in portraying a performance to initially match Weaver's though to have an arc that separates from an acceptance instead to a refusal to march to his death. Wanamaker delivers within that a certain passion within the idea of the refusal, and is the most effective part of his scenes in portraying the pride of the character within standing up directly against the evil they are facing.)

Stephens - (Seems like he's introduced a little too late, as I think it probably would've been more interesting to see his full involvement as the civilian trying to keep his conscience within the Nazi ranks. Stephens though does make the absolute most out of his final moment in portraying the passionate decrying of his cohorts while also filled with a terrible shame in each word.)

Baker - (I'm guessing she garnered her Emmy more for what happens to her character than really her performance, which in itself doesn't make too much of an impression though she is fine.)

Woods - (As stated before I do think he was cast in the wrong role, as his intensity would've been better suited to the fighter rather than the artist. Of course though Woods still is terrific in the role nonetheless. This instead portraying the more internalized intensity of the man who is slowly beaten down in multiple ways, and portraying the ever growing discontent within the man. His role gets limited quickly, however Woods does deliver a definite power in the reactions to the various brutalities and betrayals the character has to endure.)

Streep - (It is actually one of her most naturalistic turns and she is very good here. Although the role too the series has struggles with placing her in different spots to try to make things consistently engaging on that front. Nonetheless Streep is very effective in portraying the sense of discontent against the prejudice towards those around her, that is brandished so openly. She additionally is great in her moments of portraying the extreme sacrifices of her character based upon the devotion towards he husband. Streep really makes these moments tangible, and it is strong work, despite again suggesting the series probably could've been stronger with fewer episodes or just a shorter runtime.)

Moriarty - (MVP, though it might present a slight problem to the miniseries that the SS officer feels the most developed throughout the series. Moriarty though is great in the role the role. This in first presenting the man as a seemingly affable enough man who just is searching for a job, and even discussing the prejudices of the Nazi party initially, like he'll agree only to shop a certain places as per an employers request. Moriarty then is terrific though in showing the way the more insidious qualities then come with a man attempting to consistently trying to rationalize everything he is doing, making him particularly despicable. Moriarty though is great though in showing the progression of this as any sense of decency goes, and slowly we see a sadism seeping. This as he portrays even a loss of emotional detachment towards it and this sense of growing enjoyment of power that makes the man all the more horrible. His best scene is probably his favorite one in portraying the attempt at a logical explanation of his actions, that he portrays with such an underlying desperation of a man who is running out of lies to tell, since he's no longer just convincing himself of them.)

Luke Higham said...

I agree on Moriarty. Absolutely hated his character's guts. Plus he has a very punchable face.

Anonymous said...

Luke, what would be some films for you that fall under what Tahmeed asked?

Also, whatever happened to the Anonymous that you talked to a lot on here back in 2015? Is he still active on here or...?

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I would agree on Hurt Locker and Carol.

Probably Barry Lyndon actually. From a technical level, it's utterly extraordinary, the subject matter and time period is right down my alley but Ryan O'Neal gets in the way of making it one of my all-time favourites. (I did have it on a top ten list some years ago but I feel now I was being too easy on it).

I don't know what happened to Portuguese Anonymous unless he brought up Sonic the Hedgehog every now and again but your guess is mine.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Any chance Warden could go up for Heaven Can Wait? He was my favorite thing about the movie.

Anonymous said...

Luke, understandable. Would you agree with what Louis said regarding Tom Hooper in the previous post?

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Yes.

Also the quality of the period production design in his works have really declined since the transition to film. Andrew Davies' Les Mis was superior in every department in terms of recent adaptations. The King's Speech has two notable strengths in Rush and it's screenplay, The Danish Girl was just awful and putting Whishaw on the sidelines again in favour of a far less talented performer. Fuck Cats, I switched off after 15 minutes. I still really like The Damned United though for Sheen's very convincing work as Brian Clough (Probably his best portrayal of a famous British personality though I do intend to watch Quiz, which is about the WWTBAM coughing scandal).

I've also seen Longford and Broadbent & Morton are both fantastic and Serkis is great too.

Calvin Law said...

Trailer for Capone is out. For my money it looks pretty awful and Hardy doesn’t look promising.

Louis Morgan said...

Robert:

Slightly, along with Dern for Coming Home.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: I kinda lost faith in the project when it was constantly delayed. I really want Hardy to play more subdued roles at this point. Also it just looks like a lesser reprise of his Legend 'performances'.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the Capone trailer.