Wednesday 21 October 2020

Alternate Best Actor 1994: Robert De Niro in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Robert De Niro did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Frankenstein's monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein I imagine was propositioned as a spiritual successor to Bram Stoker's Dracula, given the title, the faithfulness of certain aspects of the adaptation (including the strange seemingly extraneous bits) and the fact that it was produced by Francis Ford Coppola, who originally intended to direct. The difference is though the aforementioned film is some operatic kitsch that is brilliant somehow...this film is not. 

Anyway naturally much of the film follows not De Niro as the monster, but director/star Kenneth Branagh in the leading role as Dr. Frankenstein hell bent on reversing death. De Niro shows up first as a man with pox who becomes violent before being quickly executed. I will spay just watching this scene it is easy to forget the time in which De Niro was a typically a devoted actor, as that certainly is the case here. For one thing he is not phoning it in. This is the fact that De Niro doesn't instantly stand out in his first scene is notable, as his accent isn't unconvincing, and it is easy to believe him as this simplistic thug if just for a few moments of screentime. I must grant that it is more than decent work from De Niro who in this scene seems to desire some kind of reality unlike his director. His director who again I think suffers from attempting to realize that tone Coppola found for Dracula, unsurprisingly, again I'm not entirely sure how Coppola even managed to make that tone work. De Niro appears again when the doctor succeeds in creating the monster a more ragged creature than the unforgettable Karloff rendition. In this aspect though I will commend the attempt and say it is not entirely a failure. De Niro's first appearance one could say is underplayed, though with conviction, in portraying just the scared almost senseless creature as he immediately runs from the mob.  De Niro moving just as a ill-formed human and a terrified one only defending itself within its escape. 

Honestly I'd say De Niro's greatest hindrance is his makeup always has a certain artificial quality to it, yes he's supposed to be made up however it looks like literally that he is makeup. I think this limits really accepting him as the monster in say the way one instantly did for Karloff in the role. It's shame as I do think there is an innate poignancy as we follow the creature learning to be more human, such as befriending a blind man and learning how to speak from a family. An actor of De Niro's note frankly could be very silly, but De Niro actually stay devoted to the concept. This in speaking with a muted tone of a man trying to break free some bound to speak again. This in portraying simple but earnest emotions of fear and happiness at the bit of tenderness he finds. His conversation with the blind man is actually quite remarkably performed by De Niro in the purposefully stilted delivery of the creature still learning, but his eyes filled with a simple hope for some joy. Equally earnest is his break down at being as quickly banished form the circumstances by those who can see him. Sadly, unaided by Branagh's over the top way of shooting it, his cry of "Frankenstein, revenge" becomes more silly than anything, although again the way he's framed in the shot is mostly what makes it that way. 

The creature becomes more so the villain in the second half as the film becomes more so a mess. De Niro's performance is actually interesting though as we see the more developed creature confront Frankenstein directly. This as De Niro speaks with a quiet menace and a degree of contemplation. There even as he threatens there's a sadness within his work that reflects the strange state of the creature. Although Branagh seems largely interested in bombast, again perhaps mistakenly going for that Dracula tone again, whereas De Niro seems to seek something closer to a more intimate idea of crafting a man out of many and just leaving him to his own devices without guidance. Sadly that is all thrown out it in favor of a series of progressively sillier scenes of the monster killing Frankenstein's loved ones while the doctor kind of just runs about. It doesn't go anywhere terribly interesting. Even the big "Bride of Frankenstein" scene carries little emotional weight, though I'll credit De Niro in trying to make something of it, even in brief glimpses. Sadly the latter portion of that performance is that. Branagh's direction doesn't really spend any time with the two men as characters, rather just kind of rams through the conflict in a sloppy and wholly detached way. This sadly leaving De Niro, much like his character, left in the middle of a ocean without really anywhere to go. De Niro I do think has something to say within the role, sadly it gets muted by some truly sloppy direction. 

57 comments:

Louis Morgan said...

Also watched the remake of Rebecca, which is occasionally less than okay, however mostly okay but unfortunately wholly pointless when compared to the original. Although tough to live up to a previous rendition that was merely brilliantly directed, acted, written, scored and shot.

James - 3.5
Hammer - 2.5
Thomas - 3.5
Riley - 3
Dowd - 3
Crompton - 3

Mitchell Murray said...

1) Kingsley
2) Harrelson
3) Morrison
4) Khan
5) You

1) Bacon
2) Lee
3) Yu
4) Cruise
5) De Niro

Matt Mustin said...

I kinda figured this. Fresh rating and thoughts on Branagh?

Also, I feel this is a good time to mention that I've seen the National Theatre production of Frankenstein that Danny Boyle directed with Benedict Cumberbatch as the Creature and Jonny Lee Miller as Dr. Frankenstein and it's AWFUL.

Bryan L. said...

Matt: Cumberbatch played the creature? I would’ve had him more pegged as the doctor.

Matt Mustin said...

Bryan L: They swapped roles after each performance, back and forth.

Matt Mustin said...

Which is a cool idea, and both versions were available to watch, but I didn't want to sit through it again.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Daranbont thinks it’s one of his best scripts ruined by the direction. He said he wrote it with the intention of it being directed with restraint. I wonder if De Niro’s performance would have flourished there.

1. Bacon
2. Cruise
3. Yu
4. Lee
5. De Niro

Aidan Pittman said...

Louis: If they were to do another version of Frankenstein today, what would be your director and cast for it?

Anonymous said...

Louis: Thoughts on the cast? Also, I gotta say, I expected a higher rating for Thomas; her as Danvers was the only thing I was hopeful about the remake.

Lucas Saavedra said...

Louis: ratings and thoughts on the rest of the cast?

Robert MacFarlane said...

Aidan: I’m adamant on Michael Shannon as the monster.

Calvin Law said...

Yeah saw this day before yesterday, was dogshit, I agree on De Niro though I'd honestly maybe go lower slightly, he was fine with what he had though.

I always watched The River Wild which was decent and Bacon I'd give a 4 to and In the Heat of the Sun which I thought was fantastic, though I have a feeling Louis might give the 'director's film' treatment to Xia (though I think it's a bit more than that). I'll wait until I've seen the other two films I still need to see in the lineup, To Live and Kabhi Ha Kabhi Na, before making predictions for both lineups.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Thoughts on this scene from Black Lagoon (with the dub)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MwIMtsXOv8

RatedRStar said...

One thing I do like about Boseman going lead is, it actually makes both the lead and supporting categories more competitive since there isn't really a clear favourite in either category now.

Supporting in particular has me thinking it could either be an amazing bloodbath like 2015 which also didn't have a clear favourite.

Calvin Law said...

I hear A24 might be campaigning Yeun in supporting so there's something.

Louis: a 2.5 for Hammer might be a bit generous I'm not going to lie, I think I disliked the new Rebecca even more than you.

Luke Higham said...

I still don't know whether going lead is the right decision from a winning standpoint even if it is the right placement.

RatedRStar: Well I don't see a Bale or Ruffalo creeping in to spoil things.

Calvin Law said...

My new predictions would be:

Hopkins
Lindo
Boseman
Oldman
Yeun (I keep seeing different reactions to his placement)

Rylance
Dance
Abdul-Mateen II
Cohen
Boseman

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

I will say, I got some good laughs out of this one, especially the hanging scene (yoyo?) and the bride of fire.

Louis Morgan said...

Matt:

Branagh - 2(This is a curious failure of a performance from him given the bombast of the film he is surprisingly not that bombastic, who typically is but with Branagh it can be good bombast or bad. Here it isn't either really. There is a surprisingly lack of intensity from him here that is ill fitting to a character whose downfall is supposed to be ambition. There isn't any sense of that, he's just kind of a foppish bore here and I find it odd how little he really invests here given he's directing the thing. Odder really since you can usually depend on Branagh directing Branagh, not this time however.)

Robert:

It's possible, you can sense the good film in there somewhere just as you can see how Branagh went in a completely wrong direction with it.

Aidan:

Hmm..lazy but it is the one I'd like to see the most:

Frankenstein directed by Robert Eggers:

Doctor: Robert Pattinson
The Monster: I like the choice of Shannon but to offer an alternate, Matthias Schoenaearts
The Bride: Anya Taylor-Joy

Although another one I'd like to see:

Frankenstein directed by Jee-woon Kim:

Doctor: Lee Byung-hun
The Monster: Choi Min-sik
The Bride: Cho Yeo-jeong

Anonymous:

Well that escalated quickly, I'm not sure to make of it, well animated to be sure, but out of context not sure I can say much more on this most unorthodox "romantic?" scene.

Louis Morgan said...

Lucas:

Carter - 2.5(I mean other than her final scene it is a limited part to which she's just kind of okay. She's decent enough in her final scene, though doesn't leave as much of an impression as an earlier rendition in that particularly role.)

Hulce - 2.5(He's in it...honestly I think its unfortunate he disappeared for no reason both in his career and in this film. I'm not sure what his point was really.)

Holm - (He's also in it.)

Quinn - 3(Randomly watching the film again I noticed he actually gives a devoted turn, trying his best to sell the emotion of see the fate of un-tempered ambition.)

Anonymous:

James - (Prepare for a lot of comparisons here. James's performance when compared to Fontaine, well pale isn't a strong enough word. Take the reaction to the "I hated Rebecca" moment. No complexity just confusion in James. Take Fontaine's brilliant reaction of a mix of surprise, fear and joy all at once. James is okay though overall in just creating enough sort of innate sympathy in the woman who wants to fit in. Not nearly as palatable or powerful as Fontaine in that regard, but she's alright. She brings a certain endearing quality, it's alright. It's a great part though that she doesn't really excel with in any way. She's fine.)

Hammer - (Well Calvin is probably right, downgrade to at least a 2, as I don't have anything positive thing to say about this performance, other than hopefully it will help more people see the brilliance of Olivier. This performance though shows what a challenge Maxim is to pull off. Hammer has no real sense of internalization in the part. There's no sense of what weighs down the man, no ghost haunting him, just a slight sort of petulance between being the boring of hunks. When the reveal happens, you feel nothing in just bland delivery compared to how much history Olivier carried in his incredible delivery of the monologue. Olivier's work there is such a fundamental aspect in creating really much of the Gothic qualities and creating the secret of Maxim while also being present. Hammer, despite it being in the writing, offers no secrets just a boring guy.)

Thomas - (Okay this one I'll say she suffers a bit from the writing, that wanted to make Danvers more sympathetic, a silly mistake. Although it seems a little comical when the 40's film is the one with the applied lesbianism. Where Danvers of the original film was in love with Rebecca, this one loved Rebecca. One word is all the difference. Having said that Thomas does the cold routine well, even in a somewhat autopilot way. She delivers on the general manipulation of the character, but making her more tangible de-fanged her. This as the "window" scene with the new Mrs. DeWinter, is so chilling in Anderson's delivery of it, but here Thomas, is just fine.)

Riley - (Hard to compare against peak Sanders, and Riley doesn't do it. He's okay despicable cad, but not a great one. I don't mind again the attempt at sympathy for him, but he just doesn't make too much of an impression. The problem is perhaps it doesn't go far enough with it. He's fine with what he has, but not great, but Sanders was great with technically almost the same material.)

Dowd - (She's a nice bit of horrible for a few scenes.)

Crompton - (A nice kooky bit of insanity for a few scenes, a character honestly that Ben Wheatley probably seems more comfortable with honestly, maybe he should've moved more so in that direction.)

Robert MacFarlane said...

Louis: What's your rating for Ryder in Dracula? I seem to be one of the few who found her to be the most compelling performance in it. I felt like she played into the whole fever dream logic/tone the film was going for. I don't get why so many lump her in with Reeves.

Bryan L. said...

Robert: He gave her a 2 here (actoroscar.blogspot.com/2016/06/alternate-best-actor-1985-james-mason.html)

Louis Morgan said...

I've softened a bit on the score since watching it again, although I wouldn't say she's close to MVP for me, as I do think she suffers from proximity to Reeves, I think to imply she's on the same keel as Reeves is a wild overstatement.

Calvin Law said...

I've seen all the performances now, and here are my predictions

1. Kingsley
2. Ge
3. Morrison
4. Khan
5. Harrelson

I actually preferred Ge, Morrison and Khan to Kingsley but I feel like the latter's an upgrade to a 5.

1. Xia
2. Cruise
3. Lee
4. Bacon
5. De Niro

Calvin Law said...

And my prediction for the final top 10:

1. Jackson
2. Oldman
3. Robbins
4. Freeman
5. Kingsley
6. Depp
7. Hawthorne
8. Ge
9. Fiennes
10. Carrey

Lucas Saavedra said...

1. Kingsley
2. Ge
3. Morrison
4. Khan
5. Harrelson

1. Xia
2. Cruise
3. Bacon
4. Lee
5. De Niro

Robert MacFarlane said...

Screw it, I’m changing it again

1. Ge
2. Kingsley
3. Morrison
4. Khan
5. Harrelson

1. Xia
2. Lee
3. Cruise
4. Bacon
5. De Niro

Anonymous said...

Louis: your thoughts on this clip https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vIp6RQz78Ws

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on this clip https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nMfr6u6iY74

Tim said...

ah, whatever. i actually didn't really like Harrelson myself, i just put him high because you all did and i thought i had missed something


1) Kingsley
2) Ge
3) Morrison
4) Khan
5) Harrelson



1) Xia
2) Cruise
3) Bacon
4) Lee
5) de Niro

Luke Higham said...

1. Kingsley
2. Ge
3. Morrison
4. Khan
5. Harrelson

1. Xia
2. Bacon
3. Cruise
4. Lee
5. De Niro

RatedRStar said...

1) Kingsley
2) Ge You
3) Morrison
4) Khan
5) Harrelson

1) Xia
2) Cruise
3) Bacon
4) Lee
5) De Niro

Anonymous said...

1. Kingsley
2. Ge
3. Morrison
4. Khan
5. Harrelson

1. Xia
2. Cruise
3. Bacon
4. Lee
5. De Niro

Jack Narrator said...

1. Kingsley
2. Ge
3. Morrison
4. Khan
5. Harrelson

1. Cruise
2. Xia
3. Bacon
4. Lee
5. De Niro

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

1. Kingsley
2. Ge
3. Morrison
4. Khan
5. Harrelson

1. Xia
2. Bacon
3. Cruise
4. Lee
5. De Niro

Bryan L. said...

Louis: If the following countries had their own version of The Florida Project, who would you cast as the Bobby Hicks equivalents?

Britain
France (Maybe Matthieu Amalric?)
Germany
South Korea
Mexico

Calvin Law said...

I’ll take a crack.

Britain: Paddy Considine
France: Omar Sy
Germany: Thomas Kretschmann
South Korea: Song Kang-Ho
Mexico: Demián Bichir

Mitchell Murray said...

Calvin: Funny...I would've said Bichir as well.

Bryan L. said...

Callvin: I was actually thinking of Damian Alcazar for Mexico, but Bichir would be even better.

Amalric reminds me quite a bit of Dafoe, since both can do far more than their villain typecasts (plus the Julian Schnabel connection.)

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

So I spent much of today watching "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix, and Anya-Taylor Joy is phenomenal in it.

Anonymous said...

Tahmeed, have you thought about what your request is going to be.

Tim said...

your top 10 Kurt Russell acting moments?

Calvin Law said...

Okay it’s confirmed that Yeun is campaigning in Lead. I respect that bold move entirely by A24, though apparently the kid is going supporting as per usual so lol.

houndtang said...

What did you think of Cleese in Frankenstein? I've not seen it but I read an article describing his performance as unexpectedly great.

Calvin Law said...

I saw Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and found it surprisingly sweet. Like yeah, there are some issues with it with the quality and approach but overall liked it a lot.

Matt Mustin said...

I watched 12 Monkeys. I think Gilliam's style just might not be for me. Oh, and I found watching Brad Pitt to be absolutely exasperating.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Well, I watched Frankenstein. I’m with Daranbont, it’s a strong script ruined by pompous, inept direction. I’d actually give De Niro a 4, he did a lot to find a tone that Branagh completely failed to. I’d also say he was actually Supporting, he was in it far less than I would have thought.

Michael McCarthy said...

1. Kevin Bacon
2. Tom Cruise
3. Brandon Lee
4. Xia Yu
5. Robert De Niro

I’ll try to get to the other lineup sometime after the next review probably

Matt Mustin said...

Oh yeah, ratings for 12 Monkeys cast, I guess, why not.

Willis-5
Stowe-4.5
Pitt-1.5
Plummer-3
Morse-2.5

Calvin Law said...

Louis: thoughts and ratings for William Redfield, Sydney Lassick, and Scatman Crothers in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

Tim said...

also, your 2000s and 2010s cast for The Exorcist?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous2:

1. Kingsley
2 Ge
3. Morrison
4. Khan
5. Harrelson

1. Bacon
2. Cruise
3. Xia
4. Lee
5. De Niro

Anonymous said...

Louis: In case the first anonymous user wins a prediction, mine are separate from he/she.

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

On the plus side, I did Like The Curse of Frankenstein. Saw that a few days ago.

Matt Mustin said...

I feel like the reception Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is getting is actually really good for Cohen's Oscar chances for Chicago 7.

Bryan L. said...

Matt: It definitely helps keep his profile up, at the very least.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

The first scene is quite great in showing the ego growing in Walter, and essentially propositioning himself into becoming Jesse James quite literally.

The second scene is fine, but I can see why they cut it since it is all extraneous after the hug.

Tim:

1. Reaction to "the" scene - Bone Tomahawk
2. Tape Recording - The Thing
3. Truth of Lincoln letter - The Hateful Eight
4. Ultimatum - The Hateful Eight
5. Blood Test - The Thing
6. Wagon Discussion - The Hateful Eight
7. 100% death proof - Death Proof
8. Making it back into the base - The Thing
9. Goodbye - Bone Tomahawk
10. Poisoned - The Hateful Eight

Houndtang:

The makeup does leave him impressively unrecognizable, and I'll say his performance, as limited as it is, is more than decent in a pretty basic type of role. I suppose the achievement again is in voice and delivery too you don't pick up on it for a moment that it is Cleese despite his easily recognizable voice.

Calvin:

Redfield - (He's good as portraying basically the most "normal" guy before McMurphy shows up, though technically only outwardly. This in that his work has a certain ego about it when we see the basic interactions with the other guys and a sense of superiority there. When it becomes personal though Refield very effect in showing the festering anxieties with the man. He's good in standing out then as the rival of sorts in his reactions that are less admiring and more annoyed as the guy he can't as easily think he's better than. Additionally, much like everyone, has some great "in crowd" reactions so to speak such as his reaction to being the only "non-doctor" at the dock, or later when trying to temper McMurphy at the end with genuine concern.)

Lassick - (Lassick is good in being one of the most obviously off of the non chronic. This in nailing the kind of specific sort of state of mind that is one of a kind of petulance at all times. This though in both of innocence like when asking Ratched if they can have a baseball game with such innocence, but all the same in his whining for his cigarettes. He makes it very much the mental state of the man in these actions as really just a big child more than anything.)

Crothers - (It's always nice to see Crothers in something and he's good in finding a sort of earnest sympathy in presenting the man's initial minor exasperation towards McMurphy at first before being slowly intrigued by his proposition.)

Tim:

2000's:

Chris: Diane Lane
Regan: Mae Whitman
Father Karras: Ethan Hawke
Father Merrin: John Hurt
Lt. Kinderman: Brian Dennehy

00's:

Chris: Uma Thurman
Regan: Elle Fanning
Father Karras: Adam Driver
Father Merrin: Sam Neill
Lt. Kinderman: Ron Perlman