Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1979: Oliver Reed in The Brood

Oliver Reed did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Dr. Hal Raglan in The Brood.

The Brood marks a step in Cronenberg's career, where he doesn't quite achieve a wholly successful horror film, though gets a bit closer than Shivers about a man investigating his wife's strange psychiatrist while brutal murders begin to occur. Where the film suffers is in its bland lead Frank (though I think more so the writing here overall), and the makeup effects not *quite* being there, it's definitely a problem when I started laughing at what is supposed to be a disturbing murder scene. 

Anyway, one advancement offered to Cronenberg was a greater budget and seems like with that Cronenberg used it to bring along two more notable actors in Samantha Eggar as our hero's strange wife Nola going through isolated therapy, and Oliver Reed as her strange doctor. Reed opens the film as we see the doctor's methods firsthand as he "treats" a patient. Dressed in a guru's robe, seated and staring right at the man Reed makes a fascinating first impression. Reed's performance in a way illustrates his unique talent a presence because he is such a ferocious physical presence, yet has such an elegant voice. Here we get this in such a brilliant performance as he "treats" his patient by attacking the man on his said to be feminine qualities. Reed's eyes stare right into the man's soul, honestly similar to the first processing scene later seen in The Master, as Reed has that enigmatic power as the man seems to cut right into the man's mind. Reed's performance is amazing because he manages to be incredibly violent in his deliveries of the insults (seemingly evoking the man's abusive father), but Reed's dulcet voice seems to redirect the energy slightly as though he is performing some kind of therapy still. There is a strange comfort even in the violence and he illustrates this as in the end, he seems to indeed have a breakthrough with the man even after all that had been said. It is a bizarre scene that works because of Reed's performance that does naturally realize Hal's strange methods in tangible ways. What Reed also does with this play with the audience's expectation of his performance as he doesn't allow you to pinpoint what exactly the doctor is, whether is he an evil man or is there some method to this madness. Reed plays with ambiguity so effortlessly as we see him outside of the sphere of performing his therapy as Frank confronts him about his daughter having been hurt after visiting his wife. Reed is quite fascinating in his performance in that every delivery of his is a kind deflection though also calming in his responses. Reed doesn't specify but he alludes to something. Reed's eyes suggest a man knowing far more than he is saying, but doesn't simplify what exactly that is. 

He creates a marvelous idea of perhaps an egomaniac doctor refusing to have his methods questioned or someone dealing with something he isn't quite sure of himself. We occasionally see him in his scenes with Eggar (who is wonderfully bonkers in the role), where Reed shows the doctor playing his role. Reed asking her about her daughter's injuries, though not directly, and is fascinating in that he plays her parent at the moment while also seemingly trying to derive something more from her. Again I think even a lot of the dialogue here works because Reed is so convincing in his portrayal of it, and makes the techniques tangible as odd as they are. Reed is captivating in every one of his scenes whether he is playing directly the form of therapy of the doctor, or the therapist who seems to be hiding much from those questioning him. Reed creates this force to be reckoned with and also an element of this film that consistently works, both being actively compelling in giving these strange ideas some truth in performance, but also by letting you ponder whether he is the true villain of the piece or not. Spoilers he's technically not exactly either hero or villain, but his therapy led to the creation of small sinister creatures that kill Nola's "tormentors". Reed though is great in his final scene where he finally reveals the truth to Frank. Reed shows at this moment the man isn't trying to hide or try anything. His eyes at the moment totally earnest as he looks at Frank in the moment. He speaks now just trying to say everything as an honest statement of the man attempting to make some kind of amends with a regretful tone he brings to the whole moment. Reed is terrific in the film, a film that really with a lesser actor in this role would've been fully goofy I think. Reed though never treats the material as monster shlock, as it could've been treated, offering only a real depth and gravity in realizing both his character and the film's odd scenario.