Alan Bates did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying the titular character of Butley.
What makes that synopsis work on any level is the rambling man in question, that is a tired English professor who pretty much is near some kind of rock bottom as he approaches his day, cutting his face with a razor and then proceeding to choose to mark up everyone he meets in a psychological sense. Bates might be one of the least talked about British actors who rose within the period of the 60s, but that says nothing regarding his talent as a performer, which was considerable. This whole film is essentially Bates unchained as he goes about portraying the perpetually witty and bitter Butley, ready to cut all down who come into his presence. Bates opens the film in this state of the man pretty much sunken and quite wretched as it seems he can barely even shave right, which seems to denote his very existence. The very existence that he deals with by turning his ire toward those around him.
His first victim we find is his homosexual lover and colleague at their university, the latter who is unfortunate enough to also share his office. Bates's performance articulates a man who exists purely into trying to bite into another while also seething in this sense of self-loathing. Bates balances both to be the perfect sort of pinprick, well dropping the pin might be more accurate, in creating the specific sort of "elegant' viciousness. Bates's taking his already rather refined accent and kind of upping the superiority of it just a bit more. Bates speaks the words of Butley with the conviction and purpose of a true poet if the purpose of such a poet was all bile deep into his throat. Bates's line of attack towards his theoretical kindred man at one point is kind of a strange sort of dance of insults that reveal in combination a tapestry of hurt and hate in equal measure. Bates puts the man down with each cutting word but at the same time when speaking of the man leaving him, there is as intense of Butley's genuine anxiety over it.
I think essential within this performance is that you very much sense the joy of performance within Bates's work, this is particularly important to grant any kind of levity within a character who really is all about inflicting misery and also feeling misery. Bates must be said does have fun in the role and exudes that in the right way that never subverts the nature of the character, however, makes it easier to spend time within his company. Bates basically sings the lines as he goes about the past and present of his relationship. Bates swaps around his methods so naturally and effectively in articulating the sort of mad genius of his Butley. It is kind of deranged but it is also kind of particular in a way that couldn't be more biting. Bates changes his voice a la Olivier in Sleuth in a way that is entertaining in itself but also shows the way Butley is always kind working in some kind of strange improvisation in his particular form of mental games.
Bates is a bit different depending on whom he is speaking to, for example when speaking with who is purely a colleague in his institution Edna (Jessica Tandy). Bates still is bringing that playful quality but now it seems a bit more playful. He seems to articulate his ideas with a bit less hate. Bates brings a bit more of reserved quality that also suddenly reveals a bit more weakness and that anxiety about his work. He creates the sense of the man truly holding less well together in these moments when it isn't as easy to throw around his hate. Although when she leaves his presence, Bates is just as hateful towards her as anyone else, except Bates plays the moment even blunter and creates a loss of the facade of being indifferent. We rather see the man who attempts to hold any power through his bitterness and his technical wit. Bates though showing the game that Butley is playing in the successive scenes begins to wear on the man, and the sadness within begins to reveal itself just that bit more. Bates though wielding this qualities quite effortlessly depending on the party, and while it seems Butley hates everyone to a degree, the way it articulates itself is different within his performance.
What Bates does here is more than the heavy lifting of the film, he is holding any qualities of the film on his back, and frankly, the film is asking too much of him as the film relies so wholly on Bates's performance to make the drama compelling. Bates manages to be everything he needs to be, which is a whole lot, while also being so essentially compelling just on his own, which he needs. This is every running-on a bit of monologue Bates not only has his go at it, but he also makes go of it and never misses a technical beat within his work. He manages to maintain the flow of the character's banter while still showing the ever-existing bit of self-loathing. The latter breaks and bends depending on who is talking about, the familiar or the acquaintance. Bates balances each moment through his deliveries of a killer tongue, yet his expression always can denote that much more pain that is deep within the man and very much decides who the man is. Although there are other characters this might as well be a one-man show of Bates purposefully acting around everyone, and doing quite the job of it. Although the film itself isn't successful, which is too dependent on Bates to the point of such stagnation around him, however, Bates delivers a great performance regardless. It is an articulate, elegant, broken and abrasive depiction of a man who hates everything but perhaps himself most of all. An effortlessly dynamic performance on its own, even as the film might've done him a bit more justice if it bothered to do anything other than essentially say "eh let's just watch Bates act". Which again, Bates is game for, delivers on, but it is a shame the film couldn't have done at least a little something to support its worth around him.
