Best Actor Backlog Volume 3 Results

5. Kiefer Sutherland in Phone Booth - Sutherland is easily the best part of his film through is wonderfully devious turn based almost entirely on his voice.

Best Scene: Phony backstory.

4. Alastair Sim in An Inspector Calls - Sim delivers the proper vicious incisiveness that so quietly penetrates every scene as this perhaps supernatural crusader.

Best Scene: Argument of prospects.

3. Clint Eastwood in The Beguiled - Eastwood uses his classic presence in the point of subversion in his portrayal of a man manipulating for his own advantage, and his vicious rage when that manipulation backfires upon him.

Best Scene: Waking up to something missing

2. Vincent Price in Theater of Blood - Price delivers his greatest turn getting to play such a wonderfully over the top fiend/actor, while actually earnestly minding emotional depths within the betrayal of the fiend. If there is any performance that ever could define his lasting impression on cinema, it is this one, but it also stands as simply one of his best acted and most entertaining turns.

Best Scene: Lear's despair. .

1. Uttam Kumar in Nayak -  Kumar gives a charismatic, vulnerable and moving portrayal of an actor coming to terms with both who he is and what he has given away to achieve stardom.

 

Best Scene: Saying goodbye to the "reporter" as himself.

Alternate Best Actor 1971: Clint Eastwood in The Beguiled

Clint Eastwood did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Corporal John McBurney in The Beguiled. 

The Beguiled is a brilliant film about a wounded Union soldier being taken in by an all-girls school of southern women during the civil war. 

This film is a marked departure for both director Don Siegel and frequent collaborator Clint Eastwood, known for hard-edged thrillers like their other film later in 1971 Dirty Harry. Where Dirty Harry played into Clint Eastwood's known strengths, quite effectively at that, The Beguiled considers his then established presence, however, doesn't abide by it. What Eastwood here actually is more than anything this representation of masculinity in a most potent form, which is befitting to the time where Eastwood was pretty much seen as a primary badass style hero from the late '60s on. There is a marked difference however in the way we are first introduced to Corporal McBurney, a wounded Union soldier seeking help from a southern schoolgirl. Eastwood portrays the weakness of the wounded man pleading for help with desperate urgency, not some ease of a man dismissing a wound. He rather is controlled by it as he comes across the girl. Within this moment though we will see the Eastwood presence, however itself, not quite the expectation. This is to keep the girl quiet while a southern patrol lurks, McBurney kisses her, his first action of many that will define the man. Eastwood himself evokes his more traditional leading man charm at the moment, however, this itself is subverted as the target here is a prepubescent girl. 

McBurney is taken in by the school where he catches the eye of all including the headmistress Ms. Martha Farnsworth (Geraldine Page), her virginal assistant Edwina (Elizabeth Hartman), lustful student Carol(Jo Ann Harris), and even the little girl he initially kissed Amy. Eastwood's performance fits into a kind of fascinating place as what exactly McBurney is doing in many ways is more enigmatic than the rest of the character. We learn about the women, many times through literal internal monologue, but this is not present for McBurney. Rather McBurney's nature is told to us by himself which is often contradicted by flashbacks that are truer to his nature. In turn, what Eastwood presents is initially seemingly the ideal Eastwood to each of these women. Eastwood is terrific in crafting really what is McBurney's manipulations per woman at the school. This as to Ms. Farnsworth he gives her a smile and an affable manner after initial suspicions. He presents himself as a good man, whereas Eastwood with a quiet passion speaks of trying to help wounded confederates and the shame of their destroyed farmlands, this is undercut by flashbacks with McBurney as he kills all southern soldiers and burning the lands without hesitation. With Carol, he goes straight with a smile of pure lust as he doesn't dissuade her obvious urges, strongly against Edwina where Eastwood delivers the aggression in the lust, while also speaking false statements of a more sincere relationship.

Eastwood each in a way plays each seduction slightly different yet all of them are also kind of the same. This as he accentuates different sides of himself, speaks as the nobleman with Farnsworth, the lover with Carol, and the husband with Carol. Eastwood articulately this through slight adjustment in delivery of each, however, the similarity of all is this sense of manipulation in his performance. This being in all of them the quiet sense of joy in all three. Eastwood shows that McBurney knows what he's doing and has no shame in any of them. Honestly the most authentic he is with Amy, where Eastwood, despite the first scene with her, smiles towards her a slightly more paternal grace that doesn't feel completely false if still, the man is manipulating. Eastwood is fascinating here because in this performance we have much ambiguity, though not the way we're used to with Eastwood. This as Eastwood never lets us know if really there is any actual goodness in McBurney, rather what may seem more genuine and what may seem is not. Where he does deliver a lack of ambiguity is that McBurney is active in his manipulations, and we see here Eastwood turn on the charm, particularly in the first dinner table scene. Eastwood presents with a smile and bright ease his inviting manner to each of the women at the table, and while we never know what McBurney truly feels about any of them, he does let us know in this clear presentation, that McBurney knows what he is doing to each of them. 

 

Eastwood shows this sort of smooth control however with this unnerving duplicitous nature here. The one person he does not convince is the slave of the school Hallie (Mae Mercer). A great character removed from the remake, despite being a terrific character and showing truth to the period. Of course when a filmmaker removes a character because it means the main women in this story won't be "role models" that filmmaker must have read the wrong story, as no one in the entire story should be looked at as a role model, except to maybe some extent Hallie, the character removed. Now apologies for the digression, but there is a point to all of this. This as Hallie is the one character who makes known her suspicions of McBurney and speaks directly to him, and speaks her mind towards his despicable behavior. Eastwood reactions with Mercer are great as their undercurrent isn't lust for one another rather there is this fantastic combination of intense suspicion but also this kind of understanding that both have a greater awareness of the situation than anyone else in the school. These scenes are incredibly dynamic within both performances and they stand out against what we see between McBurney and the rest of the school. 

It is then in a way waiting for the sword to fall, or here the man to fall, where McBurney's choice for a late night rendezvous leads him to be injured by Edwina followed by his leg being permanently amputated by Farnsworth. Eastwood is amazing in his first scene awakening as the viciousness of his performance but also the genuine reaction of horror in the moment is fantastic. We get Eastwood at his intense best here but reworked towards something more vulnerable and desperate than usual. He's truly in pain as he tears at the woman, however even in his voice there is a terror within himself as he spews his hatred towards them. Eastwood is unlike you've seen him before, and really most of the time afterwards, in the following scenes as he tries to take over the school by stealing their few weapons and threatening all the women. Eastwood is great because he neither plays it as badass Eastwood nor does he play it as an overt villain. He rather presents it as this raw desperation and intensity. He presents McBurney as not really knowing what to do exactly other than to threaten. There is a sense of fear even in his verbal attacks, and random acts of violence, such as killing Amy's pet turtle. The switch from blithely killing the animal to apologizing to Amy, Eastwood shows a man really just going by the moment in a desperate state that turns into a most dangerous state. Eastwood wields the danger not with a precise aim, rather that of a blunt instrument in just such a messy way at all the women. This naturally in a way finding calm when Edwina forgives him and expresses her love for him. Eastwood's performance isn't that of creating some instant reform in McBurney, rather playing it as the man finding some kind of calm in her offer which he turn states in the next dinner with the school. Unfortunately this the same dinner where the rest of the women conspired to murder him via poison mushrooms. Eastwood is once again great by showing such a different side of his presence in first his initial gentleness then his complete gripping fear at the moment of realization when it is too late. Eastwood here never plays the hero, he plays just a man, and is tremendous here by playing just a man with many flaws. Where the remakes ending is rather hollow, this one is deeply unsettling and heartbreaking in a fascinating way. This as there are no heroes in this version, just about everyone is flawed, and the tragedy comes from everyone giving into these flaws rather than overcoming them. What we see in the end is the minor potential in both McBurney and Edwina, in Hartman and Eastwood little tender moment before the end, and that potential is destroyed. In turn the ending is truly haunting, not because a good man was killed, he was not killed, but because hate and distrust just ended in a betrayal and loss for really everyone. The film itself being a portrait of the complex state of humanity without easy choices or answers. Eastwood's work is an essential facet of this portrait, this as the man who allows himself to be everything to everyone, while he himself is a weak foolish sinner, defined by his indulgences and his flaws. Eastwood hides none of it, granting a greater impact in revealing in his work so much more to this man of the past than a cool glare or a sly smile.

Best Actor Backlog Volume 3

 And the Overlooked Performances Are:

Kiefer Sutherland in Phone Booth

 

Alastair Sim in An Inspector Calls

 

Uttam Kumar in Nayak

Clint Eastwood in The Beguiled

 

Vincent Price in Theater of Blood

Alternate Best Actor 1976: Results

5. Gregory Peck in The Omen - Gregory Peck gives an effective and honest performance which manages to ground the rather extreme nature of his film.

Best Scene: Learning of his wife's fate.

4. Robert Redford in All The President's Men - Redford never is lost in the procedural as his performance amplifies the story while still managing to find his character.

Best Scene: Handling two calls at once. 

3. David Carradine in Bound For Glory - Carradine gives a rather unique and memorable depiction of a one of a kind sort.

Best Scene: Reading the fortune.

2. John Wayne in The Shootist - Wayne gives a wonderful and moving performance worthy as a sendoff for his legendary career.

Best Scene: Books tells the truth about gunfighters.

1. Clint Eastwood in The Outlaw Josey Wales - Good Prediction Anonymous. In the end this year came down to three performances I have about equal affection for, and even now I'll admit my overall could easily switch back to Finch when I re-watch Network, but for the moment my favorite is Eastwood. There are certainly plenty of classic Eastwood moments to be found, but his portrayal goes beyond that. This performance takes the step more though as Eastwood realizes both the viciousness and the tragedy that comes from Wales's violent past with his surprisingly poignant work..

Best Scene: Wales returns to the wounded boy.

Overall Rank:

1. Peter Finch in Network
2. Clint Eastwood in The Outlaw Josey Wales
3. John Wayne in The Shootist
4. David Carradine in Bound For Glory
5. Jack Nicholson in Missouri Breaks 
6. Robert Redford in All the President's Men
7. Dustin Hoffman in Marathon Man 
8. Sean Connery in Robin and Marian
9. Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver 
10. Bruce Dern in Family Plot
11. William Holden in Network 
12. Gene Wilder in Silver Streak 
13. Walter Matthau in The Bad News Bears
14. Dustin Hoffman in All The President's Men
15. Gregory Peck in The Omen 
16. Clint Eastwood in The Enforcer
17. Sylvester Stallone in Rocky
18. Woody Allen in The Front 
19. Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther Strikes Again 
20. Lenny Baker in Next Stop, Greenwich Village
21. William Devane in Family Plot
22. Mel Brooks in Silent Movie
23. Michael Caine in The Eagle Has Landed 
24. Roman Polanski in The Tenant
25. Marlon Brando in Missouri Breaks
26. Cliff Robertson in Obsession
27. Jeff Bridges in King Kong

Next Year: 1976 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1976: Clint Eastwood in The Outlaw Josey Wales

Clint Eastwood did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying the title character of The Outlaw Josey Wales.

The Outlaw Josey Wales is a compelling western about a confederate soldier who refuses to let the war end well after it is over.

Looking at the role at a glance might cause one to believe it to be simply a standard Eastwood western role, which in itself is nothing to scoff at as Eastwood usually gives good performances in such circumstances. Eastwood's "standard" roles started out as the more sardonic badass in the Dollars trilogy as well as a other westerns he appeared in. When he started directing these himself there began a shift and Eastwood started to become a bit darker of a figure in the film, although that original iteration wasn't wiped away all that quickly. This certainly can be seen in the character of Josey Wales who we follow in his attempted escape to Mexico after every other member of the confederate army has surrendered except him. During this time we are treated to some classic Eastwood quips along the way, and Eastwood delivers these flawlessly as per usual. The one about pullin' pistols or whistlin' Dixie is particularly smooth and impeccably executed. As usual as well Eastwood brings the dead pan humor into the line deliveries brilliantly, and most often with just his often rather hilarious reactions to anyone possibly buffoonery around him, it is all indeed some classic Eastwood.

To continue on this point Eastwood once again finds that particular way that only he can quite do. Eastwood has considerable charisma, and even charm, but it's all in his own way and on his own terms. A Eastwood performance never feels like it's purposefully trying to charm you, but nevertheless he just kinda does anyways. Eastwood does not make any exceptions for old Josey Wales in fact in this film in particular Eastwood makes no excuses for his character, and does not make an obvious attempts at an obvious likability really, which I will get to in more detail a little later on. Again though that Eastwood presence is so remarkable in the way carry every scene so effortlessly while being so minimalist at the same time. Eastwood is a master of this, and Eastwood as a director knows how to amplify it all the more as he always holds attention in every scene even when Wales might only have a single action. Eastwood is an actor who really does just so much with just a twitch of the eye, and of course this could not be more fitting to the character of Wales who is all about his rather simple actions or his few words just before he draws his guns.

Now being an Eastwood directed western the character is much darker than his earlier characters like the man with no name. Of course this is a requirement for the role of Josey Wales, given his past which I will be getting to soon. Eastwood though is outstanding though in the sheer viciousness he realizes in his character. The potential for violence for the man always feels possible, and it's quite interesting what Eastwood is able to accomplish with his performance. Eastwood creates much of the tension of the film with his performance, of course he creates all of it being the director as well, but he does so much as a performer. In his realization of Josey Wales's personal style he presents essentially a ticking time bomb in every scene where it appears that Josey might face someone, or even some when he might not. There's a calm insurance in Eastwood's work fitting for a man who's being killing for so long that now that's all that he really knows how to do. In this calmness though Eastwood realizes such an intensity by making death seemingly one of the few ways in which Josey knows how to end an a conversation with. Although he's our hero for the film, there is something chilling Eastwood finds in this method, particularly in one cold interaction with a bounty hunter with a case of temporary cold feet.

Now much of what I have written so far can be skewed as more typical Eastwood, although that should not be taken for granted considering the effectiveness of that to begin with as well as this is one of the very best example of it. Nevertheless this role is a bit different as opposed to many a Eastwood western hero we actually find out what compels Josey Wales to be such an efficient killer. The film opening Eastwood is terrific in presenting just an average optimistic man who in just a couple of minutes. What's even more amazing though is how affecting Eastwood actually is in making the quick deaths of Josey's family meaningful, as the grief he portrays is quite palatable, and there is never a question that it could lead Josey to become the bitter man we meet after the opening credits. We don't see the whole transformation, as we come back after the civil war is already over, but we do see the end result. Eastwood's characters tend to be sardonic and not really care about the men he kills, though with Wales Eastwood takes it a tad further through his portrayal of the character's personal vendetta. When he kills the men there is a particular powerful hate that Eastwood exudes, particularly in the uncaring way he mocks all his kills with a spit of messy tobacco where their corpses lie.

This is not Eastwood portraying a soulless killer by any means. Not only because he's the hero, but the most remarkable aspect of his work here is how emotional he makes the character actually. Of course this is in the emotion more becoming of killer which is hate, that Eastwood portrays as quite abundant, but that's not really who Wales in Eastwood's portrayal of him. During his journey to Mexico to escape the authorities there are people Wales connects with in more way than giving them an extra bit of lead. One of these relationships is with a younger rebel who happened to be part of a botched surrender, and goes some of the way with Josey. The boy is injured though and eventually succumbs to his wounds. Eastwood is incredible in the moment of the boy's death as Eastwood reveals perhaps the true Josey in that there is such sadness in the man, as one of his few friends have gone, and seems to suggest that the man's callousness is at least partially a facade. In that moment, and a few others where Josey is pressed to care, Eastwood is quite moving revealing a vulnerability in the man as though he needs to be such a sardonic killer or else he would simply break down crying from the memories of all that he's lost. Instead of the film ending in an arbitrary fashion of the outlaw merely getting away from his pursuers, Eastwood rather wonderfully reveals a return of the heart of the character by the end. Although it is clear that he will never be the same man he was in the opening scene, Eastwood earns the way a more outward returns to the man, and that death no longer seems to be the man's only belief in regards to life. This is a great performance by Eastwood as he brings depth and also a surprising amount of poignancy to his portrait of this hardened old west outlaw.

Alternate Best Actor 1976

And the Nominees Were Not:

John Wayne in The Shootist

Clint Eastwood in The Outlaw Josey Wales

Robert Redford in All The President's Men

David Carradine in Bound For Glory

Gregory Peck in The Omen

Alternate Best Actor 1964: Results

5. Michael Caine in Zulu- Caine makes a misstep with his characterization at the beginning of the film, but makes up for it through his more assured performance later in the film.

Best Scene: The volley.

4. Dirk Bogarde in King & Country- Bogarde gives a very solid and rather unique performance as a soldier who slowly grows more invested into his case even if that growing investment means a growing personal shame.

Best Scene: Captain Hargreaves questions his superior after the trial.

3. Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars- Eastwood is terrific in his creation of the Man with No Name who can be enjoyably deadpan but is as well can bring emotional poignancy when necessary.

Best Scene: The final duel.

2. Tom Courtenay in King & Country- Courtenay gives a heartbreaking portrait of the end result of an endless time in the trenches of World War I.

Best Scene: Private Hamp tells why he deserted.

1. Richard Attenborough in Guns at Batasi- Good Prediction RatedRStar. Attenborough gives two great performances this year with his moving portrayal of a weak man in Seance on a Wet Afternoon and his absurdly entertaining performance as Major Lauderdale a man with unshakable resolve.

Best Scene: The Major refuses to give up his arms.

Overall Rank:

1. Richard Attenborough in Guns at Batasi
2. Anthony Quinn in Zorba the Greek
3. Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove
4. Donald Pleasence in The Caretaker
5. Innokenty Smoktunovsky in Hamlet
6. Peter Ustinov in Topkapi 
7. Tom Courtenay in King & Country
8. Peter O'Toole in Becket
   
9. Richard Attenborough in Seance on a Wet Afternoon
10. Robert Shaw in The Caretaker
11. Saro Urzì in Seduced and Abandoned
12. Richard Burton in Becket
13. Eiji Okada in Woman in the Dunes
14. Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars
    
15. Dirk Bogarde in King & Country
16. Ivan Dixon in Nothing But a Man
17. Ryō Ikebe in Pale Flower
    
18. Burt Lancaster in The Train
19. Sean Connery in Goldfinger 
20. Peter Sellers in A Shot in the Dark
21. Stanley Baker in Zulu
22. Richard Burton in Night of the Iguana 
23. Vincent Price in The Masque of the Red Death
24. Yūzō Kayama in Yearning
25. Jean Desailly in The Soft Skin
    
26. Cary Grant in Father Goose
    
27. Henry Fonda in Fail-Safe
28. Alan Bates in Zorba the Greek 
29. Soumitra Chatterjee in Charulata
    
30. Cliff Robertson in The Best Man
31. Kirk Douglas in Seven Days in May
32. Sean Connery in Marnie
33. Marcello Mastroianni in Marriage, Italian Style
34. James Garner in The Americanization of Emily
35. Stephen Boyd in The Third Secret
    
36. Michael Caine in Zulu
37. Vincent Price in The Last Man on Earth
38. Maximilian Schell in Topkapi
39. Henry Fonda in The Best Man
40. Peter Finch in The Pumpkin Eater
41. Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady
    
42. Bernie Hamilton in One Potato, Two Potato
    
43. Jean-Paul Belmondo in That Man From Rio
44. Glenn Ford in Dear Heart 
45. Stephen Boyd in The Fall of the Roman Empire
    
46. Bendt Rothe in Gertrud
    
47. Richard Widmark in Cheyenne Autumn
48. Richard Boone in Rio Conchos
    
49. Nino Castelnuovo in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
    
50. Richard Harris in Red Desert 
    
51. Harve Presnell in The Unsinkable Molly Brown
52. Tony Randall in 7 Faces of Dr. Lao
    
53. Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins
54. Fred MacMurray in Kisses for My President 
55. Cameron Mitchell in Blood and Black Lace
    
56. Don Knotts in The Incredible Mr. Limpet
57. Tommy Kirk in The Misadventures of Merlin Jones
58. Ringo Starr in A Hard Day's Night
59. Paul McCartney in A Hard Day's Night
60. John Lennon in A Hard Day's Night
61. George Harrison in A Hard Day's Night
62. John Call in Santa Clause Conquers the Martians
63. Victor Stiles in Santa Clause Conquers the Martians
64. Leonard Hicks in Santa Clause Conquers the Martians

Next Year: 1964 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1964: Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars

Clint Eastwood did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying "Joe" in A Fistful of Dollars.

A Fistful of Dollars is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo which is about a lone stranger who goes about playing two rival families against each other in a small town. Fistful is the best kind of remake by not just aping the original and succeeding in making the material seem fresh even though it is recycled.

Well I will just mention that Toshiro Mifune played the wanderer in Yojimbo, and that he gave the .....(that will have to wait for another time). Clint Eastwood made his debut as a leading man here in his most famous role as the man with no name. The man with no name is technically incorrect in that he is called a name in all three of the dollars films, but technically his name could be entirely made up by those who refer to him as such. Although all three films are the man with no name trilogy this is the only film where Eastwood has to carry the film alone. In For a Few Dollars More he had Lee Van Cleef as a vengeful bounty hunter with him and in The Good the Bad and the Ugly Eli Wallach's talkative Tuco was always there, but here he flies solo.

Eastwood because he is alone actually has a somewhat different role than the one he would eventually take in the later two films. In both of the sequels Eastwood is almost straight man in the role and is a great foil for both Van Cleef's and Wallach's performances in those films. Eastwood is by himself though and where the other two film the more emotional parts tended to go to Van Cleef and Wallach it is Eastwood who actually has bring the emotional weight in this film. This is not to say though that Bill is that different form Monco and Blondie in terms of conception, but there is a reason why Joe does not end up with any money in this film and left with fortunes in the later two films.

Most of the performance though is Eastwood doing the Man with no Name which is that of a cool calm killer who deals with his enemies with precision in both out smarting them and out shooting them. Eastwood is one of the very best at being the stern and quiet killer who never blinks, only squints when he kills several men in quick succession. Eastwood just is cool in the role and he absolutely makes it all work with his strong presence and very particular way of reacting. Every little look and twitch with his head are always great as in his silence Eastwood. Eastwood pulls an interesting trick in that he portrays the killings usually as run of the mill, but never does he make Joe seem cruel or psychopath in doing so.

Eastwood avoids making the Man with No Name seem a psychopath for two reasons mainly. One Eastwood is just about always charismatic in his Clint Eastwood way, but also importantly in the few line deliveries that Eastwood is allowed through the film. All of the lines are pretty to the point and Eastwood delivers them all with as much precision as Joe does when handling his gun. Eastwood brings the right sly attitude with Joe that brings a nice bit of humor to the film as pretty much every fight can end with at least a bit of chuckle because of either the deadpan way he delivers one of Joe's quips or simply because of the equally deadpan way that Eastwood makes Joe react to a situation.

There are a few serious moments though in the film where Eastwood actually must bring a greater emotional weight to the proceedings than what is standard for Clint Eastwood. These still rather brief moments involve either Joe's reaction to an unfortunate woman in the middle of the conflict, or just at the evilest actions committed by the main villain of the film Ramon (Gian Maria Volonte). These moments are to the point so Eastwood basically gets to the point shifting to a more reflective Joe quite effectively and it feels completely natural for Joe to have this more somber moment. Eastwood never overplays the lighter antics so he can go heavier with ease and really give the moment impact, just like he later in the bridge scenes of The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

This is of course a good performance by Clint Eastwood one that is a completely assured leading performance despite this being his first major film role, but it is obvious why this film propelled him to super stardom. Where Eastwood settled into a slightly more passive role of sorts in the two sequels that nicely amplified the power of Wallach's and Van Cleef's performances, but the first time he played the part he proved that he could go in alone as well. This is not Clint Eastwood's greatest performance but it is an excellent example of exactly what makes Eastwood such a strong actor since he can carry a picture so well and so smoothly in his trademark fashion which he established here.

Alternate Best Actor 1964

And the Nominees Were Not:

Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars

Michael Caine in Zulu

Richard Attenborough in Guns At Batasi

Dirk Bogarde in King & Country

Tom Courtenay in King & Country

Alternate Best Actor 2008: Results

5. Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road- DiCaprio certainly tries as hard as he possibly can in the role, but unfortunately his performance never quite comes together in the way the film wants it to.

4. Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino- Eastwood shows his usual strong presence here, and uses his unique individualistic screen persona brilliantly here.

3. Michael Fassbender in Hunger- Fassbender gives a strong performance showing the incredible unshakable drive in his character.

2. Colin Farrell in In Bruges- Farrell proves himself an extremely capable actor here as he creates both a energetically hilarious performance as well as quite a moving portrait of guilt.

1. Brendan Gleeson in In Bruges- This year is quite a terrible year for the academy missing out on such strong work for the over the top mannerisms of Penn and Langella as well as just the extreme blandness of Pitt. They missed out on this great performance by Brendan Gleeson that is a unique very moving portrait of a career killer who is anything but cold blooded, and also to his credit Gleeson is simply hilarious especially due to his chemistry with his co-stars of Farrell and Ralph Fiennes.

Overall Rank:

1. Brendan Gleeson in In Bruges
2. Colin Farrell in In Bruges
3. Johannes Krisch in Revanche 
4. Philip Seymour Hoffman in Synecdoche, New York
5. Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
6. Sam Rockwell in Snow Angels
7. Jean-Claude Van Damme in JCVD
8. Michael Fassbender in Hunger
9. Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker
10. Joaquin Phoenix in Two Lovers
11. Chiwetel Ejiofor in Redbelt
12. Benicio Del Toro in Che 
13. Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino
14. Song Kang-ho in The Good The Bad The Weird
15. Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man
16. Richard Jenkins in The Visitor
17. Sean Penn in Milk 
18. Josh Brolin in W.
19. Vincent Cassel in Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One
20. Mads Mikkelsen in Flame and Citron 
21. Hiroshi Abe in Still Walking
    
22. Brian Cox in The Escapist 
23. Vincent Cassel in Mesrine: Killer Instinct
24. Thure Lindhardt in Flame and Citron
25. Kim Yoon-seok in The Chaser
26. Ben Kingsley in Elegy
27. Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt
28. Ha Jung-woo in The Chaser 
29. Francois Begaudeau in The Class
30. Nicholas Tse in Beast Stalker
31. Michael Angarano in Snow Angels
32. Michael Fassbender in Eden Lake
33. Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace
34. Christian Bale in The Dark Knight
35. Michael Sheen in Frost/Nixon 
36. Dustin Hoffman in Last Chance Harvey
37. Sam Rockwell in Choke
38. Don Cheadle in Traitor
39. Daniel Craig in Defiance
40. Jason Statham in The Bank Job
41. Ed Harris in Appaloosa 
42. Tony Leung in Red Cliff Part 1
43. David Kross in The Reader 
44. Kare Hedebrant in Let The Right One In
45. John C. Reilly in Step Brothers 
46. Jürgen Vogel in The Wave
47. Mikael Persbrandt in Everlasting Moments
48. Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road
    
49. Liam Neeson in Taken 
50. Leonardo DiCaprio in Body of Lies 
51. Ben Stiller in Tropic Thunder 
52. Jack Black in Kung Fu Panda
53. George Clooney in Burn After Reading 
54. Ron Perlman in Hellboy 2
55. Woody Harrelson in Transsiberian
56. Samuel L. Jackson in Lakeview Terrace
57. Masahiro Motoki in Departures
58. Jeremy Northam in Dean Spanley
59. Tom Cruise in Valkyrie
60. Sylvester Stallone in Rambo
61. Edward Norton in The Incredible Hulk
62. Ricky Gervais in Ghost Town
63. James McAvoy in Wanted 
64. Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
65. Toni Servillo in II Divo
66. James Franco in Pineapple Express 
67. Jason Segel in Forgetting Sarah Marshall 
68. Will Ferrell in Step Brothers
69. Seth Rogen in Zack and Miri Make a Porno
70. Javier Bardem in Vicky Cristina Barcelona 
71. Seth Rogen in Pineapple Express 
72. Jim Carrey in Yes Man
73. Asa Butterfield in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas 
74. Jeff Goldblum in Adam Resurrected
75. Nick Cheung in Beast Stalker
76. Harrison Ford in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
77. Patrick Wilson in Lakeview Terrace
78. Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
79. Dev Patel in Slumdog Millionaire  
80. Gabriel Macht in The Spirit
81. Mark Wahlberg in The Happening

Next Year: 1947

Alternate Best Actor 2008: Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino

Clint Eastwood did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino.

Gran Torino is enjoyable film even if weakened a bit by the very rough acting by most of the supporting cast about an elderly war veteran who must deal with the Hmong immigrants who live all around him.

Clint Eastwood announced his role here being his last acting role on screen, just as Million Dollar Baby had been before, well it turns out he is performing again this year on screen, so Eastwood might have made a bit of an exaggeration. Although it certainly has the marks of a farewell performance as it has many things similar to John Wayne's performance in the Shootist. They both portrayed aged men who are dying who take it upon themselves to do something as a final action of their life. Although one performance takes place in the old west, and one in modern times they both seem to be a closing statement on their archetypal characters they once portrayed.

Eastwood portrays a character of tough individualist that certainly can be taken as a sort of variation on Dirty Harry, some in fact thought that this might be the sixth Dirty Harry film. It was not and to be fair Walt Kowalski in many ways is not Harry Callahan. Dirty Harry for example was a cop, not a industrial worker, also Harry was always a tough man, but a tough man with a good sense of humor, Walt on the other hand has a harder time seeing the funny things in life. They are similar in that they are both portrayed by Clint Eastwood who really does not have the greatest range of any actor, but there is no one who do what Eastwood does better than Eastwood himself.

Clint Eastwood here actually though does something quite interesting in the role of the crusty old Walt Kowalski is that in some ways this is a humorous performance by Clint Eastwood. Now as I said before old Walt really does not crack too many jokes himself, but Eastwood uses his crustiness for comedic purposes early on in the film as he grunts and angrily stares down anything he hates about his relative or just society in general. Eastwood actually is quite good in his timing of his growls he makes particularly in just his opening scene where he is constantly being annoyed by his bizarre grandchildren who bother to go to the church and do the sign of the cross and kneel yet dress in what must be considered deranged fashion if they bother to do the rest.

Although one could try to argue that Eastwood's portrayal is repetitive, I would say it is not because of his ability to both portray the character seriously as well poke at him at the same time seamlessly. More importantly though Eastwood is almost always watchable and that is most certainly true even for the very rough Walt. Yes Walt is a usually angry man who is liked by very few people, and insults others constantly he still is quite likable. The main reason being once again due to Eastwood's unique charisma that as solely found within Eastwood. Really these mean old men type performances are by nature difficult to make likable in that they are mean old men, but there is just something about Eastwood that overrides these potential problems with seemingly no effort.

Eastwood interestingly despite being in his late seventies is still the same commanding presence he had always been. When he stares down and fights with various street thugs he has that same old Eastwood intensity that makes these scenes believable. Eastwood here shows that even at his older age still can truly dominate a scene more than actors half his age. He makes every one of the scenes where Walt efficiently deals with the thugs believable, because Eastwood is always on the mark, and in control. He even still has the silent cool that Eastwood uses so effectively in these scenes, and naturally makes Walt a force to be reckoned with.

The arc of Walt of a character comes in with his eventual acceptance of his neighbors as well as coming to the point in which he identifies with them far more than he does with his relatives. Eastwood actually plays this very well avoiding really the cliches of the gruff individual learning to open up. As Eastwood never lets up on his roughness in any way, and handles his whole acceptance in a perfectly Walt Kowalski fashion. Eastwood shows a little resistance in Walt, but at the same time he takes a cut through the crap approach that is perfectly fitting for Walt. Once he sees that they are indeed worth his time he just goes into no reason to waste time in accepting them in his own way.

This no nonsense approach Eastwood uses as well in his portrayal of Walt's past where he is haunted by the people he killed in the Korean war. This again is really the only way Walt would deal with such a thing. Eastwood shows the pain is there, but Walt is just not the sort of man to allow something like that to be anything but what lies internally within himself. When he does expresses his pain more outwardly it is fast and sharp and of course to the point. This is a strong performance by Eastwood because he never compromises Walt as a character. Even when he is randomly doing things he has never done before it is the same up front style, Eastwood always shows that no matter what Walt will do things his way as that is who Walt is. This may not be Eastwood's greatest work, but it is a strong performance that really only Clint Eastwood could have brought to life.

Alternate Best Actor 2008

And the Nominees Were Not:

Brendan Gleeson in In Bruges

Colin Farrell in In Bruges

Michael Fassbender in Hunger

Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino

Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road

Alternate Best Actor 1971: Results

6. Dustin Hoffman in Straw Dogs- Hoffman performance is not overly interesting early on but he more than makes up for it in his brutal last act change.

Best Scene: David loses it. 

5. Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry- Eastwood gives a incredibly strong performance as both a commanding and humorous leading man, as well as in his portrayal of a driven police officer.

Best Scene: Harry tortures Scorpio. 

4.  Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory- Wilder gives a entertaining performance that is both darkly funny as well as genuinely heart warming.

Best Scenes: The tunnel of madness and the final confrontation/reveal of his plan.

3. Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange- McDowell gives a terrific unforgettable performance that creates a truly disturbing portrait of a youthful man who gets his joys through violent depravity.

Best Scene:  "I was cured all right"

2. Michael Caine in Get Carter- Caine gives incredible performance as a cold professional killer, whose want for revenge is unshakable.

Best Scene: Carter watches the porno. 

1. Richard Attenborough in 10 Rillington Place- Well this was close until I watched 10 Rillington Place, and I still think the performances of Caine, McDowell, Wilder and Eastwood are some of the best ever given. Richard Attenborough turn in this film is perhaps the most terrifying performance I've seen in a film.

Best Scene: John Christie gives Beryl Evans her "abortion".

1. Richard Attenborough in 10 Rillington Place
2. Michael Caine in Get Carter
3. Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange
4. Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
5. Paul Scofield in King Lear
6. Oliver Reed in The Devils
7. Clint Eastwood in The Beguiled
   
8. Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry
9. Max von Sydow in The Emigrants
10. Gene Hackman in The French Connection 
11. Richard Harris in Man in the Wilderness
12. Warren Oates in Two-Lane Black Top
13. Charles Bronson in Red Sun
14. Toshiro Mifune in Red Sun
15. Dirk Bogarde in Death in Venice
16. Omar Sharif in The Last Valley
17. Topol in Fiddler on the Roof
18. Clint Eastwood in Play Misty For Me
19. James Coburn in Duck, You Sucker!
20. Peter Finch in Sunday Bloody Sunday
21. Warren Beatty in McCabe & Mrs. Miller 
22. Michael Jayston in Nicholas and Alexandra
23. Timothy Bottoms in The Last Picture Show 
24. Dustin Hoffman in Straw Dogs 
25. Gary Bond in Wake in Fright
26. Al Pacino in The Panic in Needle Park
27. Jack Nicholson in Carnal Knowledge 
28. Jon Finch in Macbeth
29. Robert Duvall in THX 1138
30. George C. Scott in The Hospital
31. Bud Cort in Harold and Maude 
32. Richard Roundtree in Shaft
33. Peter Ostrum in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
34. Rod Steiger in Duck, You Sucker!
35. Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever
36. Michael Caine in The Last Valley 
37. Dominic Guard in The Go-Between
38. James Taylor in Two-Lane Black Top
39. Luc Roeg in Walkabout
40. Donald Sutherland in Klute
41. Woody Allen in Bananas
42. Walter Matthau in Kotch
43. William Tepper in Drive, He Said 
44. Richard Burton in Villain

Alternate Best Actor 1971: Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry

Clint Eastwood did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Homicide Inspector Dirty Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry.

Dirty Harry is a very effective police thriller about a San Francisco Police Officer attempting to catch a serial killer known as Scorpio (Andrew Robinson).

Clint Eastwood did not receive a single Oscar nomination for portraying his arguably signature role of Dirty Harry. Although to be perfectly honest the only time where he really should have been considered is for his initial performance. Although I should note that Eastwood gives solid leading performances in Magnum Force, The Enforcer, and Sudden Impact still having strong presence and conviction in the role. Only in The Dead Pool does Eastwood give a lackluster performance never seeming particularly invested in the role in that film looking tired practically during the entire film. His first performance as the character stands as the best which is probably helped by the fact that it is the best film, as well as the most character driven.

I would say this is one of if not the most memorable role of Eastwood's because of how well his style for the role. Eastwood is a unique actor in his ability to dominate a scene without saying word, he can express more in a single glance than some actors do in a whole scene. This style is perfect for Dirty Harry who is the best officer on the force seemingly, and he says a lot in every scene he is in even when he does not have that many lines total. This is perfect for the role in the many scenes where Harry has to deal with his far less able superiors who question his methods, and go on in foolish ways to attempt to deal with the psychotic killer who is constantly making demands. Eastwood's quick piercing stares of complete discontent show strongly Harry complete lack of respect for their inefficient methods.

This is a terrific leading performance though by Eastwood and he brings through the film the whole way without question. Eastwood always controls every one of his scenes with seemingly no effort at times with his remarkable unique presence. Eastwood is absolutely on throughout the entire film, and gives a wonderful performance that surprisingly does a lot more than he even needed to do with the role. Frankly his part could have been settled as just a police officer with tremendous drive, something Eastwood most certainly shows but I will get to that later, what is amazing though is the amount of natural humor Eastwood brings to the part.   Eastwood says everyone of his Harry's without the utmost efficiency that brings humor to his role, while never making it seem out of the place in the film.

Eastwood interestingly never makes the part as lightweight though as many other actors might have considering this is not about the folly of the officer's conviction as Gene Hackman's performance in the French Connection was partially about. Interestingly Eastwood is able to connect both a star leading sort of performance along with a performance genuinely as part of an actual character, and not just a star's persona sort of performance. Eastwood always is Dirty Harry in this film, and certainly brings to life the hard boiled inspector. Eastwood as Hackman also did this year shows tremendous drive to the character. Eastwood actually carefully doesn't shows that Harry is like Popeye Doyle that his conviction is to the point of fault, Harry after all is always right, but nevertheless Eastwood shows the same power in his performance.

As an actor Eastwood usually has a great deal of intensity in his performances, and with only the possible exception of Unforgiven there has never been a better use of it than here. Eastwood here brings to life the unstoppable force that Harry can become when he is set off, and Scorpio certainly sets him off, perfectly. Again with only possibly the exception of the final tavern scene in Unforgiven, and maybe not even that, there is no more intense of a scene than when he interrogates (tortures) Scorpio to find the location of a girl that he kidnapped. In that scene Eastwood's stare, and delivery is absolutely chilling. It is an unforgettable scene because of Eastwood unyielding brutality that he brings to the scene, showing the complete devotion Harry has to finding the girl as well as the rage he has toward the low life killer.

I suppose I should mention since I did in the last three reviews how Eastwood portrays Callahan's attitude to the violence he commits. Eastwood is actually quite careful in his portrayal of this as there is certainly no hesitation in his actions, or when he kills someone. Eastwood though never portrays this lack of hesitation as any sort of indication that he genuinely likes violence, or doesn't like violence necessarily, Eastwood rather is able to convey the fact that Harry is simply doing his job. Like Caine in Get Carter though there is the moment in which it does become personal and the wraith of Callahan is well portrayed. This is of course only in one killing at the end of the film, and Eastwood shows that Harry indeed needed to reach this point, and the man had to be a horrible enough person to earn his hatred.

This is a great performance by Eastwood because of his ability to blend this well realizes portrait of a career officer who probably has seen a little too much in the line of duty, but as well gives a very enjoyable and entertaining performance at the same exact time. Eastwood is able to bring the same humor to a certain scene as well as also bringing the weight of other scenes just as effectively. There is never a disconnect to the Dirty Harry who says that he knows a beaten person wasn't beaten by him simply because he looks "Too Damn Good", to the Harry who somberly sees that after all his efforts the victim of the killer he puts his all into stopping still ended up dead. This really a magnificent achievement by Eastwood in his creation of Dirty Harry Callahan, that leaves no wonder in my mind why many consider this his signature role.

Alternate Best Actor 1971

And the Nominees Were Not:

Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry

Michael Caine in Get Carter

Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange

Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory

Dustin Hoffman in Straw Dogs
I will be reviewing five performance from a year that are either considered to be among the five best of the year, as well as one's considered iconic or very memorable in regards to an actor's filmography. These will not necessarily all be good or great performances just notable one's for the year in question. I will perhaps even throw in a terrible performance on occasion as long as it is extremely risky, the only type of performance I want  to avoid is a phoned in boring one.

So for the first year I will take a look at performances of five men portraying not exactly the most hinged of characters. Feel free to predict the ranking as well as if any of them will unseat Gene Hackman for the French Connection, if you accurately predict my ranking of just the five you can request the next year i do, just make sure it is in a different decade, as well one performance you would like to review for that year.

Best Actor 1992: Results

5. Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman- Pacino's performance creates a very mixed feeling, in a lot of moments I think he gives a very charming, and effective performance, but other times he goes too over the top and becomes overly calculated.

4. Denzel Washington in Malcolm X-  He is strong in many scenes, and has the right manner for Malcolm X in the speeches, and the right dread infused with a passion in his final scenes.

3. Robert Downey Jr. in Chaplin- Downey is downright outstanding in replicating Chaplin style, as he never feels like a replication but rather a true embodiment of the men. Although the film does not offer an excessively complex portrayal of Chaplin, Downey takes his performance as far as it can possibly go within those limits.

2. Stephen Rea in The Crying Game- In every re-watch Rea's portrait of this man has only resonated more, creating such a emotional impact in every scene, that makes the film a far deeper and richer experience than the one suggested by the twist that defined its original notoriety.

1. Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven- Eastwood's performance in Unforgiven might be his best performance. He knows exactly his range in this performance, as well the history of himself as an actor, and brilliantly uses both these aspects to create a very compelling portrait of a man's chilling degradation back into the vicious killer he once was.

Deserving Performances:
Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross