Alternate Best Actor 1966: Results

5. Eddie Axberg in Here Is Your Life - Axberg gives a largely reactionary turn, however it works in creating the right naturalism within his character for his film.

Best Scene: Date.

4. Anatoly Solonitsyn in Andrei Rublev - Although very low key Solonitsyn's often observant turn effectively still realizes his character's quietly striking arc throughout his film.

Best Scene: After the bell rings. 

3. David Warner in Morgan - A Suitable Case for Treatment - Warner effectively gives a wild comic yet intense turn, even if his film doesn't use him all that well.

Best Scene: Trying to assassinate someone.

2. Donald Pleasence in Cul-De-Sac - Pleasence brilliantly captures the suffocating neurosis of his character and its degradation throughout the story.

Best Scene: Final breakdown.

1. Per Oscarsson in Hunger - Oscarsson performance naturally captures the tragic state of his character while doing so with a remarkable levity.

Best Scene: Hunger.

Updated Overall

Next: 1966 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1966: Eddie Axberg in Here is Your Life

Eddie Axberg did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Olof Persson in Here is Your Life.

Here is Your Life follows the life of a young man coming of age. Although perhaps longer than it needs to be, it once again features Jan Troell's great skill at making the seemingly mundane captivating, and at the very least is an impressive theatrically released feature film debut.

Eddie Axberg, who eventually played one of Troell's emigrants, here plays the lead of this story of a young man in Sweden. This as a working class young man trying to make his way on his own after having left his home. Axberg's character of Olof isn't one of extreme complexity, in the sense that the emphasis is on Olof being in many ways this average surrogate. He's not some young man who has an exceptional purpose or intent, for much of the film he's just trying to make his one through one job, one boss and one different event after another. Axberg's performance is one that very much exists within a natural state, and such a thing while not showy by any means shouldn't be entirely overlooked either. What Axberg does though is find the purpose within being just a naturally unassuming young man. This as there is definitely a danger to be just a purely a blank slate, but Axberg is a talented enough performer to do a little more. This is as his state is one that is strictly convincing. He convinces you of the existence of the young man and finds the right degree of nuance, even while maintaining the general sense of simplicity within the character's life. This in finding the right moments to really reflect what is going on around him.

This can be relatively straight forward such as just acting in a brief rage when being harassed by some men, or something subtle such as the brightness of his expression when he's in a moment of, what he believes to be, romance. Axberg's work very much accentuates the situation effectively. This bringing the sense of frustration in a moment of hardship, a bit of charm in moment, or just sort of the sense of enjoyment of life when frolicking in the countryside. This is a minor aspect of potential revolutionary thoughts in Olof. This is more attuned to those around him than Olof himself. Axberg plays these moments well in portraying in his eyes the sense of interest in the words of revolutionary thought, however even in this he is the one who reacts more than acts or speaks these thoughts. This is all intended within the film that works in just basically showing this coming of age, in a seemingly simplistic, yet thanks to Troell's touches, effective portrayal of this young man's life. There isn't some great upheaval just life, and Axberg's performance is a reflection of this. His work isn't really able to go beyond a certain point, however within the limits of Olof as just a normal guy, living a mostly normal life, he's good. He brings life to Olof, and even as just a typical quiet person, he importantly still grants the right sense of individuality, and understanding of his experience.

Alternate Best Actor 1966

And the Nominees Were Not:

David Warner in Morgan - A Suitable Case For Treatment

Per Oscarsson in Hunger
 
Eddie Axberg in Here is your Life
 
Donald Pleasence in Cul-de-sac
 
Anatoly Solonitsyn in Andrei Rublev

And a review of:

Paul Newman in Harper

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1972: Results

5. Ian Bannen in The Offence - Bannen gives an effective portrayal  of the character's damaged state even if he can't fully realize what the writing demands from the character.

Best Scene: The beginning of the interrogation. 

4. Ned Beatty in Deliverance - Beatty has a particularly thankless role that could have easily been a caricature, but realizes a genuine victim through his performance.

Best Scene: Squeal like a Pig

3. Robert Shaw in Young Winston - Shaw, as usual, gives a striking performance first in realizing the quiet command of his character then later his tragic decay.

Best Scene: Lord Randolph fails to deliver his speech in parliament.

2. Eddie Axberg in The New Land - Axberg matches the naturalism of his co-stars and gives a moving depiction of his character's doomed journey.

Best Scene: Robert goes to the brothel.

1. Bruce Dern in The Cowboys - Dern actually gives a my favorite supporting of 1972 as he creates such a memorable pathetic scoundrel as the man who shot the man who shot Liberty Valance.

Best Scene: Asa Watts does the unthinkable. 

Overall Rank:

1. Bruce Dern in The Cowboys
2. Joel Grey in Cabaret
3. James Caan in The Godfather
4. Eddie Axberg in The New Land
5. Robert Shaw in Young Winston
6. Robert Duvall in The Godfather
7. Ned Beatty in Deliverance
8. John Cazale in The Godfather
9. Richard S. Castellano in The Godfather
10. Gene Hackman in Prime Cut
11. Ronny Cox  in Deliverance
12. Alistar Sim in The Ruling Class
13. Clive Revill in Avanti!
14. Nigel Green in The Ruling Class 
15. Barry Foster in Frenzy
16. Eddie Albert in The Heartbreak Kid
17. Alec McCowen in Frenzy
18. Arthur Lowe in The Ruling Class
19. Stacy Keach in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
20. Abe Vigoda in The Godfather
21. Roscoe Lee Browne in The Cowboys
22. Peter Boyle in The Candidate
23. Sterling Hayden in The Godfather
24. Nicholas Colasanto in Fat City
25. Robert Duvall in The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
26. Howard da Silva in 1776 
27. Fernando Rey in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie  
28. Tony Roberts in Play It Again, Sam
29. Julien Bertheau in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
30. Ned Beatty in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
31. Edward Andrews in Avanti!
32. Robert Duvall in Joe Kidd 
33. Helmut Griem in Cabaret
34. Alex Rocco in The Godfather
35. Kenneth Mars in What's Up, Doc?
36. Donald Madden in 1776 
37. Paul Winfield in Sounder
38. Jack Albertson in The Poseidon Adventure
39. Melvyn Douglas in The Candidate
40. Gianni Russo in The Godfather
41. Roddy McDowall in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
42. John Marley in The Godfather
43. Anthony Hopkins in Young Winston 
44. Fritz Wepper in Cabaret
45. Anthony Perkins in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
46. Slim Pickens in The Getaway
47. Bill McKinney in Deliverance
48. Red Buttons in The Poseidon Adventure 
49. Jerry Lacy in Play It Again, Sam
50. Ben Johnson in The Getaway
51. Ron Holgate in 1776
52. Arthur O'Connell in The Poseidon Adventure
53. Herbert 'Cowboy' Coward in Deliverance
54. Gregory Walcott in Prime Cut
55. Michael Bryant in The Ruling Class
56. Micheal Murphy in What's Up, Doc?
57. Bernard Bribbins in Frenzy
58. Roddy McDowall in The Poseidon Adventure
59. Ian Holm in Young Winston
60. A Martinez in The Cowboys
61. Harry Andrews in The Ruling Class
62. Al Martino in The Godfather
63. Ruy Guerra in Aguirre, the Wrath of God
64. Ernest Borgnine in The Poseidon Adventure
65. Del Negro in Aguirre, the Wrath of God
66. Don Stroud in Joe Kidd
67. Donald Moffat in The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid
68. Paul Frankeur in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
69. Jean-Pierre Leaud in Last Tango in Paris
70. William Mervyn in The Ruling Class
71. Roy Poole in 1776
72. James Best in Sounder
73. Ron Rifkin in Silent Running
74. Ken Howard in 1776
75. Cliff Potts in Silent Running
76. John Saxon in Joe Kidd
77. Don Porter in The Candidate

Next Year: 1929 Lead/Supporting

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1972: Eddie Axberg in The New Land

Eddie Axberg did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Robert Nilsson in The New Land.

Eddie Axberg plays the younger brother of Max von Sydow's Karl-Oskar who has come with his brother to settle in the west of America. Axberg at first expresses a similar enthusiasm to von Sydow although his is best a bit more reduced suggesting that Robert is not exactly that happy to be under the supervision of his older brother. The film has some short moments that focus upon Robert as he tries to settle his own way into the new land, and he does not quite settle in the way Karl-Oskar is able to. Axberg is good as he portrays a certain adventurous spirit with though a similar strong feeling of apprehension in being a place he's not use to. There is one particularly fine scene for him when he thinks he sees one of the natives. Axberg realizes the concern and fearfulness well in Robert as he rather foolishly shoots at the corpse of a dead native who no one was able to bury. Axberg naturally realizes basically the way Robert is quite out of his depth in this new land, and lacks the same love of the land that his brother has. Robert not finding his place decides to move on to California for the gold promised there, which is not approved by Karl-Oskar.

Axberg creates a particularly believable dynamic with von Sydow. Most of the time Axberg shows Robert being comfortable enough with his brother, and there is the sense of their history together. When this changes though is whenever Karl-Oskar orders Robert around. Axberg is very effective in portraying how every word stings Robert as he is clearly most uncomfortable with taking orders from his brother who is acting as though he is his father. Robert sets out with his friend to California nevertheless and disappears for some time. Eventually he returns and the film reveals what happened in quite a stunning scene. The scene is almost dialogue free though Axberg does compelling work in portraying Robert's progression in the scene. He begins with again an enthusiasm, even greater than before. The trip starts to indications of horror which leaves a fall as Axberg so well loses that enthusiasm once again. This only becomes worse as it seems his survival is even in question and Axberg brings such a terrible despair. Each point is incredibly well met by Axberg's performance as he succeeds in believably makes this transition of his journey all in a single extended sequence that is quite remarkable.

The film then focuses upon Robert back at home with his brother and sister-in-law. Axberg is very moving in these scenes showing that Robert lost so much of himself on his doomed trek to California that left his friend dead. Axberg expresses Robert as a changed man who is now resigned to a certain sadness as he is unable to ever forget what happened to him on the trip. Axberg shows that he no longer even has the will anymore to argue with his brother as he just basically accepts his verbal attacks now. There is one particularly affecting scene where Robert goes to visit a brothel, likely looking to feel some sort of pleasure, and Axberg is terrific as he realizes that Robert can even barely connect with the experience because of how haunted he is by the past. Axberg performance is heartbreaking as he essentially shows that Robert died with his friend, and cannot seem to bear living knowing the things that he has seen. Axberg matches well the performances of Ullmann and von Sydow by giving such power into seemingly such simplicity. Axberg differentiates his work from theirs properly presenting Robert's story as one of a man being lost in a land that was apparently never meant for him.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1972

And The Nominees Were Not:

Eddie Axberg in The New Land

Ian Bannen in The Offence

Ned Beatty in Deliverance

Bruce Dern in The Cowboys

Robert Shaw in Young Winston