Malcolm McDowell did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying the old Gangster in Gangster No. 1.
Gangster No. 1 remains a bit of an underrated gangster film about the rise of an English gangster in the 60's.
Okay, let's talk category confusion for a moment, this as Malcolm McDowell plays the titular gangster and the leading character, however he plays the character only in the film's brief introduction, slightly longer epilogue, and through narration. The character as a young man is portrayed by Paul Bettany for the vast majority of the film, this resulting in an odd spot as McDowell physically is barely in the film, but portraying the main character. I though can only defer though to the placement I typically give to the older man recounting his younger times, like The Green Mile, and Life of PI, where I deign the recantour as supporting. I will note though if only it were so simple however as McDowell feels far more dominant and important than those equivalents. Part of that is there is a bit more of him, but I also think a great deal of it has to do with McDowell and just the impact of his performance. Not sure I can exactly say for sure where McDowell should be, but for now I'll keep him supporting...for now.
Anyways, let's speak to McDowell's work here that opens the film with his introduction where we see his Gangster on the top of the world, living the good life, smoking cigars, watching boxing, peeing in champagne glasses, anything that anyone could ask for really. McDowell seems to be aware that this is one of his best roles since his breakout, and bites into the role with great aplomb. This right in the opening scene where he carries this magnificent swagger of a man on top, even in his dismissing of the bathroom attendant he acts as some kind of benevolent King commending his servant. This is instantly twisted when it seems he's about to drink his urine soaked champagne, though stops to directly address the audience and ask "What do you take me for, a cunt?" which McDowell delivers with a malevolent glee. From the start McDowell is both what you'd expect, but also delivering something you don't expect. There is something innately unpredictable right from the opening, who goes from one insane act, to really a different one, and we know that his gangster isn't exactly someone we should assume too much about. McDowell then technically takes the backseat to Bettany who leads much of the film as the younger gangster, who we see rise from hired henchmen to much much more. McDowell's presence never leaves however as he recounts the tale through his narration. This led already by McDowell's brilliant accent work here, this as this minor cockney variation that is both lurid and blunt in the best of ways. His delivery of the narration throughout though is remarkable because it is one of the most active narrations you'll hear, in that McDowell delivers not just as this recounting, but this emotional detailing so often the nature of his gangster. Bettany is often a man of few words in the flashbacks, and it is through the voice of McDowell we truly come to understand the gangster.
McDowell's delivery has this innate viciousness and really unpleasant, in the best of ways, intimacy about it as he truly pulls you into this derangement. There are moments where he speaks just lovingly, even nostalgic for his early success or his commentary on his hatred of including women's one life as though he is imparting some kind of wisdom. There is far more though within McDowell's delivery though this in an early scene where the young gangster is eyeing his rival, McDowell insistence at "look at me" is of this violent predator, a searing not even hatred but rather this insatiable urge for violence. Other moments though are of the explanation of the method, including one specific slow speaking his past's way towards a slow and brutal murder of the leader of a rival gang. McDowell's speech you can almost seem to hear the spit as he names the room numbers, and the directions. McDowell speaking eloquently yet wholly in this rapture of a man reliving seemingly his greatest experience as a self-envisioned apex predator. McDowell speaks to far more than just words and puts us within the deranged mind of the gangster as he speaks. This isn't a recounting of the past, but truly the way he experienced it all within his specific set of reality. And in this McDowell shows what is essentially different between the gangster and his original boss Freddie Mays (David Thewlis), who seems like he could enjoy life within his success, as brutal as he could be, and would even allow him to love someone else. McDowell's narration though paints anything else other than killing towards success to be nonsense.
Of course, as shown by the opening of the film, the young gangster finds his way to the boss's chair therefore, according to him, the top. A way entirely painted with blood. When finally there this is where we return to McDowell with the release of his old boss from jail, and we stay with McDowell in person for the last 20 minutes of the film. McDowell is wholly brilliant throughout this sequence as his performance is nothing of the expectation, and in a way is not the continuation of Bettany and that is the point. Now McDowell carries himself with the expected swagger now of the boss, he's still a leery gangster, wavering his gaze to look at beautiful, brutally talk to his underlings, there's a slight change in that now he's the guy seemingly in command, and now much older, however this isn't the point still. When McDowell is asking an underling whether he's killed a man, and whether he would kill a man, McDowell is amazing as on the surface seems still brutal gangster talk, however the minor pause in his manner, and the certain stress on the man's face notes a man contemplating the concept in a way he has not before and couldn't have as his younger self. Still McDowell as bluntly speaks towards the same underling "Who says I'm not going to?" when the man inquires why the gangster hasn't killed him yet, but there's more going on with him. We see even more this when he goes to see Freddie's old flame Karen (Saffron Burrows), who was nearly assassinated with Freddie. McDowell is amazing in the same in the playful approach as though he feels he can flirt with her like an old friend. When she treats him as the wretch he is, McDowell naturally falls to the inherent cruelty, however there is more that is so potent in his performance. When he mentions that he "deserves love" within his rage, McDowell is oddly kind of heartbreaking as you see in his eyes there's a real pain in there even as speaks so cruelly. Even more essential is perhaps meeting with Freddie again, who despite having lost his power and having been incarcerated for a crime the gangster committed, seems to be enjoying his life much more than the gangster seems to. McDowell is outstanding in the scene by internalizing such distress even as he postures his power and anger towards Freddie. McDowell's performance as he tries to essentially break down Freddie, it is with this potent desperation and anxiety. McDowell playing with this need for the other man to admit his failures, or else what exactly does the gangster have? When Freddie desires nothing from all the gangster's ill gotten gains, McDowell's reaction is incredible by his expression shows a man whose fashion of reality is breaking, and in turn he is falling into such dismay over the issue. This leaving nothing but threats and anger, however McDowell always shows the shy man within it all. When he recollects his old killings that gave him his power, McDowell speaks not with pride rather this sadness over the fact that it really gave him nothing in the end. McDowell creates this fantastic duplicity between the man's realization of the meaningless of his life and his attempts to create meaning just through the most superficial and violent "achievements". McDowell crafting from Bettany's performance, this man who reveals his internal monologue of his youthful tunnel vision, but in the end also this tragedy of what comes from such a life of violence. The greatest scene that exemplifies this, and the greatest scene of his performance being his final one where McDowell is screaming all to nothing in speaking of his greatness with all this bluster on the surface with his repeated "I'm number one" that McDowell speaks with rage, but more so of a man trying so hard to convince himself of his success. This until his final delivery of number one, where McDowell face so remarkably shows a man who at last has this realization and acceptance that his life has been meaningless.
