Willem DaFoe: best performance ever?
As many of you loyal readers know, this movie blog is part of an association of movie blogs, or LAMB (Large Association of Movie Blogs). This month, we are looking at the works and performances of actor Willem DaFoe. As a contributor and member, I am writing about my favorite all-time performance of his as a vampire in Shadow of the Vampire.My original fandom of Willem DaFoe began way back in 2000, in the form of an Oscar nomination. As a young whippersnapper college student, I was just beginning to gain an interest in independent films and subtle acting performances.
Shadow of the Vampire, for which DaFoe actually won Best Supporting Actor, is a dark, obscure, and ultimately bizarre telling of the making of the 1922 classic horror film Nosferatu. It is a bit convoluted because it is a fictional behind-the-scenes look at a real life film. Shadow asks the question: what if the actor that played "Nosferatu" had been a real vampire?
I was intrigued by DaFoe's weird, over-the-top performance as "Max Schreck". It has a certain boldness to it that few other actors could achieve. It kind of reminds me of Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance in Capote in the sense that it is such a daring performance, it could either be really successful, or really disasterous. In the case of both Capote and Shadow of the Vampire, the boldness works.
As we watch Shadow of the Vampire, DaFoe is darkly absorbing. I feel that I am watching an actual vampire smolder through each scene, struggling with human social interactions. I feel the pain of his ancient age, and the confusion of his mind. I sense the inner battle between his desire to give in to his vampire longings, and his obligation to comply with his agreement with Murnau (played very well by John Malkovich). He has a spindly and deliberate physical mannerism that very well represents the original Nasferatu character. Artful, emotional, and unusual, Willem DaFoe totally hits the mark in his portrayal.
In short, Willem DaFoe's performance in Shadow of the Vampire is astonishing. It single-handedly turned me into a Willem Dafoe fan. I can now appreciate all his performances more after seeing the simultaneously subtle, yet over-the-top performance, in this semi-classic indie drama about a vampire.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI voted for Spider Man simply because I haven't seen any of these other movies. I also think that Willem DeFoe does an excellent job in that role. There aren't many actors who can be so convincing as a villain. Did you know that he performed most every stunt on the glider in that movie? That's admirable.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't seen the Boondock Saints or the Last Temptation of christ. I plan on seeing both soon. I also loved Willem Dafoe's minor role in "The Life Aquatic" and his voice acting in "The Fantastic Mr. Fox".
ReplyDeleteThe Life Aquatic and Fantastic Mr. Fox are great! I forgot DaFoe was in Life Aquatic. Boondock Saints is pretty intense and violent. He's great in it, though. I haven't seen all of "Temptation of Christ." it's kind of twisted. Very controversial. Let me know what you think of either one of them!
ReplyDeleteI loved DaFoe in Boondock Saints. That movie is so great, even though the writer enjoyed everyone saying the eff bomb in every other sentence... kinda made the movie what is was though. His character was really creepy when he dressed like a woman... like he enjoyed it. He did a great job.
ReplyDeleteDude, I can't keep up with you! ;) You're becoming quite the prolific blogger. Keep up the good work! You definitely challenge me to post more often.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, we watched both Nosferatu and Shadow of the Vampire this week. First, Bela Lugosi has nothing on the guy who played Count Orlock (shivers). And I'm still catching up on my film education - I honestly had no idea Willem Dafoe was that talented. Love the scene by the fire where he's talking about Dracula... fantastic.
Casey, yay! Thanks for your comment! I haven't seen Boondock Saints in a long time, but I want to see it again. Some movies are intolerable with the eff-bomb. Willem Dafoe was my hero for a long time. There's a vampire movie from 2009 called "Daybreakers" that he's in. I haven't seen it, but it's next on my DaFoe list!
ReplyDeleteJessie - thank you for reading my blog so much! Please keep it up! I'm glad you got to see both those films. Did you like "Shadow of the Vampire?" It's definitely...different. I get hooked every time I start watching. That scene by the fire is incredible, kind of gives you chills. The ending is great, too. I love your blog! Keep posting!
ReplyDelete