Discuss Max von Sydow
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Greatest living screen actor?
posted by rudely_murraySTAFFMOD on March 16, 2017 at 11:57 PM
Max von Sydow has to be a contender for greatest currently active screen actor. What a long and remarkable career he has had, and he shows little sign of slowing down well into his eighties.
From Bergman to Bond, The Exorcist to Star Wars and a recent stint on Game of Thrones, von Sydow is one of those rare actors who can lift any film, including very bad ones (and he has certainly been involved in plenty of those along with the classics).
Perhaps his greatest performance is as the beaten-down Swedish emigrant in Pelle the Conqueror (1987) - a beautiful performance, in which he commands the screen and breaks your heart with the merest gesture, the smallest shrug of the shoulders.
At the end of the day awards mean very little, but I do hope that the Academy see fit to reward him with an honorary Oscar, before it's too late.
Reply by tmdb53400018
on March 17, 2017 at 8:44 AM
I think you contradicted yourself. As you pointed out, von Sydow is acting in high-quality films such as Shutter Island into his old age. Apparently, he doesn't need the validation of an honorary Oscar to keep himself doing great work. In your own words, "awards mean very little."
Reply by rudely_murray
on March 17, 2017 at 11:50 AM
Well, yes, but at least I acknowledged the contradiction! 😀
The Academy Awards are in no way a barometer of great cinema or leasing achievement. But they are fun to follow and watch and - on those occasions when they honour a personal favourite or overlooked veteran - they can be very moving. Seeing Von Sydow receive such a tribute moment would be lovely.
But back to the original reason for this thread... great, great actor, always a pleasure to see on screen.
Reply by tmdb53400018
on March 17, 2017 at 4:25 PM
Fair enough. I...would just hate to see von Sydow get his little statue from the Academy, feel like he's done enough from validation, and then drop.
Reply by rudely_murray
on March 18, 2017 at 1:49 AM
Now on this I am right with you!
Somehow I don't think anything will slow him down while he is still kicking. He has always been a prolific actor and, like his contemporary and friend Christopher Plummer, keeping busy may well be one of the keys to a long and healthy life.