May 22, 2007

Olivier @ 100.

Laurence Olivier Laurence Olivier does turn 100 today, and Edward Copeland post an appreciation smartly divided into four "Acts": "The Oscar Nominations," "The Emmys," "Other Notable Film" and "The Paychecks."

Earlier: Guardian theater critic Michael Billington on Olivier's impact on British acting.

Update, 5/24: "What fearsome demands are imposed by that little word 'great'?" A mini-history of British acting from Antony Sher in the Guardian.

Update, 5/27: "There is a difference between impersonation and self-revelation; Olivier was a master of both," writes biographer Anthony Holden in the Observer.



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Posted by dwhudson at May 22, 2007 8:10 AM

Comments

Even when he was performing, the idea of Olivier had a parallel existence to his own-- the idea of a fearless, vaulting actor who might do something miraculous in the least expected places. Watch him adjust to being turned down by a woman a third his age in THE BETSY ("A pity..."). There was so much of him-- his gorgeous readings of narration in THE WORLD AT WAR, his athletic rendings of The Psalms on LP, wonderful one scene vignettes in films like 49th PARALLEL and DAVID COPPERFIELD. His greatest film performances may be in films one almost cannot find-- Wyler's CARRIE, Preminger's BUNNY LAKE, TERM OF TRIAL. Ralph Richardson paid tribute to his unparallelled gift for anger in performance-- I loved his heroic sadness.

Posted by: jwarthen at May 22, 2007 9:31 AM