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Legendary Actor

posted 7 years ago by Drmccormack (743)
17 replies | jump to latest

Today I was channel surfing and came across Three Days of the Condor and I realized the entire time I was watching it, I was waiting for Max von Sydow to make his appearance. He's one of my absolute favorite actors. He steals every scene he is in. I read this thing someone wrote about him somewhere and I think it's so true: he has looked the same age his entire life. When he was young, he looked older and now that he's older, he still looks younger. Watching Three Days of the Condor today, he could have been 35 or 55? He has such presence on film. He's a pleasure to watch. It was a wonderful surprise to see him in Game of Thrones. He didn't have a big part but it's always great to see him in something.

[–] dolemite72 (150) 7 years ago

He really is (and like Christopher Plummer) we should cherish the fact he's still working.

[–] Drmccormack (743) 7 years ago

Christopher Plummer is an excellent comparison. He's another actor I love seeing. Another favorite of mine was Christopher Lee in his later years. I'd always appreciated him but he got such bad roles in the 70s and 80s. In the 90s and aughts, he had some wonderful movies.

[–] Gastonian (946) 7 years ago

Agreed. He should've had a bigger role in Star Wars

[–] maul (1533) 6 years ago

Doesn't get enough credit, he's a legend.

[–] Gastonian (946) 6 years ago

I've read his wish, acting wise, is to get a good role in a comedy for a change. Hollywood, make it happen!

[–] Jamfo (408) 6 years ago

One of the things I always love about Max von Sydow was he loved to mix in the quirky roles with the serious.

Good role in a comedy? Loved him in "Strange Brew". And even though it wasn't a comedy, per se, he owns every scene in which he appears in "Flash Gordon".

[–] Gastonian (946) 6 years ago

He was hilarious in Strange Brew. And a lot of his lines as Ming were delivered with perfect comic timing. Also, the small role in Hannah and Her Sisters was comedy gold. I'd even say his role in Conan was a humorous one. But in a CV with over 140 films the comedies hardly add up.

[–] Culburn (3638) 6 years ago

Yes, that "Condor" role is exquisite.

[–] Gastonian (946) 6 years ago

His character and performance was the standout in that film, for sure

[–] Culburn (3638) 6 years ago

He ingratiates himself to the viewer immediately by "touching" Redford's girlfriend...

"I won't scream."

---

"I know."

[–] Gastonian (946) 6 years ago

Seriously. He exudes a mysterious presence, then comes off as strangely disarming with his urbane approach to killing. Definitely the kind of character I would have liked to see a spinoff film centered around.

[–] Culburn (3638) 6 years ago

He may have pulled & poured everything he had into that film. To touch it at -30- might be a sin.

[–] Gastonian (946) 6 years ago

Not sure what you mean by 30 but when I say I would have liked to see a spinoff sequel about the character Joubert, I meant no later than a few years after the original film. Doing a film like that now might work but it seems like despite the fact that he's still working, I think he's probably too old to do a leading part that requires a lot of exhaustive acting work.

[–] Culburn (3638) 6 years ago

-30- means (the end),,,a newspaper term.

I was alluding to him reprising that role at that time. It would have been unwise, even risky to tinker with that perfection. Sure, I'm curious too. We always want more---we want our fill, sometimes it's bottomless. Stallone fed us "Rocky" & "Rambo." Eastwood granted us "Callahan" --- all we had to do was ask and they accommodated us.

Perhaps that "Joubert" character could have been spun boundlessly. Maybe you're right, Gas.

[–] Gastonian (946) 6 years ago

I see. Yes, I agree, wanting more can lead to demystifying a character. Kind of like what they're doing with Han Solo

[–] Culburn (3638) 6 years ago

One problem is with "Joubert" is he'd been compromised. He was no longer cold blooded and careful. He was judgmental. I can't imagine him lasting much longer in the state he was in. He turned away at the sight of Redford's gf being slaughtered.

And lets face it, he'd a never let "Condor" live. He'd seen too much.

[–] Gastonian (946) 6 years ago

Hmm, that's an interesting take. I've seen the film 5 or 6 times over the years and I never came away from it with that interpretation. I always saw Joubert as someone who didn't see genteel politeness and his murder for hire job as having to be mutually exclusive. I never saw his turning away from Janice as an indication that he didn't have the stomach for killing but more as there was nothing left to say.

As for Condor, I think Joubert made it clear in the film that he was fascinated by Joe. And when explaining his methodology to Condor at the end of the film he was explicit that he had no interest in operating outside of the parameters of his contract. His new contract with the CIA against Atwood rendered his contract with Atwood against Condor moot. And he said that he found killing restful/peaceful, which isn't the same as taking a perverse pleasure in killing (which is how assassins are so often portrayed in film.) So I don't see that as being compromised.

I think he saw his calling as unambiguously capitalist, grounded in a stoic logic, unhindered by emotional investments. And IMO that's what sets him apart from most depictions of hitmen in film.