Best acting performance - A Bridge Too Far (1977) Discussion

[–] mitchyd11 14 years ago

Dirk Bogarde.

Dude...the computer claims i have mail.

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I agree with that, Bogarde did a great job, my 2nd would be Hopkins.

Shoot straight, you bastards - don't make a mess of it!

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[–] chrismahon2005 14 years ago

Hopkins for me to, some of the germans were good to.

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[–] BarksdaleBaratheon 13 years ago

Gene Hackman was superb as always. Very intense, and I was surprised that he mastered a legit Polish accent. I always assumed that the only accents Hackman could pull off were a New Yorker and a Southerner.

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[–] Hotrodder 13 years ago

In your other post you say you haven't seen ABTF yet, yet here you are praising Hackman's performance in it! Strange to say the least.

"I was left in no doubt as to the severity of the hangover when the cat stamped into the room."

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[–] BarksdaleBaratheon 13 years ago

What I meant was, I haven't saw the whole film yet. I came in like halfway through it when it was on a movie channel. So I guess you can say I saw certain scenes. I don't like watching movies partially, so usually when I've only seen parts of a film, I count that as not really seeing it yet. If that makes sense...

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[–] dean-griffiths 12 years ago

Think this is a really tough one as Fox,Hackman,Bogarde and Hopkins were all spot on but I think Hopkins' Johnny Frost just shades it from Bogarde as 'Boy' Browning.

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[–] moviebuff12-1 12 years ago

What? No love for Redford?

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] BarksdaleBaratheon 13 years ago

Have you ever seen a film called Mississippi Burning? He had a southern accent for that. He was a CIA agent originally from MS

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] BarksdaleBaratheon 13 years ago

Oh yeah, FBI is what I meant. I get the 2 mixed up from time to time. His accent was terrible in Mississippi Burning? Have you ever been down south? It was very believable without sounding like a caricature. A lot of actors tend to exaggerate southern accents. Besides, he was from Mississippi originally, but keep in mind he hadn't been back since joining the bureau, so the character could have been played as someone who sort of lost their accent from being up north. This actually happens often. Apparently the Academy disagrees with you as well, since that performance earned Gene his fourth Oscar Nomination.

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[–] omari322 13 years ago

Sean Connery, Laurence Olivier, and Elliott Gould

'Cause I'm Black you think I did it?

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[–] pe81171 13 years ago

Yes, I liked Gould's performance also.

Frank: Just a man.
Harmonica: An ancient race.

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[–] DD-931 12 years ago

A little too one-note for me. The British actors, like the British characters they play, definitely came off better than the American actors, even though normally the American actors (Hackman and Caan in particular) are every bit as good as any of the British actors. Just didn't happen in this film.

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[–] Squeeth2 12 years ago

The two squaddies with the flame-thrower.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUSugUrHPEs

Marlon, Claudia and Dimby the cats 1989-2005, 2007 and 2010.

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[–] BuddyLove63 12 years ago

I like Edward Fox in this. Doesn't get enough screen time.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] aleach26 9 years ago

The one with the flamethrower is well-known British character actor Alun Armstrong. In the last few years he has had larger roles in some major films.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] onepotato2 12 years ago

The star power here is inappropriate to the story. They're just a distraction with their "state of the art" c.1977 acting.

All these roles would have been better played by a cast of nobodies.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] marthalorusso 8 years ago

The star power here is inappropriate to the story. They're just a distraction

Sort of agree with this. It was really distracting and sorry, unnecessary.

Best acting performances in my opinion:

Anthony Hopkins
Laurence Olivier

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[–] JazzyBee04 11 years ago

I agree with the OP. Laurence Olivier, for me, gives the best performance. I just love the look on his face at the end - surveying all the damage that's been done. Heartbreaking.
Having said that Fox and Hopkins were absolutely excellent!

"The essence of all art is giving pleasure in order to recieve it" - Mikhail Baryshnikov.

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[–] ntvnyr30 11 years ago

Fox and Hopkins in a tossup. Olivier then Connery. Caine was great too. The only American actor worth mentioning was Caan. Maximillian Schell was awesome.

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[–] mam13143 11 years ago

Hopkins and Olivier are good, but the guy I remembered most was Edward Fox. He somehow looked and acted like a British officer through and through, for me anyway.

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[–] tubularbelle2003 11 years ago

I am not a fan of Dirk Bogarde but I think he is superb in this, just the right amount of arrogance for the part.

The Long Walk stops every year, just once.

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[–] Trax-3 10 years ago

Bogarde, Hopkins, Olivier.

Hackman too, though I cannot comment on the authenticity of his Polish accent.

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