Can someone explain to me why Walken won an Oscar for his performance in the Deer Hunter? He is on screen for about 20% of the film and only speaks 15 sentences, ten of which are inaudible! Don't get me wrong, he played the role well but surprised that he won the Oscar. Does anyone know who the other nominees were?
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The only ones I haven't seen was COMES A HORSEMAN.
In order I would pick:
1) Bruce Dern
2) John Hurt
3) Walken
4) Jack Warden gave the same ol' Jack Warden performance.
Walken's performance makes this movie...maybe that is why?
shareIt's spelled MELLON!!!!!
shareBecause a great performance doesn't hinge on how many lines a character has. Nick is the emotional core of the film. That calm, introspective and gentle guy who spontaneously asks his girlfriend to marry him, the guy who was scared of being "left over there," is completely and utterly annihilated by the war. Which is, of course, the point of the film. That in war, there are no survivors. Nick never left the POW camp. Nick was my favorite character for the whole first hour, just because of how kind he is, fun-loving, and his love of hunting just for the simple fact that he likes the trees and the mountains. For all that to be destroyed is devastating. The point of the movie falls apart without Nick, and Walken plays his innocence up at the beginning to perfection. And from the first roulette game (where he meets the French guy), to the end of the film, Walken destroys that innocence with equal perfection.
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Great post!
I agree, I don't get it either. I liked him in the movie, but I don't think he made the film. I actually liked DeNiro's performance better and think he deserved an Oscar. As for supporting actor, Jack Warden was superb in Heaven Can Wait.
shareIt was a stunning performance, one of the best deserved Oscars nods I recall.
shareI saw the film twice, first in 1980 (at a repertory cinema) and then again in about 1984 on video.
I never understood all the acclaim for Walken in this. His fine but hardly Oscar worthy. For me the standout in the film is John Savage.
Of the nominated actors I would have voted for Bruce Dern in Coming Home.
I am going to watch The Deer Hunter tomorrow night. It will be interesting to see how it holds up.
It was a stunning performance, one of the best deserved Oscars nods I recall.
It's flawed, but the film still holds as a Masterpiece of American film making.
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Haven't seen Farnsworth or Warden's performances; but of the other 3, I feel that Walken was a good choice. Looks like it was a strong year for support males and any could have been considered deserving.
Yes, the film could be considered flawed in parts, (if only for the misguided representation of Russian Roulette, being seen as the true horror of Vietnam); but I find this to be a minor quibble. It was a focused character study and profound drama and while most of them could be considered redneck jerks, they are still human and real enough, to be interesting. Not that I would care to hang out with these guys.
Hopkins won a best supporting Oscar for his very fleeting (but effective) performance in Silence of the Lambs - he holds the record for winning it with the least time spent on the screen.
Personally I very rarely agree with the academy when it comes to best supporting actor/ess & it's the same for the main awards.
Hopkins won a best supporting Oscar for his very fleeting (but effective) performance in Silence of the Lambs
Walken got the Oscar because he cried like a bitch when called on to do so in the film.
shareDidn't watch any other of the nominated movies.But ,I was most impressed with Wlaken,much more than De Niro I'd say
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