Leading Actor 1972

Man, just look at the names on this list! Heavy hitters all the way down and then Paul Winfield. Nothing against Winfield, but he is the clear outlier. I haven't seen his performance so hopefully he can at least stack up against the others.

1972 Best Actor

Marlon Brando - The Godfather

What can I really say about this performance that hasn't already been said? Honestly, you know all the beats of this one even if you've never seen the film. And if you've never seen the film, what the hell are you waiting for exactly? It's a classic and considered one of the greatest of all time for a reason. Part of that reason is Brando's Don Vito Corleone, one of the most iconic performances of all time. You might remember it as a caricature of itself, but guaranteed it's way better than you remember it to be. I say that because we've seen all the parodies and sketches and heard all the stories surrounding his performance. But Brando is fantastic, which is to be expected since he's one of the best actors ever and full disclosure, one of my favorites. His Vito is so calming and so assured that you understand immediately that this man has immense power and he doesn't need to shout or fight or go crazy to wield it. That's what makes his performance so good for me, he's this cool, calm, and collected guy who gets shit done. He makes the performance look effortless but you know he did a lot to come up with Vito, including the putting cotton balls in his mouth for the puffy cheeked, raspy voiced aesthetic. I think the one big issue that people could pose about this nomination and win is that it might not be the actual lead lead of the film. Al Pacino is unquestionably a lead and you could argue the most important part of the story and he was curiously not nominated for the lead in this film, instead being nominated in Best Supporting Actor. I'm okay with the placement here for Brando, however. He's lead, if not the lead, but dominates all his scenes and kinda hangs over the film when he's not there. Not much else to say besides Brando is so damn good here. This is easily one of the most iconic performances of all time and he fully deserves his win and nomination. He's great and he's my vote.

Michael Caine - Sleuth

Oh man, this is such a fun film to watch! I am glad the two leads are back to back in this list because it will make it way easier to talk about. Caine and Olivier are literally the only two actors who appear in the film even though there is a cast list in the opening credits. Those other names are all fake and portrayed by these two guys. The gist of the film is Olivier is a famous detective/mystery writer who invites over Caine to help him stage a burglary to then benefit from the insurance payout. But instead Olivier knows Caine is banging his wife and is really setting Caine up to be murdered and make it look justified by staging the burglary. That's all before the first half even ends. It keeps going with twist after twist as we see both of these acting legends try to outsmart the other in the story. We also see these two acting titans go toe to toe as they gleefully show off their acting abilities in their own unique ways. It's based off a play and it's just awesome to watch these two act with one another on screen for two plus hours. It never gets tiring or old or grating. The best of Caine is what's on display and we watch him run the gamut of all the emotions while being his usually charming and funny self. If you like Caine, you'll love this. And if you don't like Caine, you might actually like this because his quirks and distinct voice are more subdued. Not much else to say about the performance other than it's just really fun to watch both of these men go at it. The film is highly enjoyable and the twists keep you glued to the story to see how it all plays out. It's a strong performance that if by itself might have actually had a chance to win.

Laurence Olivier - Sleuth

Read everything above for Michael Caine and apply it to Sir Olivier as well. That could be my whole review because it aptly applies. And really the two performances are mostly the same. That's not a bad thing, it's just the nature of their roles. The two go back and forth of being the domineering one in charge with the upper hand to being on the opposite side and acting out the emotions that come with that responsibility. It's awesome to watch an actor do his thing so well with such ease. You see why Olivier is considered one of the greatest ever because he can be as entertaining in this flick as he can be dramatic in all his Shakespeare adaptations. I feel there are times you will kinda dislike Olivier and then be on his side right after and that shows his level of talent and how he can control our emotions through his acting. It's wonderful to watch in action and I do recommend watching this film for the masterclass these two men put on. It's really hard to single out one over the other because they are both so intertwined with each other. They play off whatever the other is doing and roll with what the story needs from them. So it's hard to choose one over the other and so it's impossible to say one could be a winner. If they tied, I'd completely understand and be all for it. But it's just nice to be able to watch these two guys entertain the hell out of us.

Peter O'Toole - The Ruling Class

This is an insane performance in the best possible way. And if you watch this performance and end up not completely loving it and Peter O'Toole, I don't even want to talk to you. O'Toole doesn't appear until about 20 minutes in, but boy, when he does it's a magnificent and grand entrance that is absolutely ridiculous and hilarious. I was legit laughing out loud as soon as he appeared and wasn't prepared for everything O'Toole would deliver after that. The story is essentially O'Toole becomes the new Lord of an English manor or whatever but the wrinkle is that he fully believes he is God/Jesus Christ. When he first shows up he looks exactly like Jesus and spouts off all this loving, scripture-like mumbo jumbo and makes it entertaining as hell. The other characters all react like you'd assume, thinking he's crazy and plotting to remove him as the new Lord. This continues for awhile and O'Toole even marries a girl who the others want to try to turn him but she falls for him. And then (spoilers) O'Toole is confronted by another self confessed God and they kinda battle it out when both are clearly nuts and the shrink hopes this will wake up O'Toole. He changes but then (more spoilers) starts to think he is Jack the Ripper and actually murders a woman but blames his butler. It's every bit as ridiculous as it sounds and it's only because O'Toole is such a great actor that he keeps this film from going completely off the rails. It's a film and a performance that only someone like O'Toole could pull off without it being too over the top to the point where instead of actively despising how stupid it is you end up laughing at the ridiculous nature of the role. The film itself is a very dark comedy in the oh so British way that pokes fun at the stuffy ruling class (hence the title) and highlights how ridiculous the Lords are and how out of touch they have to be to allow O'Toole to dictate laws in the country. He gives a fiery speech about bringing back capital punishment and the other Lords eat it up. It's very of the times but allows for a wonderful O'Toole performance. It's great to see him go from the Christ-like figure to the dark and violent Jack the Ripper incarnation. The performance isn't just theatrics as O'Toole layers everything to mean more than just what we see. It's a really fun performance to watch and makes you wonder just how he never was able to win an Oscar.

Paul Winfield - Sounder

You look at the names on this list and it's acting royalty all the way down and then Paul Winfield. Not a put down, just one of those moments where most people will have never heard of his name or anything he's done. So this category should be a good way to introduce Winfield to the general public as everyone looks to see who this fifth spot belongs to. Or at least that's my thinking when I see his name on this list. Winfield was one of the first black Best Actor nominees (third officially) and so I went into this hoping to find a hidden gem. I guess what I ultimately found instead was a cubic zirconia. By that I mean it's an alright performance but it doesn't stand up to the other diamonds you find in this category. The reason is because Winfield isn't in the film all that much. Sounder is about a boy and his little slice of life with his dog. Winfield plays the father and has some scenes in the beginning where we see he is a stern father but also warm and caring and just trying to provide for his family. Winfield does what is necessary for the role and does a fine job, but it's not anything you'll be itching to re-watch later. Winfield then steals some food to feed his family and is sent to a prison work camp for most of the middle of the film and returns right near the end. His return scene is actually pretty iconic and is probably something people have seen before without even knowing what film it's actually from. It's an emotional scene that Winfield plays wonderfully and maybe that was enough to get him nominated. It ends with him just going about life after getting released and being a father and mentor to his son. Standard stuff done well but nothing that is going to make you want it to get nominated or win, unfortunately. Winfield comes off as a solid actor who doesn't have much to work with in the film but gives it his all and gets a nomination out of it. I actually really enjoyed the son's performance more since the film is about him and allows the kid to do more acting. A solid fifth place nomination here.



No offense to Paul Winfield, but he's the odd man out. And after watching his performance, I scratch my head as to how he was included in this group. It's cool a black man was nominated when that wasn't happening even in the early 70's but I need a little more substance in my performances. The rest, though, are all very good to great. O'Toole in 4th only because he might not be everyone's cup of tea and because the others are all even better. But it's tough to beat those three. It's also tough to separate Olivier and Caine as they are so intertwined in their performances you can't choose one over the other. It would be even harder to pick a winner if Brando wasn't in the group, so it's good he's in this one. I love Brando, though, so I'm sure some will not like his smaller role and how often imitated it has become. It's a classic, though, and he's my easy winner. A very good all around category again this year.

Oscar Winner: Marlon Brando - The Godfather
My Winner:  Marlon Brando - The Godfather
Michael Caine
Laurence Olivier
Peter O'Toole
Paul Winfield