Some big names on the list and a performance many consider to be one of the all time best in George C. Scott. I've seen it and loved it and can't wait to revisit it. The others look interesting but this feels like a race for second place. Let's see how it ends up.
1970 Best Actor
George C. Scott - Patton
When you think of General George S. Patton, do you not think about George C. Scott in full military dress talking in front of a giant American flag? Because I know I do. Scott's performance has become synonymous with Patton himself and that's the mark of an all time classic performance. Scott honestly wins this Oscar just for the opening scene where he addresses the troops. It perfectly captures what the film and Patton are all about. A man that wants the glory but has the talent to back it up, who says what he wants, and respects his troops as long as they fight for him. He's a soldier's soldier. We follow Patton as he starts out in North Africa, goes on to Sicily, is removed from command for slapping a battle fatigued soldier, and then picking back up as he races across Europe. I like that the story focuses intently on Patton and his different episodes throughout the war. We learn about who he is as a person and as an officer leading men into battle. We learn what motivates him and what he doesn't like from his troops. We see how controlled his chaos is and how others view it as reckless. He's a fascinatingly complex individual that Scott has to mine the depths of to show us who this man really is. Yes, he's a rough man born for combat but also deeply intellectual and well versed in history and even a bit religious. Scott wraps all of this up into a nice portrait of a soldier who is alive in the right time at the right place and hampered by those around him who let him have free reign. I do like that we see how Patton's time away from command somewhat changed him to be more in tune with his troops yet still keep his edge. This is simply one of the best acting performances ever that seems to perfectly match the actor with the subject. Scott famously rejected the Oscar because he felt awards shows were just a meat parade but he fully deserves it nonetheless. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now and see what you've been missing out on.
Melvyn Douglas - I Never Sang for My Father
I wasn't a big fan at all with Douglas's second Oscar win in 1979's Being There. So I was definitely curious as to what kind of performance I would get from him in this film. I had never heard of this one before the project and it co-stars Gene Hackman as Douglas's son and the film is about their strained relationship. It's a very acting heavy film and I love those types of stories. Hackman is really terrific as the son but Douglas is equally great as the father. I was so glad that Douglas was able to do something that showcased his talents because I didn't get that the first time around. Now what does bug me about the performance is that I feel like Douglas is more Supporting than Lead, as Hackman is in almost every scene and is the focus of the story. Douglas disappears for some stretches so if you were to flip those two categories, I'd like both performances even more. But I can also see how Douglas ends up in Lead as he has a domineering presence every time he is on screen. Much of that is due to the character being such an overbearing force in the family always somehow relating everything back to himself. And Douglas's character gets a few monologues where he waxes on about some old memory of his life which kind of have this serious tone to them. Some may find those annoying but I didn't, mostly because of Douglas's acting ability. That ability is also why his character has such a dominating presence in the film. I like that Hackman and Douglas go toe to toe with each other without either one trying to one up the other. The two just put on a pure acting showcase that is both of them doing their best on their own so that it works in harmony together. The relationship is emotional and the acting matches that tone and you get some terrific scenes throughout the film. Both characters and actors expose themselves emotionally and it's so rewarding to watch them act it out. The stubborn nature of Douglas's character eventually wins out at the end but the process of getting there is fun to watch. Glad Douglas didn't disappoint me this time around.
James Earl Jones - The Great White Hope
I think many people don't realize that James Earl Jones was a hugely talented and respected actor in his hey day. He is more than a voice from The Lion King or as Darth Vader or of CNN. He's an EGOT winner, having been given an Honorary Oscar a couple years ago. Just an all around great actor in all different mediums. This was his only acting nomination and it's for a role that he won a Tony Award for playing a fictionalized version of legendary heavyweight champion boxer, Jack Johnson. He was hugely popular and also hugely controversial in the early 1900s and this story covers some of that in brief. He had a white woman as a girlfriend which got him in trouble with the law since racism was out in the open back then. That's where the film title comes from as people were looking for the great white hope to defeat the successful black man. We see his success and his downfall as he tried to find fights but couldn't. And then there's the tragic ending that leaves you sad. Jones has such strong charisma in the film and his performance is magnetic. He's got so much energy that he dominates the film and his comfort level in the role is quite evident. His stage role was like training for this moment for him. He's loud and brash and bold and everything you'd expect a heavyweight champion boxer to be like, including being temperamental in his love life. He and Jane Alexander have good chemistry and that makes sense given they had been in the roles for so long. It's a great performance that has it's theatrical moments but also gets to use Jones' physicality. Fun performance to watch and see just where Jones had come from. Shame this was his only Oscar nomination, though.
Jack Nicholson - Five Easy Pieces
This was Nicholson's second nomination and his first for Best Actor. It's weird that I'm coming to the end of my time with Jack because it feels like he's been ever present throughout my whole project. He has three wins and a ton of nominations and I'm almost finished with his amazing output. I had been looking forward to this one for a long time because I didn't really know much about it but people had mentioned it as a classic and a very good performance. You can't ask for much more than that. This is quintessential Nicholson. If you had told me this was his 5th or 6th nomination, I'd believe you. It's absolute Nicholson at the top of his game even though it's earlier in his career. Now, his character is a complete and total asshole. He is a once promising pianist who for whatever reason is now working in a California oil field living with his waitress girlfriend who he constantly cheats on and treats like dirt. It's actually nice to watch him in this role because we don't get all those Nicholson tics that we see in his later performances. The ones where he has that big grin and one raised eyebrow and his yelling lines in his distinctive cadence. This is Nicholson as a pure actor finding himself and delivering some amazing acting. There are those flashes of brilliance and timeless acting like in the highway scene where he plays piano on the back of a truck or in the diner scene where he doesn't get his order of toast fulfilled. Those are the moments where we see what Nicholson would become and the film is nothing but Nicholson. It lives or dies on his performance and he thankfully delivers, allowing for it to be nominated for a few awards. He's also good at showing all the complex relationships in his life with his family and with his girlfriend. My one complaint is that we don't really know who his character is. We don't get that deep dive as to why he's such a raging asshole at times and why he doesn't play the piano professionally and why he steps out on his girlfriend yet drag her along to his family home. We don't get to learn too much about the character other than what we see and I wish that Nicholson would have had a chance to show us the depth to Robert that we know he is more than capable of showing us. It's a good performance that shows you exactly what Nicholson is going to give us for the next few decades and coming up short against George C. Scott isn't a terrible thing.
Ryan O'Neal - Love Story
I hate that I've written three other reviews from this film before doing O'Neal's. But honestly his felt like the hardest to do. I really like O'Neal's other work in Paper Moon and Barry Lyndon. I really enjoyed him in the Kubrick film the most. This film came first, but it's easy to see how much charisma O'Neal exudes. It's effortless for him and he has such a soft quality to his performance which is very necessary to a role like this. He's absolutely an obvious leading man, it sucks that he was such an asshole in real life which prevented more of those roles. But in this film he is so sweet to with MacGraw, even if their courtship is rather unusual. They both insult each other and it goes from there. They continue that tête-à-tête throughout their relationship and give each other shit which is so nice to see. O'Neal is the main focus of the film and he plays the part perfectly. I feel that neither of the leads probably felt like they had anything Oscar worthy but here we are discussing their performances all these years later. I say that to mean O'Neal does nothing flashy with his role to attract attention. He plays it as he sees it, maintaining that simple, yet effective mantra I've talked about. He just does a great job and then it blew up, but O'Neal does everything necessary of his character. He's charming and loving towards his wife and also so delicate to her once he finds out her predicament. His strength is in being able to be all of those things in the same role and the same film. It's honestly a great performance from him even if the film is something that might get looked down upon. He's done great work and that is evident here. Too bad he couldn't capitalize on that.
I love when there's not a bad one in the group. Even better when we have an all time classic performance like Scott's. A well deserved win there. O'Neal is the last place but he still delivers a charming, effective portrayal of a rich guy who loves his woman no matter the circumstances. It's very watchable and not a bad choice here. Douglas surprised me a bit by delivering an emotionally charged performance I wasn't expecting. But I'm glad I got to watch it even if it's maybe more supporting than lead. Nicholson actually places in the middle. I think he's very good and we see what kind of an actor he will become for decades to come but the film kind of meanders and I think he needed more focus as a character. Jones ends up in second place because he is just magnetic and full of energy and gives us an interesting look at a man who defeat the best but who society defeated in return. Cool to see Jones nominated, as well. This ends the 70s for Best Actor and I'm pumped to finally be done and to move on!
Oscar Winner: George C. Scott - Patton
My Winner: George C. Scott - Patton
James Earl Jones
Jack Nicholson
Melvyn Douglas
Ryan O'Neal
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