The one movie Gary Oldman called a “masterclass” that never disappoints
To assimilate oneself into the character and inhabit it without even a flicker of misunderstanding from the audience is one of a great actor’s finest skills. When it comes to chameleonic actors, very few, if any, can rival Gary Oldman.
He is one of those rare performers who can disappear into any and every role. From terrifying villains to benevolent, comforting authority figures, Oldman really has done it all and done it all so well that he could routinely be considered one of the greatest actors Britain has ever produced, and the small island has delivered its weight in golden stars.
Oldman has the ability to steal entire movies in just a few minutes. Although he barely has any screen time in JFK, his turn as Lee Harvey Oswald is perhaps the film’s greatest. Even when he’s trapped in terrible films like Hannibal or Red Riding Hood, he always brings his A-game to the screen. It has helped him to become known and beloved for his ability, allowing audiences to know that, even before the first title cards roll, that if Oldman is involved, then a movie will have at least one redeeming factor.
Currently, he’s delivering a completely wonderful performance as Jackson Lamb in Apple TV’s tremendous Slow Horses, but Oldman has revealed that he’s thinking of retiring once he completes the project. It’d be very sad to see him go, but if he does retire soon, he will be leaving behind an indelible legacy, an exceptional filmography filled with wildly different roles, all united by one common thing: the full force of Oldman’s acting talent.
One of Gary Oldman’s most delightfully weird performances (in a career full of them, no less) was as none other than Count Dracula himself in 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Oldman really goes all-out in the role, and this isn’t surprising, for that film’s director was Francis Ford Coppola, of whom Oldman is an enormous fan.
Oldman actually listed three of Coppola’s pictures when discussing his five favourite movies of all time, and he spoke particularly fondly of The Godfather Part II, describing the film as a “masterclass in acting”. That’s a sentiment few would disagree with, for Godfather Part II is absolutely filled with note-perfect performances.
In the lead role, Al Pacino gives what deserves to be remembered as some of the greatest acting in recent history, and the rest of the cast is similarly astonishing. The film also features all-time performances from Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall and John Cazale, the extraordinary and promising actor who died tragically young, only a few years after making this film.
Oldman was effusive about all aspects of the movie, noting that it should be a study piece for any aspiring film industry wannabe: “I just think it’s a masterclass in acting, production design, directing, lighting, composition. I think that if you were a film student, you’ve got — the way he tells the story, it’s masterful storytelling. And it never ever seems to disappoint.”
Godfather Part II is arguably one of the greatest acting showcases in all of cinema, and as such, it’s no surprise to hear of Oldman’s admiration for it. But the picture delivers on all fronts. From the truly beautiful framing, the expert use of subtlety to tell the unfurling story of cinema’s greatest anti-hero, to the passionate scenes that swell and burst into action, Coppola is rightly considered one of the greats, and with the help of his actors, it was this movie that arguably cemented that notion.
