The delicate masterpiece Gary Oldman can’t ignore: “Just exquisite”
Some actors can be easily typecast into specific roles; just look at someone like Michael Cera, who will forever play an awkward young man, no matter his age, or John Wayne, who could only ever play a cowboy or police officer. Yet, on the other side of the coin is someone like Gary Oldman, an acting chameleon who has the ability to play any character he sets his mind on.
No matter if he’s playing a snarling villain, like in Luc Besson’s 1994 film Léon: The Professional or the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in his Oscar-winning Darkest Hour performance, Oldman has been thrilling audiences ever since the early 1980s. While he made his official film debut in 1982’s Remembrance, he became known in cinematic circles one year after bringing Mike Leigh’s Meantime to life alongside Tim Roth.
Ever since his inception into the film industry, Oldman has helped to create some of the most beloved movies of the modern era, including Tony Scott’s True Romance, penned by Quentin Tarantino, and Christopher Nolan’s 2008 superhero sequel, The Dark Knight. Such barely scratches the surface of his contributions to cinema, however, being one of the busiest stars of modern Hollywood.
Despite his immense versatility on screen, Oldman has never lost sight of the craft that underpins great filmmaking. His performances may vary wildly in tone and style, but they are rooted in a deep appreciation for storytelling and the subtle choices that elevate a character beyond the page.
That same appreciation extends to the films he admires. Rather than gravitating solely towards grand, showy performances, Oldman often highlights works that prioritise atmosphere, perspective and emotional nuance—qualities that have clearly influenced his own approach to acting over the years.
But, much like all the best actors, Oldman is himself a student of cinema with a list of his own all-time favourites.
Among his carefully selected picks of favourites, that includes a trio of Francis Ford Coppola flicks, Oldman opted for Terrence Malick’s 1973 film Badlands, starring Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen. “I love Badlands,” he stated, “Because, I think, I like the interior — I love the story told through Sissy Spacek’s character. I think the telling of it is delicate. It’s just exquisite, that sense of the relationship seen through her; as if she’s telling one story and we’re witnessing another”.
Recognised as one of Malick’s most seminal pieces of cinema, Badlands is an American epic that tells the story of Kit, a greaser who leads a young girl on a killing spree through South Dakota while falling in love with her in the process. An analysis of how popular culture influences young lives, Badlands is a cruel dissection of the American Dream that exposes a lesser-discussed truth about the national culture.
Take a look at the trailer for Malick’s beloved movie, Badlands, in the trailer below, and delve into Oldman’s favourite film from the mind of one of America’s greatest-ever filmmakers.
