There's Great Acting, Then There's Denzel Washington

here we have the character of Frank Lucas a real life Harlem drug dealer who was ruthless in his pursuit of wealth either you're somebody or you nobody be right back having escaped conviction a number of times he's of course incredibly arrogant defiant in the face of the law and in this case officer Richie Roberts portrayed by Russell Crow this is a man who seems obsessed with his image the flashy carard the beautiful women and a constant display of either force or fearlessness let keep going we're I'm back hell NOS I ain't sneaking in my own club now Denzel Washington is aware that no man is truly Invincible they simply put on a mask I don't think any scene captures this more than when Frank is being interrogated I got celebrities I got sports figures I got a harlem Richard here we see a man cornered I'm sure deep down there's a rumbling sense of impending doom but that's not what's portrayed his posture is slouched his expression's a lot more loose and his speech reflects that of a man who's both calm and completely self assured that's pretty good but that's why we go to court is it Richie cuz I got witnesses too as the detective picks away at his defense we see a change in demeanor the posture straightens out the voice grows more Manic and interrogation escalates to threats so we don't mean nothing to me for you to show up tomorrow morning with your head blown off you understand what I'm saying this is a man so used to bending his environment at will that he has trouble accepting a world where he doesn't assert complete control but given how calculated he is reality eventually sets in and we see him return to calmer expressions and more measured responses what can you promise me Richie Denzel Washington performed with a subtlety that seems to draw more focus on the body language than the actual dialogue take the te scene in the third equalizer film this character's movements are so measured that he's meticulous even when he's not on guard but this is just one scene within one movie in one of the most incredible resumés of any actor who's ever lived he is an incredibly interesting human being he's had an amazing life now there are other actors who capture subtlety really well Anthony Hopkins Tilda switon and diola Davis to name a few these actors all have one thing in common a background in theater you don't have to know at 17 what you're going to do the rest of your life so I worked it out and I found my way to theater I really didn't see anybody who looked like me so I didn't aspire to to act in movies Denzel Washington's career began on the Obscure stage at New York's forom University but today he is headlining on Broadway it's like retooling the the lights come up with the curtain goes up and it's an actor's medium on stage the stage demands much more control over your body language and expression questions and unlike film you only get one take it's better to have a large range and not need it than not have it at all you walk out on that stage and you're ready to tell the whole story whereas on film it requires a certain type of patience they often follow the motto of less is more the sharper your skills become and the more control you have over both your senses and expressions the more minimal the delivery now that's not to say You're supposed to deliver every line in a monotone fashion ber ber but real people are often much more reserved rarely are they outwardly expressive regarding their true emotions unless pushed to the extreme what the hell are you doing in my house if you hate me so much this self-preservation can lead main characters to be either passive or forward and in Denzel Washington's case it's mostly the latter forgiveness is between them and God it's my job to arrange the meeting there's a reason he's often cast in high budget Blockbusters where the lead demands both a preserved demeanor and an incredibly intimidating presence I promise someone that I love very much that I would never go back to being that person but for you I'm going to make an exception they can't risk taking on an actor who can't balance both action movies are often full of on liners that are used more so to create a spectacle than to tell an interesting story but when you have well-written films that play more creatively on the action hero Trope you need someone who can get the point across without actually saying much and to the dust we shall return someone who carries a tremendous amount of restraint in his performance take this scene with the Russian gangsters in The Equalizer there's a constant give and take here while the boss delivers his monologue Denzel never breaks eye contact he doesn't even blink the only communication we really get is a small but skeptical head tilt yet as we cut to each individual preparing to arm themselves we get the feeling he's aware of all of it the only time his instincts drop is when he realizes the negotiations are over and the other party shrugs him off this is of course shortlived however this intensity isn't limited to action heroes fences is full of monologues and one of the best depictions of Washington's range and restraint now I don't give you everything I got to give you I give you your life me and your mama worked that out between us and likeing your black ass wasn't part of the bargain and with a ton of prior experience as the character of Troy Maxon this was actually of the three films I've directed the easiest way in because we had performed it 114 times to great success he easily melts into the role Troy is a man who while walking a morally gray tight rope imposes his wisdom and life lessons on everyone around him I just come by to ask you for $10 I don't want to hear all that about how I live boy your mama did a hell of a job raising you despite being plagued by his own troubles both my eyes eyes was full shut I thought I was blind I couldn't see nothing I just laid dead cried he's a victim of his life's circumstances when he delivers a line there's a sense of guilt behind the words now don't you go through life worrying about whether somebody like you or not you best be making sure they're doing right by you it's as if he knows his behavior is wrong but he's too far stuck in his old ways to ever change it's only when he crosses a line he feels he can't come back from does the sympathy be to flow I'm going to be a daddy yeah I'm going to be somebody's daddy these are slight differences in tone and expression yet they make for completely different deliveries as the viewer Denzel wants you to have sympathy towards those with a faulty moral compass these characters often leave you questioning your own judgment take the ending monologue in 2012's flight after an investigation whip Whitaker played by Denzel can no longer hide from the truth he's an alcoholic whose poor head abits end up costing lives while on the stand he does his best to maintain composure but over time we see him start to break because I drank the Vodka he blinks and sweats like that of a man suffering from withdrawals and during the more intense moments we even hear his voice crack because I'm an alcoholic keep in mind these movements are instinctive any break and attention or intrusive thought could disrupt the whole flow of the scene so he has to be constantly in the moment while Denzel is a master of playing a reserved hero or a morally great protagonist we rarely see him as the villain from the beginning American Gangster showed us the true colors of Frank Lucas we saw him as a ruthless businessman who will stop at nothing in his pursuit of wealth and power but what happens when the roles are reversed instead of the dealer you're the cop you want to go to jail you want to go home you want to go to jail you want to go home was not written I I just put that in there almost that whole last scene when I'm screaming at everybody I I made it up just with an equally clouded moral judgment what we initially think though is the complete opposite the film opens with an eager Jake Hoy arriving at a diner to Alonzo Harris a detective content with the comfort of his morning paper he's well dressed clean shaven and his movements seem incredibly measured this is a cop who's clearly seasoned so much so that the rookie can barely maintain composure this seems to irritate Harris at first and as a result that's why I read it because it entertains me you won't let me read it ho grows desperate well there was a DUI stop a DUI stop but then you see a shift in Harris's demeanor frustration turns to eagerness the more the rookie Rambles fully loaded and locked no no so the audience initially views Harris as a man hungry to pass on his guidance when in reality he sees hoit as nothing more than a Mark he's pretending to humor the rookie for the entire Exchange all he really sees is an amateur fit for manipulation in the ending monologue we see Alonzo the real Alonzo on full display I'm the police I run here you just live here shun by his community he seamlessly transitions from a reckless hostility to a Mor manic desperation give me the money Jake give me the money please Jake give me that money oh son of a a hopeless last shot attempt to maintain control even as police Sirens close in these subtle tells are a staple of Denzel's performances he manages to create sympathy for not just the morally great protagonists but the villains as well be it a silent piercing gaze or a powerful monologue he sets a standard that very few either in the present or past have been able to meet it's why he's so extensively studied it's why he's so unanimously praised when he speaks the entire room is silent full of individuals eager to gather any crime comes from the over 50 years of acting wisdom I can say without any reserve we're in the presence of greatness Denzel washingon the Oscar goes to I love my life denzo Washington and hopefully as time passes we get the pleasure of watching him continue that Legacy

Channel: Renzy

Views: 345,882

Keywords: Denzel Washington, Fences, Equalizer, Training Day, American Gangster, Movies, Acting, Actors, Perfect Acting

Id: t-JIYuhPdxg

Length: 10min 23sec (623 seconds)

Published: Fri May 24 2024