Julie Christie and Film Frodo: strong faces for strong emotions.

[mechtild]

~*~

Back in April, I wrote an illustrated post about how film Frodo reminded me of young Audrey Hepburn. I didn’t mean that they were identical twins or that Frodo looked like a woman, but I thought they shared an aura, a quality, a “look”. In this post I am drawing comparisons between Elijah Wood's Frodo and another actress.

Comments

[shirebound]

That's amazing! I love these comparisons.

(And I was just thinking about her the other day, when I was reminded of a scary movie called "Demon Seed" I saw her in years and years ago.)

[mechtild]

Oooh, you saw "Demon Seed"? Was it very good? I've never seen it, only heard of it.

Thanks for stopping in, Shirebound. :)

[shirebound]

I thought it was a fascinating movie... very chilling, yet very thought-provoking.

[mechtild]

I looked it up in our library holdings. Although our system hasn't got it, I see that they do in Minneapolis and I can request it through interlibrary loan. Woo hoo! (I placed a request.) Thanks for the rec, Shirebound.

[lijahlover]

Thank you for these how lovely.

[mechtild]

You are welcome!

[mechtild]

I thought Cate was *fantastic* as Galadriel, and totally right, I agree. Too bad about her "nuclear" scene, but that was not her choice, I am betting. She did what she had to do well, though. I think she's a fantastic actress and screen presence anyway. I went to see the newer Elizabeth movie when I was visiting Jan in LA last fall and I just ate her up in it. The rest of the cast could sit down and polish their nails and wait.

Christie was always fascinating to me. Maybe I had a little crush on her, like JRD. Or Frodo towards Goldberry. It's not erotic, quite, but I find myself, like Gimli and Mr. Baggins, sort of enchanted.

I think Keira Knightley is awfully good, but somehow I just can't like her enough; she isn't that sympathetic on screen, even when she's playing the heroine. Maybe it's her pugnacious jaw working against her. She just always looked ... opposed ... to everything, even if only underneath. In some ways she reminds me of young Winona Ryder in terms of her "look" and what she plays, but Ryder comes across

[mechtild]

Pouts and wrinkly-nosed laughs? That's a technique? Then her technique equals her mannerisms. But I suppose if the mannerisms appealed to me I'd be won over. I like Hugh Grant very much, and he certainly has mannerisms.

Ah, Kate. I should see more of her films. I've been impressed by every performance I've seen of hers. Even when I think she hasn't been perfectly cast in a particular role, she's got such honesty, and nerve and grit, I always buy her performance.

[rakshi]

As always, your post is a delight. I love this comparison. And I think your philosophy about how Elijah learned to adapt and fit in to every team he's been part of is fascinating.

Thank you.

Love....

[mechtild]

Hi, Rakshi, thanks for stopping by!

I think your philosophy about how Elijah learned to adapt and fit in to every team he's been part of is fascinating.

Well, I've got to thank John Rhys Davies for that. Without having read his remarks on the topic, I would never have thought to apply them to EW. :)

[not_alone]

What a fascinating post, Mechtild. How observant of you to see the similarities in Elijah's and Julie Christie's acting and, having it pointed out to me, I can certainly see what you mean. Incidentally, 'Dr Zhivago' is one of my favourite films - I thought JC was wonderful in it:) The two quotes from your post below express perfectly, and beautifully, what I love most about Elijah's acting - it's a pity more film critics don't seem to appreciate this:)

"What they share, to me, is an emotionality that exploits their capacity for facial expressiveness that is at once subtle and intense."

"these actors are called upon to play intensely felt emotions that are at war with each other, emotions conveyed almost without dialogue or dramatic action, simply by letting their characters' internal thoughts and feelings emerge on their faces, moving across them like light and shadow over an unsettled landscape."

And I'm sure your observations about Elijah's life as a 'transplant' are spot-on too:)

[mechtild]

Hi, Not Alone. I take your words as a true compliment. Your own series shows how much you are invested in--and knowledgable in--the matter of Frodo's portrayal!

I loved "Dr. Zhivago", too. I saw it when it came out, back when such films had actual intermissions and souvenir programs were sold, as if one were seeing a Broadway musical. It played at the premiere theatre in Washington D. C., a huge theatre, a "movie palace", built in the 30's, probably--very grand. I'll bet it's been made into a hotel if not a multi-multi-mulitplex by now. I even bought the soundtrack album to extend the pleasure, since one couldn't see films over and over like we could later on, first on tapes and then DVD's. It was epic and gorgeous and involving, and I loved all the characters. When I wasn't crushing on Julie's acting, I was crushing on Tom Courtenay's Pavlo Antipova (Strelnikov). I thought he was super and continued to follow his career after that.