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©2002-2024
Kevin Michael Vance
Writer - Portland, Oregon
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Title: An ode to Kurt Russell… the actor. - Non Review
Director: N/A
Year: N/A
Reviewed: July 01, 2003
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Four Course Meal-Highest Rating |
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"An ode to Kurt Russell… the actor."
Oh… would that I had the words to describe Kurt Russell and his awe-inspiring career.
"Kurt Russell," you say with a mixture of repugnance and scorn.
Yes. Kurt-fuckin'-Russell!
You know him from a myriad of incarnations: the irreverent Snake Plissken in "Escape from New York", the silent but stalwart R.J. Macready in "The Thing", the insouciant, wise-crackin' Jack Burton in "Big Trouble in Little China", the officious and intense Lieutenant Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey in "Back Draft", the terrifying, yet lovable Wyatt Earp in "Tombstone", and one of my recent favorites the sometimes strong, sometimes weak, imperfect Eldon Perry in "Dark Blue".
These are only but a taste of a career which has spanned over five decades and more than fifty films. If only I could be half as lucky with my own gentle urgings, not only would I be a successful and wealthy writer, but I'd be damn proud too.
I know what your sayin' right now. "Wasn't he in 'Captain Ron', and that other stupid movie… what was it? Oh yah! 'Over Board'!" Yes he was. And yah… those were ridiculous films. However, I say to you, Robert Deniro, a man some people consider to be the greatest American film actor alive to date, was featured in a little known shit-pile of a movie entitled, "Bull Winkle, or Bull Winkle's Revenge, or some other just as asinine title". So, just because you're in one, or even two bad movies, doesn't mean you are not one of the greatest actors alive.
I still hear ya', loud and clear. You don't have to shout. "Kurt Russell one of the greatest actors alive. Well… that sure is a bold statement Kevin."
Well, yes and no.
"The Thing", due in large part to Kurt's utterly remarkably understated performance is quite literally one of the top five horror movies ever made. His scenes in "Tombstone" and "Escape from New York" veritably burn off the screen. As do performances in simple films like "Executive Decision" and "Break Down"; where Kurt plays the "every-day" man with a subtlety and brilliance that other, more recognized and more egotistical actors, would fumble and in the end destroy in a vain effort to portray "themselves".
I say to you dear friends that Kurt is one of the greatest character actors in the world, a bold statement… maybe, but this does not make it any less true. It's why you never consider him when considering Oscar nominations. It's the sole reason he remains to the untrained, simply a low-budget -B- movie actor. Russell literally melts, seamlessly, into his part, until you don't see Kurt any longer, you only see the character he is playing. Actors like Cristopher Walken and Al Pacino no longer act; instead, they prefer to play over-inflated characters of what they perceive themselves to be. Now, don't get me wrong, if there's one thing I don't mind it's watching Walken act like Walken. His scene in "True Romance" with Dennis Hopper is one of the greatest scenes ever filmed. But… it's not acting. Furthermore, Kurt Russell is one of a very few actors who can perform without lines, playing the part of a soldier or a renegade or a simple man thrown into a complicated situation all through his eyes. Not many men, or women can do this.
Lastly, if you haven't see "Dark Blue". Just see it. Stop being ignorant and thinking, "look it's 'Gabriel Cash' from 'Tango and Cash'", and start realizing that Kurt Russell is, for lack of a much, much better phrase, a great American treasure.
So think about Kurt Russell next time your perusing the video aisle. Any one of these films is worth a glimpse- BACK DRAFT, TOMBSTONE, EXECUTIVE DECISION, BREAK DOWN, STAR GATE, THE THING, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, DARK BLUE, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.
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