Written in the Stars?
In Richard Dyer’s “From Stars” he discusses how the body language and expressions from an actor/actress relates to the film in which they are performing. He says that “performance” is much more than just acting out lines and actions that are given to them. It has to do with gestures concerning voice, facial expressions, posture and so on. This is something that I find extremely vital. When viewing a film, i feel that although the setting, camera movements and lighting do play an important part, if the person within all of this is not believable, it can change the overall feel of the film. For instance, characters are written with a personality on mind. This than transcends onto the screen within the relations between all of the personalities being portrayed. A good example is that of posture. If a performer is slouching, they come off as uncomfortable and maybe weak in a way. This is can alter a character if they are meant to be the strong and outgoing. Same with facial expressions. If we see facial motions that are not believable to the action taking place, we will leave the film unsatisfied saying the “acting was bad”. It could ruin a film. What Dyer says that I disagree with at points, is that he says sometimes the performance has nothing to do with a film. Using the film “Queen Christina” as an example. She is at the point of her life where everything is a mess but yet has no facial expression. The setting is what makes the scene. This could have worked in this case but for the most part I believe you need to feel what the character is feeling at that point to give the viewer a deeper connection with the film. Dyer then goes into explaining how actors such as John Wayne always had the same performance regarding whatever film they were in. This is the only exception I feel. John Wayne is hired in terms for the “westerns”. Its his star quality that landed him these roles because this is what he is most believable at. In recent times a good example is Kate Hudson. She is prone to taking bubble romantic comedies. This is what we believe her as considering this is what she appears to be in “real life”, however films such as those are not meant to get you connected. They are massly produced and for short term enjoyment. But considering she is a “performer” we see her bubbly persona transform into the calm, cool, infamous groupie Penny Lane in “Almost Famous” which makes us somehow forget her usual roles. In my opinion, it is the performance, coinciding with the type of film, which makes it something remarkable in terms of cinema.
