The Great Acting Blog: “Complex And Meaningful – Alec Guinness In Last Holiday”
Guinness plays downtrodden salesman, George Bird, who is given only a few weeks to live after being diagnosed with a rare condition called Lampington’s Disease. He decides to enjoy what remaining time he has left, so he quits his job, withdraws all his money from the bank and goes to stay at a swanky seaside resort. While there however, he befriends the wealthy residents and all manner of opportunities are offered to him – he is invited to go into business, he wins money on the horses and he falls in love. Eventually, he discovers that his medical tests had been confused with another patient’s, there is nothing wrong with him after all, it was a mistake. The film is a wonderful example of what British cinema once was, shot beautifully and simply as it is, with wonderful, crisp, generous performances from the cast, who clearly enjoy the witty script by JB Priestley.
Guinness’ performance is a model of quiet intensity, of English stoicism intercut with brief moments of panic and sadness. He conveys the ideas of separation and isolation with dignity and strength – he is heartbreaking, if not a little ironic in scenes where he is about to enjoy himself but then suddenly remembers he is going to die soon. The moments where he reveals the character’s inner pain are brief and judicious, they come about because the character had forgotten his illness and not because Guinness wants to paint him as a victim. It is exactly this refusal of self-pity which renders his performance so moving, so affecting. To deliver these sudden moments of pain require supreme technical control by Guinness, as he expresses them with great intensity before regaining his composure. However, he creates the notion that alarm bells really are ringing inside of him, such is the vividness and truth of his work.
There is a brilliant example too, of how physicality is used by the actor to express big moments. Guinness is informed that he does not in fact have Lampington’s Disease, and that he is not going to die after all, that is was all just a mistake, but how does the actor convey the character’s exhilaration in such a moment? Well, Guinness does it by running through the hotel, through the kitchen, through the dining room, through the lobby, up the stairs and into the arms of Mrs Poole, the one he loves – “It’s all been a mistake! I’m not going to die!” It’s a wonderful moment.
The power of Guinness’ performance lies in it’s restraint, it’s reservation. Guinness is determined to hold it together which means that when he does reveal the character’s inner life, the moment is powerful and meaningful. Such an approach also helps to paint the character’s isolation, and the loneliness that his illness creates within him. Guinness shows us how a controlled, precise acting style helps to create richer meaning and express complex ideas.
