The Great Acting Blog: “Year 1 Filmography”

As the The Great Acting Blog approaches it’s first birthday, I decided to compile a filmography of all the films mentioned in blogs during that year. As soon as I glanced over the list, I was immediately struck by the number of big hitters not on there – Jean Gabin, Robert De Niro and Emmanuelle Beart immediately sprung to mind. Lists are always fun, and I hope this one may inspire you to watch some of the films on it –  many contain performances which offer an object lesson in how to act, and vary radically in aesthetic, from the frantic emotionalism of Per Oscarsson in Sult, to the cool minimalism of Alain Delon in Le Samourai. However, what they all have in common is the ring of truth.

I’ve listed the film title, followed, in brackets, by the director and the actor focussed on, and then the title of the blog in which the film was mentioned. I always try to encourage dialogue on here, so please feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section below, especially when you feel the film contains performances worthy of note.

The continual viewing of great work inspires us to do better.

1. Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan, Marlon Brando), Love Your Work.

2. Orlando (Sally Potter, Tilda Swinton), Become That Person You’ve Been Looking For .

3. I Am Love (Luca Guadagnino, Tilda Swinton) Become That Person You’ve Been Looking For + 10 Favourite Performances Of 2010.

4. The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (William Dieterle, Charles Laughton), Hunchback.

5. Waiting For Godot (Michael Lindsay-Hogg), Waiting For Godot.

6. Hoffa (Danny DeVito, Jack Nicholson), Singlemindedf**koffedness.

7. Krapp’s Last Tape (Atom Egoyan, John Hurt), Mr Hurt.

8. The Hit (Stephen Frears, John Hurt), Mr Hurt.

9. Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch, John Hurt), Mr Hurt.

10.The Limits Of Control (Jim Jarmusch), Mr Hurt.

11. 44 Inch Chest (Malcolm Venville), Mr Hurt.

12. The Proposition (John Hillcoat), Mr Hurt.

13. You Can Count On Me (Lonergan, Mark Ruffalo), Commitment.

14. L’Eclisse (Michelangelo Antonioni, Alain Delon), Alain Delon.

15. Le Samourai (Jean-Pierre Melville, Alain Delon), Alain Delon.

16. Strangers On A Train (Alfred Hitchcock), From Fake Independence To A True Artistic Culture.

17. Shadow Of A Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock), From Fake Independence To A True Artistic Culture.

18. Cyrano De Bergerac (Michael Gordon, Jose Ferrer), Work For Your Own Satisfaction.

19. Sult (Henning Carlson, Per Oscarsson), This Then That, + My 10 Favourite Performances Of 2010.

20. Down Terrace (Ben Wheatley, Robin Hill), The Exhilaration Of Creation, + My 10 Favourite Performances Of 2010.

21. M (Fritz Lang, Peter Lorre), My 10 Favourite Performances Of 2010.

22. The Headless Woman (Lucrecia Martel, Maria Ornetto) My 10 Favourite Performances 2010

23. Dogtooth (Giorgos Lanthimos, Christos Stergioglou) My 10 Favourite Performances 2010

24. The Cremator (Juraj Herz, Rudolf Hrusinsky), My 10 Favourite Film Performances 2010

25. Distant Lives, Still Voices (Terrence Davies, Pete Postlethwaite) My 10 Favourite Film Performances 2010

26. The Ape (Jesper Ganslandt, Olle Sarri), My 10 Favourite Film Performances 2010

27. Le Mepris (Jean-Luc Godard, Michel Piccoli), The Discreet Madness Of Michel Piccoli.

28. Le Doulos (Jean-Pierre Melville, Michel Piccoli), The Discreet Madness Of Michel Piccoli

29. Jardins En Automne (Otar Iosseliani, Michel Piccoli), The Discreet Madness Of Michel Piccoli.

30. La Belle Noiseuse (Jacques Rivette, Michel Piccoli), The Discreet Madness Of Michel Piccoli.

31. Les Noces Rouge (Claude Chabrol, Michel Piccoli), The Discreet Madness Of Michel Piccoli.

32. Les Chose De La Vie (Claude Sautet, Michel Piccoli), The Discreet Madness Of Michel Piccoli.

33. The Diary Of A Chambermaid (Luis Bunuel, Michel Piccoli), The Context And It’s Work.

34. A Single Man (Tom Ford, Colin Firth), Gobbledegook?.

35. The English Patient (Anthony Mingella, Colin Firth), Gobbledegook?.

36. Tyrannosaur (Paddy Considine), Actor-Filmmakers.

37. Walkover (Jerzy Skolimowski), Actor-Filmmakers.

38. Love Is Colder Than Death (Rainer Werner Fassbinder), Actor-Filmmakers.

39. Faces (John Cassavetes), Actor-Filmmakers.

40. Touch Of Evil (Orson Welles), Actor-Filmmakers.

41. Hannah & Her Sisters (Woody Allen).

42. The Crossing Guard (Sean Penn), Actor-Filmmakers.

43. Nil By Mouth (Gary Oldman), Actor-Filmmakers.

44. Orphans (Peter Mullan), Actor-Filmmakers.

45. Night Of The Hunter (Charles Laughton), Actor-Filmmakers.

46. Hannah-Bi (‘Beat’ Takeshi), Actor-Filmmakers.

47. The Liar (Mika Kaurismaki, Aki Kaurismaki), Actor-Filmmakers.

48. A Nos Amour (Maurice Pialat), Actor-Filmmakers.

49. Blast Of Silence (Allen Baron), Actor-Filmmakers.

50. The Unloved (Samantha Morton), Actor-Filmmakers.

51. God’s Comedy (Joao Cesar Monteiro), Actor-Filmmakers.

52. Closure Of Catharsis (Rouzbeh Rashidi, James Devereaux), First Response.

53. The Birth Of The Goalie Of The 2001 FA Cup (Mike Leigh), Never Compromise.

54. Late Spring (Yashujiro Ozu, Chishu Ryu), Chishu Ryu In Late Spring.

55. My Name Is Joe (Ken Loach, Peter Mullan), Peter Mullan In My Name Is Joe – Acting Is Poetry.

56. Army Of Shadows (Jean
-Pierre Melville, Lino Ventura), The Ventura Conundrum.

57. Le Deuxieme Souffle (Jean-Pierre Melville, Lino Ventura), The Ventura Conundrum.

58. Touchez Pas Au Grisbi (Jacques Becker, Lino Ventura), The Ventura Conundrum.

59. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (Mike Hodges, Charlotte Rampling), Charlotte Rampling’s Example.

60. Paranoic (Freddie Francis, Oliver Reed), Enjoy Your Work.

61. The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (Carl Theodore Dreyer, Maria Falconetti) The Face Of Great Acting.

62. Victim (Basil Dearden, Dirk Bogarde), Symptom Of A Lie.

63. The Servant (Joseph Losey, Dirk Bogarde), Symptom Of A Lie.

64. The Accident (Joesph Losey, Dirk Bogarde), Symptom Of A Lie.

65. The Night Porter (Liliana Cavani, Dirk Bogarde), Symptom Of A Lie.

66. The Damned (Luchino Visconti, Dirk Bogarde), Symptom Of A Lie.

67. Death In Venice (Luchino Visconti, Dirk Bogarde), Symptom Of A Lie.

68. Devil & The Deep (Marion Goring, Charles Laughton), Exclude The Meaningless.