Bill r., over at The Kind of Face You Hate, tagged me for this one. I like memes, and found this one a particular pleasure to do. It apparently originated at FilmSquish, but Fox contracted it from the ever-ebullient Nathan R.
1. Cabiria (Giulietta Masina, Nights of Cabiria) lights up Fellini’s film with her thousand-watt smile. She is naturally exuberant, likely to break out into a little jig at any moment, and heart-breakingly vulnerable at the same time. All she wants is a bit of security and love, which describes the great majority of people after all, and it becomes kind of an every-woman/man role that Masina hits out of the park.
2. Boudu (Michel Simon, Boudu Saved From Drowning) One of the most confounding characters in the history of cinema. As played by Simon, he’s ambiguous, frustrating, and obnoxious. In one fell swoop he tears up the fabric of a bourgeois bookseller’s life. The subject of the last TOERIFC extravaganza, note in the discussion the uncertainty as to the nature of his “problem,” and his character.
3. Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung/Gong Li) (Days of Being Wild, In the Mood for Love, 2046) A recurring character in Wong Kar Wai’s loose trilogy, she is played by Maggie Cheung in all three and Gong Li as well in the third. We see her as a young woman rejected by Yuddy (Leslie Cheung) in Days of Being Wild, as a bottled-up, marriage-scarred wife in In the Mood for Love and then, in 2046, as but a memory, an image in the mind of lead character Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai).
4. Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud, The 400 Blows) We follow the character through five films, but it is here in this seminal New Wave classic that he first came into view, and it’s the best of the lot. Perhaps the most affecting film about growing up ever made, The 400 Blows was an instant hit that made both Léaud and director François Truffaut, upon whose experiences Antoine is based, celebrities.
5. Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) A textbook example of how to steal a movie. Whenever Maria Elena hits the screen, VCB — already a pretty good film — takes off. She redefines the fiery latina stereotype, putting real teeth into her boozing, chain-smoking ways. As the woman who can’t live with or without Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), Cruz gives her real pathos and vulnerability. Plus, the scenes between them are smoking hot.
6. Old Lodge Skins (Chief Dan George, Little Big Man) Dustin Hoffman’s “grandfather” in Arthur Penn’s classic film about the exploitation and extermination of the folks who were occupying our country when we got here. Teetering on the stereotypical “Wise Indian Father,” it is saved from falling over the brink by George’s twinkling, deadpan performance. Sometimes the magic works …
7. Maxine Lund (Catherine Keener, Being John Malkovich) With a smile like a shark on acid and killer legs, Maxine uses poor Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) and wraps him around her little finger, and other various body parts, before abandoning him for his frumpy wife Lotte (Cameron Diaz), at least when she’s inside John Malkovich’s head. Or something. The plot doesn’t really matter too much, just seeing the glorious Maxine is enough.
8. Barton Fink (John Turturro, Barton Fink) Perhaps the most maddening of the Coen brothers’ rogue’s gallery; there is not a thing to like about Barton Fink. He is egotistical, narcissistic and not a very good writer who thinks he’s the greatest thing since Arthur Miller. The scenes between him and Charlie Meadows (John Goodman) are among the most excruciatingly funny scenes in the Coen canon, as Barton wants to talk about only himself and Charlie fights to remain polite, and get a word in edgewise. It actually makes you feel sorry for the serial killer that Charlie turns out to be.
9. The Woman from the Cemetery (Henriette Gérard, Vampyr) For my money, the creepiest vampire on celluloid. She looks like somebody’s grandmother, for Pete’s sake. Although she’s not on-screen a lot, she makes the most of it when she is. Dreyer’s camera catches her obliquely at first, then she is revealed full-on as she prepares poison for one of the other characters. Makes me shudder just to think about it.
10. Kambei Shimada/Kanji Watanabe (Takashi Shimura, Seven Samurai and Ikiru) As a man dying of stomach cancer, Shimura almost defines mousy dull. Then a complete reverse — as the wise leader of Akira Kurosawa’s seminal action film, he provides a moral center for the sometimes motley group. I realize that this is cheating, and that it’s supposed to be about the characters, but sue me: I can’t decide which of Shimura’s performances I like best. Lord, what an actor!
Ok, that was fun. Now I have to tag five more. I tag: Miranda Wilding, Joe Campanella, Pat, Piper, and Kimberly, though I’m sure by now she’s been tagged.
RSS 2.0
Did someone call my name…?
*shakes blonde mane*
Oh, I AM SO THERE…
Awesome list, Rick. Believe me, I’m grateful. I’ve almost run though my list of things to post.
This will be so much fun. Just wait until my readers get a gander at this.
Thanks a bunch. You’re so very generous…
Great list Rick. Good to see some more female characters, mainly lacking from most of the lists I’ve seen. Except Jarvis that is! 6 out of 10, including the entire top four!
He is egotistical, narcissistic and not a very good writer who thinks he’s the greatest thing since Arthur Miller
Not anymore, Lil…it’s early.
Don’t think I didn’t consider Fink in place of Tom Reagan on my own list. Barton Fink is one of my favorite films, as it’s so many, many things at one time, and it’s completely successful as each. What a wonderful nutjob of a movie.
Your welcome, Miranda. Looking forward to seeing it.
Greg, that Jarvis! A machine ahead of his time! But pay no attention to that message I left him over at the Invisible Edge … it’s for his ears, uh, grill, uh … whatever, only.
Bill, Fink is one of my faves as well, certainly my favorite Coen brothers.
I calculated the same kinds of things, like which Coen character to put on, etc. I was going to put two femme fatales on, and couldn’t decide which one, and I ended up putting Maxine Lund on instead.
Wonderful choices throughout, and diversity in genre and period too!
How did I know that BOUDOU would make it on there?
Some others that you might have though of after these excellent ones: Max Shreck in NOSFERATU, Rene Falconetti in PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, Robert Donat in GOODBYE MR. CHIPS, Javier Bardem in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, Takashi Shimura in IKIRU, Danielle Derreoux in MADAME DE, and perhaps the most iconic of all Charles Chaplin in CITY LIGHTS. But hey, your choices need no alternatives, I just wanted to join in the fun.
Actually you did have Shimura as a continuation of #10. Sorry about that.
Sam, consider yourself tagged … you can join in the fun officially, if you want …
Love Max Shreck, Rene Falconetti and etc., unfortunately, there were only 10, though as you noted, I squeezed in two characters for Shimura.
Hi! Rick,
Great! “picks”
1.Cabiria (Giulietta Masina, Nights of Cabiria)This is next on my list…
2.Boudu (Michel Simon, Boudu Saved From Drowning) ha!ha!…I really like this film!
8.Barton Fink (John Turturro, Barton Fink)Familiar with the actor, but not the film yet…
9.The Woman from the Cemetery (Henriette Gérard, Vampyr) Purchased, but Unopened…
I must admit that I must become acquainted with no#3,4,5,6,7 and 10…because I feel that is wayyyy too “many” numbers (of films) for me to become acquainted. (Shake hands with…)
Dcd
Rick said,”Boudu (Michel Simon, Boudu Saved From Drowning) One of the most confounding characters in the history of cinema.”
ha!ha!…I most definitely, agree with you, one of the most “confounding” and if I can add another word “carefree characters in the”…
“As played by Simon, he’s ambiguous, frustrating, and obnoxious. In one fell swoop he tears up the fabric of a bourgeois bookseller’s life.
The subject of the last TOERIFC extravaganza, note in the discussion the uncertainty as to the nature of his “problem,” and his character.”
I guess (I guess?!?) your “summary” sums this film up “perfectly.”
Thanks, for the “intro”…Btw, Rick,
Rick said, “dcd, you need to change your email address at gravatar.com”
Rick, Right you are/were…that was the “problem” Thanks,
Dcd
Thanks for the tag, Rick. This is such a fun meme, and I’m looking forward to compiling my own list (If I can keep it down to 10 choices!)
I have GOT to rent “Nights of Cabiria” in the near future. Everytime I read about it (often here at the Creek), it just sounds better and better.
dcd, consider yourself tagged for this meme, if you want to do it …
Pat, Nights of Cabiria is my favorite Fellini. Unless it’s Wednesday, when it’s La Dolce Vita, or Friday, when it’s 8 1/2. The weekends I reserve for I Vitelloni and Amarcord, with a little Juliet of the Spirits thrown in for good measure.
Yay!….Thanks, Rick!
I’am thinking of 10 characters as I type these words….I don’t think that my choices of 10 cinema characters, will be as “well rounded” as yours, but of course!…I’am still willing to give it a try!
Dcd
I’m sure it’s going to be great, dcd. I’m looking for some great noirish characters.
Alright. I’m on it.
Thanks for the tag.
Cool. Looking forward to it.
OK Rick, thanks for the tag. Allan has just posted the 10 pictures at WitD, 5 that he picked from television, and five that I picked from film. Allan’s five are hoots!
Greetings, Sir,
I am in awe of your memory and how you always could recall the names to the concepts that I did retain. “The face is familiar, I just can’t place the name…” May I prevail upon your time, and that of your interesting company, to submit yet another character? One character that managed to stay within almost daily striking distance of my impressionable young adulthood? I offer “The Old Man and the Sea” in the person of Spencer Tracy. Interesting is the idea that you yourself have the depth of human experience to quite nearly portray the part. I have seen this, my friend.
Thanxxxxxxx!
Earl
Earl, but of course. Spencer Tracy is seriously great in that role.
How is every little thang on the left coast? Glad to hear that Caroline has got a new job … she deserves it.
Thanks for inviting me to the party, Rick! Even though these memes tend to drive me nuts, I do like the idea of this one. You’re the second or third person who picked me but I’m slow at these things. I’ve been working on my list for a few days and hope to have it posted soon.
I was especially happy and surprised to see Barton Fink on your own list! I adore that character even though he’s not all that likable. Barton Fink is easily my favorite Coen Bro. film!
Kimberly, I’m looking forward to your list.
Barton Fink is absolutely my favorite Coen as well.
Thanks for the tag Rick. I can always count on you!
Cabiria is a great choice for number one. I agree with you on it being your favorite Fellini…..
….depending on the day of course!
Joe, Fellini’s like that, all right. Not a lot of folks where you have so much trouble choosing a favorite. What a great, great artist.
Rick,
Finally, my list is up this morning.
Thanks for tagging me.
No problem, my friend.
I love your last pick. Ikiru is one of my favorite Kurosawas!