Saturday, December 09, 2006

Best supporting

Sometimes an ok film becomes memorable not for the script or the star but from the performance of a supporting actor. I suppose that why the academy awards acknowledges such efforts. Two great performances that I always bring up when discussing genre films are; Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer in the movie “The Prophecy” and Bruce Spence’s portrayal as “The Mouth of Sauron” in the extended version of the “Lord of the Rings :The Return of the King”.


I’ve seen many cinematic portrayals of the devil, but none as convincing as Viggo’s, he has a seductive, persuasive, yet callous air about him. The Prophecy is about a celestial war amongst the angels that makes its way to earth. Christopher Walken commands the show as the Archangel Gabriel, and it’s a true testament to Viggo’s skill at acting to hold his own against such an intense actor as Walken.



Spence’s Performance lasts a few brief minutes, but it leaves you with a true appreciation of what life in Middle Earth would be like and just who would be running things if Sauron and his boys were in charge.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:05 AM

    I really enjoyed Peter Stormare as Satan in Constantine. His persona, and un-placeable accent (he's Swedish) and that white suit combined to make him a pretty good devil. However the film wasn't so great.

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  2. Anonymous11:37 AM

    "I love you more than Jesus"

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  3. Anonymous3:15 AM

    Damn right!
    Good to know I'm not alone.
    I've always said that Viggo's Lucifer was the best and most "realistic" and the easiest to watch.

    Always has been and, I think still is, a highly underrated actor.
    Did a great job in a very disturbing film called The Reflecting Skin.
    *shudder*

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