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Tuesday 11 March 2014

Best Supporting Actor 1976: Burt Young - Rocky

Rocky is a...well it is a decent film. It actually was the first film of its kind. Of the kind I don't very much appreciate. Because the way the story goes has now become a big clishé. A very annoying clishé. But Rocky was the first film to show this, so it couldn't have been a clishé. But in these times the film just isn't working as well, as it used to in his times. It tells a story of an ordinary boxer, who has got a chance to fight against a world champion Apollo Creed. And apart from that he falls in love with his friend Paulie's sister Adriana.
Burt Young plays Paulie. First thing that is needed to say is that it is a very good part to play. It would be a really juicy part, if a good actor would have handled it. I'm not saying Young is a bad actor, besides of Rocky I haven't seen any of his films, but from his performance I didn't have a feeling he could handle a character.
On the paper Paulie is a very well written character. And it's obvious how he should be. He is a simple man, who wants to make good money and he mostly cares about himself. What is really interesting about him is the relationship with his sister. These two live together, he makes money, she cares about the household. But he is really tyrannical to her. He always must have what he wants and she must listen to him. On the paper his character is a real despot. But Young failed to leave that kind of impression on me. For example he scene, in which he forces Adriana to go out with Rocky. He should have been really cruel in this scene. But Young has chosen to overact the situation, instead. This is actually the scene that forms the character of Paulie, but Young's creation is different from what Paulie should be like. He just failed to portray Paulie the right way.
There is also a scene at the end of the film, where Paulie has an emotional outburst. He really feels desperate and jealous for Rocky, but Young is only screaming out his lines. I never believed Young a single move, a single line, a single gesture in this moment.
To be fair, I admit that there are some scenes, in which Young is fine, but it's more that he doesn't do anything bad, than he does something good in them. They are also very brief to make the final impace of his performance better for me.
The chances of winning an Oscar: There is no way this performance had a chance of winning. He was the last...

1 comment:

  1. I suppose his nomination should have indicated Rocky's picture win, but it really is not needed. Everything I've seen Young in he basically does the same routine, and here where there is a bit more challenge in that he character he does not really match it.

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