best film: The Royal Tenenbaums. This category is putting me to the test with my allegiance (as always, based on merit) to Wes Anderson and his crowning masterpiece, The Royal Tenenbaums. I don’t want to say it feels wrong but it’s a little surprising that this scores out (only film currently in my top 100 of all-time) as the best Gene Hackman film. It FEELS like the choice here should be Eastwood’s best film as a director (Unforgiven), Coppola’s paranoia stylistic dazzler (The Conversation) or William Friedkin’s no-nonsense adrenaline rush (The French Connection). Still, Wes is the baton-carrier for the long strong lineage of masters of mise-en-scene and I still feel like this is his strongest accomplishment and one of the best films of the 00’s decade. It’s a proud film to have as your best if you’re an all-time great actor like Gene Hackman is. The only other masterpiece yet to mention is Bonnie and Clyde which really was Hackman’s taking off point (he was famously was cut from Mike Nichols’ The Graduate (he was supposed to play Hoffman’s Dad- the William Daniels’ part)).
best performance: The French Connection but there’s virtually no difference between 1-4 below—talk about a Mount Rushmore for top four performances/films! He’s splendid (and varied) in four masterpieces (two in the 70’s, one in the 90’s and one in the 00’s). Hackman’s trademark grit and temper have never been better than his Academy Award winning turn as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle. There’s great physical acting (almost Kuleshov effect-like with the montage of the chase) in the car and pursuit sequences from Hackman. He takes a cliché (racist, crude cop) and turns it on its head. It’s so remarkable that it creates (or rather recreates) the archetype.
stylistic innovations/traits: Hackman has 27 archiveable films, 2 Oscar wins and has performances like his work in Superman and Crimson Tide that can’t find any room in a crowded (and impressive) top 10 performances. Scarecrow gives him a fifth uncanny top-notch performance beyond that Mount Rushmore and that and The Conversation give him such variation and range. If you close your eyes and think of Hackman it’s probably his determination and toughness in films like Crimson Tide, Hoosiers and The French Connection that become is trademark but he may give the single best performance in a Wes Anderdson film (one of the main auteurs of the past 25 years and comic genius), too. Still, it takes size and presence to stare down Clint Eastwood in The Unforgiven. The isolated drug sequences in The French Connection II is a worthy addition to any actor’s body of work and I Never Sang For My Father starts a run from 1970-1975 (capped with the brilliant Night Moves) that match any actor from that era ; Which is saying something considering the unbelievable runs Pacino and Nicholson were on during that stretch—clearly a time for actors.
directors worked with: Surprisingly light here- Penn (2) and then once a piece with Friedkin, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Mike Nichols, Clint Eastwood and Wes Anderson
Top 10 Performances:
- The French Connection
- The Conversation
- Unforgiven
- The Royal Tenenbaums
- Scarecrow
- Night Moves
- The French Connection II
- Hoosiers
- I Never Sang For My Father
- Mississippi Burning
Archiveable films
| 1964- Lilith |
| 1967- Bonnie and Clyde |
| 1969- Downhill Racer |
| 1970- I Never Sang For My Father |
| 1971- The French Connection |
| 1972- The Poseidon Adventure |
| 1973- Scarecrow |
| 1974- The Conversation |
| 1974- Young Frankenstein |
| 1975- French Connection II |
| 1975- Night Moves |
| 1977- A Bridge Too Far |
| 1978- Superman: The Movie |
| 1980- Superman II |
| 1981- Reds |
| 1983- Under Fire |
| 1985- Twice In a Lifetime |
| 1986- Hoosiers |
| 1987- No Way Out |
| 1988- Another Woman |
| 1988- Mississippi Burning |
| 1989- The Package |
| 1990- Postcards from the Edge |
| 1992- Unforgiven |
| 1995- Crimson Tide |
| 1995- Get Shorty |
| 2001- The Royal Tenenbaums |
Hi. Don’t understand why Gene is 18# and Dustin is 17#.
4 MP vs. 2 MP.
27 movies vs. 19 movies in the archives.
KidCharlemagne– i think that’s a fair note/comment. Ultimately i went with Hoffman one slot ahead of Hackman of course but you’re right on the masterpiece count and overall i have them so close I wouldn’t lose sleep or debate you fiercely one way or the other- both fantastic actors. I essentially weigh each performance so for me it’s not as simple as 4 vs 2 and there’s no single performance worth as much from Hackman as Hoffman in “The Graduate”. I think that’s the best performance (and film) between the two.
Ah ok. In fact,my favourite actor between them is Dustin (for The Graduate & Midnight Cowboy & some 70’s performances like Lenny or Little Big Man).
I asked you this to know how the « ranking » works ?
Acting skills only ? No because Stewart is ahead of Brando.
Most movies in the archives ? Maybe but how Pitt 23# & DiCaprio 20# ?
It’s not a critic. I agree with 3/4 of your list (glad to see Cruise 30# because he’s underrated or see Hanks 36# because he’s overrated).
@KidCharlemagne — thanks for the comment. The main way I went about it was to go year by year and select the best 5 performances of the year. I typically only look at the top 10-15 films of each year for my performances. If you gave a great performance in the 42nd best film of the year…. too bad. Then I award points based on how good it was. Say 4 points for De Niro in “Raging Bull” and maybe less for something like Hoffman in “Lenny” (still a great film and performance but not on that level). Then i take those points as the skeleton of my list for my top 100. Agree on acting skills- Brando would be ahead of Stewart. So it’ s combination of resume, skill, but mainly i use those points to guide me.
Oh ok. Thanks ! Now i know why an actor like Depardieu dosnt make the list or why Kinski,Mastroianni & Mifune are so high in the list with less than 20 movies in the archives.
Great answer.