Film Sydney Pollack, 1934-2008
posted by on May 27 at 0:10 AM
Sydney Pollack, a fine (The Way We Were, They Shoot Horses Don’t They, The Electric Horseman) and sometimes great (Three Days of the Condor, Jeremiah Johnson, Tootsie) and ok, sometimes not that awesome (Havana, Random Hearts, The Interpreter) American film director who also moonlighted as a producer (The Talented Mr. Ripley, Sense and Sensibility, The Fabulous Baker Boys) and a surprisingly excellent actor (Husbands and Wives, Eyes Wide Shut, Michael Clayton) died yesterday (Monday) from cancer at the age of 73, following a 47-year career in movies and TV.
Pollack was great. He was one of the most reliable of the ’70s powerhouses, but one who never needed to self-identify as a maverick. He let his movies be smart and daring and surprising for him. And even when he misfired or played it safe (he worked a LOT), you never lost the sense that he and his work were still trying, still dignified, always reaching for the same elegant blend of cynical awareness and human refusal to simply give into that cynicism. I think of Jeremiah Johnson struggling without words to survive in the snowy mountains, Sonny Steele stealing the horse rather than just running away, Michael Dorsey chasing Julie down the street until she simply can’t not forgive him for having been Dorothy Michaels, even weird-ass existential race car driver Bobby Deerfield blowing off marriage and career to pursue his doomed affair with Lillian. All that indomitable optimism in the face of unvanquishable corruption and natural antagonism—it’s never naive optimism, either; it’s always a choice.
Then, late in his career (right around the time his own movies started to lose a step, but not counting his own roles in his own films, especially Tootsie, in which he entered a two-way-race for steal with Bill Murray) he became this amazing actor—a warm Jewish eminence who excelled at portraying real power and real wealth. He effortlessly embodied the kind of powerful men who believe there is a way to do things right, to maximize profit and convenience for the bastards who secretly run the world, and then there’s the way that all the losers do things. His best characters were the exact kind of hypocritical antagonists that made his best movies thrum. And just by investing him with himself—his obviously abundant warmth and intelligence—he expanded them. Did you see Michael Clayton? Husbands and Wives? Eyes Wide Shut? Even The Player? Pollack stealthily owned those visionary films all out from under their stars and directors, by masterfully vivifying the actual humanity of these bad, bad people (with their nice families and publicly liberal leanings) whom he brought to life. That was Pollack the actor, and he was just, it seemed, getting started.
Anyway, I’m watching Three Days of the Condor right after I post this. And then maybe Husbands and Wives. Maybe you’ll want to watch something, too. He certainly deserves to be remembered.
Born in 1969, I have had the pleasure of enjoying many of Mr. Pollack's works. Presently, I've smoked too much Sativa too get you further, but I'm sure you can all make it on your own.
Aw, now thats too bad. RIP.
Pollack made some of the classiest films Hollywood ever produced. It's the end of a great career and - along with the passing of John Frankenheimer - the end of the era of directors who cut their directing teeth in early television. Only Sidney Lumet remains from that most creative school of directing.
Pollack was also a very gentle, kind person, and we know the world suffers whenever we lose one of those.
Three Days of the Condor is an excellent choice, Sean.
Fuck.
The only actor I enjoy watching more than Sydney Pollack is George C. Scott.
last time i saw him was on the sopranos advising dying gangster johny sacs.
My love will never die.
off topic:
realclear:
Tracking Polls (General)
Gallup: McCain 47, Obama 45
Gallup: Clinton 49, McCain 44
Rasmussen: McCain 45, Obama 45
Rasmussen: Clinton 47, McCain 45
Yeah, that's real interesting PC.
I love Pollack. My only regret is that now I have "The Way We Were" running through my head. Dammit.
oh, thanks heywhatsit. now i do too. damn.
I feel like I'm supposed to care. I'll try.
Excellent post. I couldn't agree more all except for The Interpretor. I really liked that movie and mostly because it felt like a Pollack film. That's something that I loved about all the movies he was involved in. No matter the level of his involvement, even when he was just a producer, you knew it was a Sydney Pollack film.
I've got Out of Africa, Electric Horseman, and The Interpretor all lined up. I just happened to have rewatched Michael Clayton right before reading he'd died. I need to own Three Days of the Condor.
He's definately a Hollywood maverick that I will miss.
No love for Out of Africa, Nelson? (Thanks 11.) I adore many Pollock movies, but I think of Out of Africa first, every time.
If it weren't for Barry's score, Out of Africa wouldn't have been all that memorable. (IMHO)
Pollack was a brilliant actor and a so-so director.
Redford is a so-so actor and sometimes a pretty good director.
Tootsie rocks, even though it has enough plot holes to stock a Dunkin' Donuts and Out of Africa...has anyone popped this in the vcr/dvd player in the last 20 years? It's a forgetable, badly cast movie with a pretty score and nice cinematography.
oh, and don't forget Pollack's cameo in Death Becomes Her...he was hilarious as the E.R. doctor who has a heart attack after diagnosing the Meryl Streep character as functionally dead.
Pollack was a great director and a great man. He also had great taste in film when he hosted his own show on Turner Classic Movies.
Keep an eye on TCM because usually they will change there scheduled movies to do a 24 hour tribute to someone who just died. Coincidentally they are showing Three Days of The Condor at 10:30pm (Tuesday) as part of their salute to Faye Dunaway.
I'll get roasted for this, but I don't think much of Pollack's oeuvre, and think in some ways he's the beginning of the end for Hollywood.
Reading of Pollack's death was one of those, "catch my breath in my throat" kind of moments. I re-read the article on MSNBC several times letting it sink in. Pollack was associated with so many excellent films, and yes a couple bombs. Tootsie, The Way We Were, Three Days of the Condor, The Negotiator, Michael Clayton. All good. Also his film, Sketches of Frank Gehry, excellent.
I'm glad you mentioned Husbands and Wives, because that is a great one. I may have to watch that again in his honor.
The man was classy, and improved everything he was a part of.
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