1928 – 29 – Paul Muni
The Valiant
Wow… I have to say, this is not Paul Muni’s best work, and I don’t really understand why he was nominated for Best Actor. I’ve seen Paul Muni in enough other movies to know that he was a brilliant actor. Just take a look at his other Oscar nominated films like I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, The Life of Emil Zola, or The Story of Luis Pasteur. He is so much better than he was here.
I mean, he didn’t have more than two facial expressions in the entire film. He looked grim and grave. The blank and almost emotionless stare was certainly appropriate for the role, but if that’s all it was, I don’t think it wasn’t enough. Seriously, that’s all I saw on the screen. Then for about fifteen seconds near the end, his grim determination to die for his crime changed to sorrow as he says goodbye to his sister, once she has left the room.
There was no range to his performance, no real depth. I felt no emotional intensity, no character arch, no significant dramatic struggle. Honestly, he was a little dull to watch on the screen. It was almost more interesting to watch his frail, ailing mother than him. And it makes no sense because I know how skilled an actor Paul Muni is.
The only thing I can think of is that this movie was a talkie, though it was released during that transitional period where movies were made for silent movie theaters as well as the movie houses that were able to play movies with sound. There were even title cards that facilitated scene changes, like in silent films. But even that didn’t make sense for the issue of Muni’s acting. You’d think that over-exaggerated facial expressions and gestures should have been guiding his performance, but they weren’t. He was consistently stoic and stone-faced the entire time.
But apparently the Academy saw something that I didn’t. They saw a depth to his performance that eluded me. It’s too bad, because I was expecting to really enjoy his performance. The character he played in this film could have been so much more dynamic than he was. I’m sorry Mr. Muni. I just didn’t see it.