1938 – Norma Shearer
Marie Antoinette
As always, Norma Shearer turned in a wonderful performance. I only have one grievance with her performance, and it isn’t a big one, so I’ll get it out of the way quickly. In every performance I’ve ever seen her in, she always has an unnatural ease in front of the camera. But in Marie Antoinette, there were a few scenes where she seems to be putting on airs. Not the airs of the character, but those of someone who is trying hard to portray the character. It didn’t happen all the time, but every once in a while, it was as if she had to really try to be Marie Antoinette. The role didn’t seem like an extension of herself, which is what I usually get from her in other performances. Just an observation from an untrained eye.
But the greatness of her performance far outshined that one thing. The character really went through the full range of emotions over the course of the film, especially near the end. The emotions she displayed were raw and real. The tears she shed were not pretty. They were hard and unapologetic. She didn’t cry. She sobbed. And in those moments, her face was so changed by the emotions, that she didn’t even look like the same actress. The makeup and lighting helped. And I have to mention the costumes that she wore in the film. Talk about grand and opulent! She looked magnificent! Absolutely gorgeous! Although, it was interesting seeing her as a blond, instead of her natural brunette.
Time and again, Shearer has proven herself to be a natural in front of the camera. She always seemed to be aware of her surroundings. She always paid attention to what was going on in a scene, and behaving accordingly. What I mean is that when someone else was speaking, she listened. When someone else was the focus of a scene, she didn’t stop acting. She was actively in the moment, even when she wasn’t the most important part of that moment. It is a quality that not every actor always has. She had it in spades.
Norma Shearer was quite a rare talent, and it is no wonder that this was her sixth Best Actress nomination, an impressive feat, considering that the Academy Awards themselves were barely over ten years old.