PERFORMANCE PERSPECTIVES

"The Bone Collector"
MORE LESSONS IN SIMPLICITY

This well shot, well-made, fairly predictable tale does not have a lot to offer in terms of story or performance analysis. But it does provide a few lessons which are worth a moments thought. These lessons re-enforce the recognizable essential foundations of the performance process.

In this movie DENZEL WASHINGTON has accepted a role to play a character who is paralysed from the shoulders down. This might raise fears of restrictive limitations for the actor.

But DENZEL does not seem to worry about this potential problem. In fact it is possible that it was this element which actually attracted him to the role, for the script itself holds no wondrous magic.

So why does the performance work?

The answers are simple.

If the foundations of truthful performance are that we believe both the character and the world the character lives in then Denzel has obviously come to terms with the ingredients of this character's world and understands how they effect him. On screen he deals, moment by moment, with the issues his character has to face within the context of the story. The only control he has over the interest the story generates and the dramatic content the story holds is through his own most basic areas of responsibility. That is,

• making sure that he selects an appropriate "need" or "goal" for his character
• and that this "need" or "goal" is not too easily achieved.

While his brain is assessing these difficulties and endeavouring to resolve them for the character the performance will be interesting, engaging and perhaps even compelling. An actor who trusts this process (whether consciously or unconsciously) will always create a believable and appropriate performance. DENZEL appears to have a confident sense that this is all that is required. And so he settles in to do the job. Even though 'DENZELl the actor' may have become tired of lying in a bed for so long (goodness knows how many shooting days he spent there) at no time does this affect his performance. He never seems to feel that he should embellish the process to make it more interesting, creative or dynamic. Truthful is quite good enough.

Is the performance bland and uninteresting?

It certainly is not. It serves the story very well.

Why does this performance serve the story?
DENZEL'S performance works well because the majority of the ingredients an actor needs to deliver a story and a performance are contained with in the resources available in the head. The actor needs a mind willing to

• pursue their character's purpose or goal
• assess their success or failure in this activity
• consider other possible ways of achieving the goal
• identify any feelings which may relate to any success or failure in achieving their goals.

The actor also needs an ability to

• use their eyes to search for any signs which might indicate that they may or may not achieve their character's goal
• similarly use their ears to listen for any audible signs of hope.

In fact in film and television the camera often isolates the face from the rest of the body by the use of close-ups. And so this particular story merely places Denzel continuously in the circumstances that others only find when they are working in a close-up frame. Maybe this is the challenge that interested Denzel in the role in the first place.

Beware!
The danger of such restrictive circumstances is that the actor is enticed to think that more needs to be done. (In fact the inexperienced actor sometimes feel this is the case when the time comes to shoot their close-up.) It is under these circumstances that actors get trapped into:

• acting instead of listening,
• emoting rather than pursuing need
• and illustrating rather than "being".

DENZEL does not fall into any of these traps.

Many others in less challenging circumstances could learn from his restraint.
The actor needs to remember that their responsibility is character - pace and the colours of story are the responsibility of the writer and the director. You can only do so much on your own.

The other noteworthy performance comes from Queen Latifah as Thelma who is wonderful for her:

• clear and simple sense of purpose
• brilliant relaxation (you never catch her 'working' any moment - she always trusts her choices)
• fabulous listening.

Even the moment of her climactic final appearance in the film is one of elegantly simple choices.

It is interesting to again reflect on the fact that good performances are always based on CLEAR and SIMPLE choices.

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