PERFORMANCE PERSPECTIVES

"The Insider "

DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO PERFORMANCE STYLE

The recent decision of the Supreme Court in Melbourne to award damages against a cigarette manufacturer to a smoker dying of lung cancer was an internationally significant case for the anti-smoking lobby and in The Rehearsal Room it provoked interest in reviewing RUSSELL CROWE and Al PACINO'S performances in "The Insider". The Insider is the story of a challenge to the credibility of a cigarette manufacturer.

Through their businesses cigarette producers make huge amounts of money and this money not only brings power but also the need to vigorously defend these accumulated resources. The huge financial muscle they acquire means they are well equipped to fight to maintain their position through legal and perhaps illegal processes. The circumstances exposed by the Melbourne case demonstrate their determination. Suitcases of research into the relationships and life style of the woman who brought the case were collected in an attempt to discredit her by any means. However despite rigorous efforts nothing detrimental to her case was uncovered - she was a clean skin. Similar circumstances emerge in "The Insider"- based on a real life story in a real world.

Two Different Characters
"The Insider" is a story of a whistleblower who is not perfect. There have to be flaws in his character so that as the story unfolds the cigarette company can use these to diminish his credibility. This means RUSSELL CROWE has to create a character whose intentions we approve of and whose weaknesses we understand. AL PACINO on the other hand creates a character who is a confident, articulate, principled and successful journalist. No doubt both actors used their approach to performance to enhance the nature of their characters - and legitimately so. But to what effect?

Two Different Actors
The two approaches to performance are in this example quite different. RUSSELL as usual is extremely well prepared, thoroughly researched and very carefully planned about how each scene will evolve. He plays each moment with great confidence and trust often giving his character the opportunity to disengage from the interaction so he can explore within his own control a moment of significance. AL it would appear is also extremely well prepared, thoroughly researched and absolutely clear about what the goal of each scene is but entirely open to the path that will deliver the outcome and so very seldom disengages from the interaction of the moment. His approach seems to be more dangerous and open with less chance of the actor's choice or control being exposed but with some risk attached. The risk is an active part of the process for it means that he has to listen all the time and then make the choice of how to deliver the next speech, as nothing is predetermined. This process has a wonderfully realistic edge as the character's assessing and choosing process is an active part of what the actor is actually doing. When trusted with the confidence and skill of AL PACINO this produces a constantly engaged, always active and very realistic performance.

To a degree it can be argued that these choices are character based. However this is only partly true. It is possible that the AL PACINO approach could just as effectively be used to play a character very similar to the one RUSSELL created here but the approach RUSSELL used would be unlikely to produce the actively engaged journalist Al PACINO created. The 'risk factor' is an active part of the performance process.

A Good Model
In this case, two excellently executed and appropriate performances from two highly acclaimed actors provide food for thought. Recently, discussion of this difference produced a remarkable change in a young actor intelligently exploring the acting process. Realizing that, although very well prepared he was still controlling some specific moments of the scene because of a particular concept of how those bits were to be played, this actor moved to the AL PACINO model with remarkable effect. Removing all preconceptions he allowed impulse and listening to dictate all the choices. A remarkably fresh performance unfolded. The story was still delivered but with a remarkable zest and truthfulness that previously had been a little restricted.

"The Insider" is a well-told story delivering a good plot and a thought-provoking theme and is worth viewing for those reasons alone but it also provides a host of good performances and so from the performance perspective it is also worthy of attention.

May 2002

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