Angels in America
April 25, 2007I had never heard of Angels in America when Whittey B. introduced it during our Charismatic Actor show-and-tell. Furthermore, I didn’t recognize Jeffrey Wright – better known for his roles in Shaft, the Manchurian Candidate, and Syriana – as the boldly flamboyant Belize. I’m fond of the few roles that I’ve seen Jeffrey Wright play, so I was tickled when Whit decided to focus on his acting. She’s right — he’s one of the most underrated modern actors. Though most of his roles have been minor or supplementary, he portrays his characters in such exacting accuracy that it’s hard to spot him throughout his movies because we can attribute a plethora of personalities to his face. He moves stealthily from movie to movie in a variety of accents and postures. I’m curious to see what he’ll do next.
What I got to see of Angels in America in class has little physical action – the driving force is the dialogue in the diner. Belize launches a venomous verbal assault on the seemingly clueless Louis (Ben Shenkman). Louis’ inability to provide a logical defense against Belize’s sharp, witty retorts renders him ignorant and Belize seems the righteous prophet of an age haunted by the outbreak of AIDS. The scene set a tone for me – I saw dynamic anger in Belize’s disgruntled speech and fearful uncertainty in the way Louis’ impacting contributions to the conversation were diminishing as the scene unfolded. Jeffrey Wright perfectly captures the flamboyant mien of his character – weaving his body slightly as his argument crescendos into a heated offensive. He’s like a cobra that leers at its prey, bobbing its head as it taunts the poor creature before an inevitable strike. Shenkman waves his hands emphatically, protesting in defiant, but alienated, protest, like a cornered animal trying to desperately bat its predator away. The two characters are antitheses of each other, and their respective actors use that opposition to create a rhythm in dialogue.
I haven’t seen Angels in America yet, but if the rest of the writing and acting is as provocative as I’ve seen, then the miniseries will hold, with little doubt, much intrigue.
Kudos to Whit for picking a great scene. There’s a lot going on between the two characters in the clip — Belize and Louis. They’re interaction took a lot of energy on the parts of their actors. The nuances in movement and speech lend to the tension between the two.
I was also struck by Whit’s clip. I would very much like to see the movie sometime.
I still can’t believe that Jeffrey Wright was in all those movies, and none of us even realized it! Before our discussion of this clip in class the strategy of some actors to remain just below the surface of mega stardom as a result of their ability to portray a variety of different personalities and to blend their own personalities with those of their characters. What would all those films be like without Wright?!
What a wonderful description! Like a cobra- hiss. I agree with both you and Laura. I can’t believe that we never realized all the movies he was in. Crazy. Josh, your writing, as always, is intriguing and fun. I really hope you keep up this blog; I can’t wait to see what you come up with in the future.
I appreciate the sentiment! I’m glad I chose a good clip for you. Tell you what. If you’re feeling rather sedated one day, we’ll sit down and watch all six hours. It’s a good six hours. Six of the best you’ll spend.
I really liked the way you managed to critique what you saw of the movie and let that stand alone even though you haven’t seen the rest of the film.
I agree with Rwara. This is a very interestng approach: only reviewing what you say in class. I like it. Oh, and you need to watch the who mini series…it is great.