Strange Famous

Obviously I was aware of who this guy was previously - but I recently have seen two or three of his movies... and I have to admit I find his performances very striking.

He really does come over as a very very violent man; someone who isnt acting but who generally would shoot or punch someone out at the slightest flicker of some internal engine.

Either he had that persona down to a tee, who he really was a big, tough, surly, violent bastard who was simply playing himself. I can see why so many of his movies still have a cult following. To be honest a lot of modern action stars seem about as macho as Ladyboy's in comparison.

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Of modern actors, I always get a little of the same feeling about Steven Siegal... not so much his persona, but just how fast his hands are for a man his size (he is tall I know but he must weigh 280lbs) - as much as his movies are usually shit, he does give the impression of someone who could do some serious damage in real life.

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Psycho Dad

Same thing for Clint Eastwood. However I suspect it is all acting. They sell the tough guy bit very well.

And I agree that contemporary "tough guy" actors don't do nearly as well. This new 007 is nearly as bad as Roger Moore IMHO.

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Baraka_Guru

There has been an evolution of the tough guy. Gone are the days of "The Duke," where masculinity should be maxed out. I haven't seen enough of John Wayne to know his full range of emotions, but my guess is that the modern tough guy has a sensitive side unlike that of the tough guy of the past. Most of this is in line with our own culture. Sure, we value masculinity, but only if it's tempered with fatherly or brotherly "softer" sides, if you will.

We have a higher value for compassion and thinking now than we do for purely taking action. The "refined gentleman" is no longer viewed as a "pansy" or "dandy," at least not at large, especially when said gentleman knows how to hold his own in fight.

We no longer demand a man's man, or a lady's man, for that matter. We now look up to men who are balanced and have integrity that is compatible with what's acceptable in our society today. Times change. It's not as acceptable now to just slug someone was it may have been decades ago. We now expect that as a last resort or on an as-needed basis. Just slugging someone now is viewed as brutish, short-tempered, and, in a way, weak.

We now value a new kind of discipline in men. I do, at least.

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yournamehere

For those of us who have been around long enough to experience at least part of his career first-hand, it is common knowledge that John Wayne made a career out of playing John Wayne. I'm not saying that judgmentally - it's just that the man had no range in his acting. I liked every one of his films, but there's a reason he never received an Academy Award until after it became public knowledge that he had lung cancer.

Playing the same character in every movie has worked for others, too - like Adam Sandler, Will Ferrel, Vince Vaughn, and Sean Michael Scott. You'll never see them give an acceptance speech on Oscar night, either.

As far as "movie tough guys" go, I think the world is different now than during the Duke's lifetime - audiences would rather see a bad guy get cut in half with a chain gun than punched in the nose. That kind of violence doesn't require the kind of courage we used to see in our leading men heroes.

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Strange Famous

I agree - or at least it was my impression - that what makes John Wayne impressive to me is that he seems to really be the character he portrays rather than some actor. To use an English expression, he exemplified what I'd call "stiff upper lip" in his performances. Maybe that means he had a limited range, and maybe he wasnt ever gonna be much good at playing the Dane, but as a young man or an old man in the movies I saw anyway I believe in him more readily than most performances from far more acomplished actors.

I know some of his history, questionable views on race, Frank Sinatra threatening to punch him out (when the guy had like half a lung left) over a row about an alleged communist writer... but whether he is likeable or you agree with some of the things he thought, there is something honourable about a truly authentic person. (Sinatra also was in some regards a horrible asshole, and also in his way utterly authentic)

I can accept too that modern movies do tend to have more complex character development, and they do tend to want to show the emoionally tortured hero rather than the taciturn hard man.

But I think I prefer my action heroes to be hard men, not actors.

__________________
"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

Lasereth

If anyone wants to read more about John Wayne and how awesome he is, read Roger Ebert's blog post about his personal dealings with him. Great entry.

Roger Ebert's Journal: Archives

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