Oh, he was good in supporting roles in "To Kill a Mockingbird"-------sure, and in "The Godfather."
But as a leading man? C'mon!
He is a mannered, emotionally restricted/constipated guy. He couldn't play a romantic scene if his life depended on it---"Tender Mercies," indeed.
Look at his performance as an evangelist and compare it to Lancaster's "Elmer Gantry." Now, Lancaster ain't no pinnacle, but he blows Duvall away.
Or his cowboy(s)and compare them to Newman, McQueen, or Eastwood. In "Open Range" he trotted out every personal mannerism and cliché known to Westerns. Good thing he was cast with the most wooden actor of this, or any other, generation, i.e. Kevin Costnerd.
Robert is a good character actor; sometimes, as in "Apocalypse Now," he can rise to excellent.
But he has ZERO magnetism, charisma---and he can't build a nuanced, complex characterization in which the character grows and changes (see Dean in "Giant," for instance; or, equally famous, Brando in "On the Waterfront").
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Topic - Robert Duvall...the most overrated American actor? - tinear 18:37:57 03/30/04 (28)
- Interesting... - EBerlin 21:29:12 04/04/04 (0)
- No, Robin Williams; then Nicholas Cage. - Duilawyer 23:42:27 04/02/04 (1)
- Re: No, Asston Kutcher - AlSharpton 15:35:37 04/03/04 (0)
- You know you're gettin' old n cranky when......nt - late 21:36:51 03/31/04 (0)
- Re: Robert Duvall...the most overrated American actor? - RGA 17:15:09 03/31/04 (0)
- What prompted you to pick on poor old Bobby? - dennzio 12:14:42 03/31/04 (4)
- Re: I hate to say you are right Denn, but as an absolute exception, here you are ....nt - patrickU 00:04:47 04/01/04 (1)
- Thanks...I think. (nt - dennzio 08:21:06 04/01/04 (0)
- Ol' Vic is right: it was his ridiculous assertion. He seems - tinear 13:06:24 03/31/04 (0)
- He was responding to my earlier comment that Duval is better actor than Brando... I think. (nt) - Victor Khomenko 12:17:33 03/31/04 (0)
- You best see Apostle and Great Santini again...... - clbeanz 10:39:58 03/31/04 (1)
- Liked him as sportswriter Max Mercy in the Natural, too nt - padreken 13:00:19 03/31/04 (0)
- That would be Cuba Gooding, wound'nt it? - Troy 07:06:50 03/31/04 (1)
- Re: That would be Cuba Gooding, wound'nt it? - TAFKA Steve 10:22:00 03/31/04 (0)
- His performance in The Apostle is everything you say he isn't. - TAFKA Steve 04:48:29 03/31/04 (3)
- The Apostle? Oh, that small budget clunker. - tinear 06:40:19 03/31/04 (2)
- netted $35,000,000.00 I want clunkers. $nt$ - clbeanz 13:51:26 03/31/04 (1)
- So, how much did "Pretty Woman" net? nt - tinear 14:40:14 03/31/04 (0)
- Well, you just happened to omit the best role of his career. - Hepcat 19:34:30 03/30/04 (8)
- Re: No - rico 09:05:14 03/31/04 (0)
- Who was that, the Marine guy he tried to portray? nt - tinear 04:25:54 03/31/04 (5)
- Man, ...Lonesome Dove. nt - Hepcat 07:08:57 03/31/04 (1)
- Can't argue with that either. (nt) - dwill123 07:26:29 03/31/04 (0)
- Could be the best performance he ever gave - "The Great Santini" - dwill123 05:19:42 03/31/04 (2)
- Re: Could be the best performance he ever gave - "The Great Santini" - rico 09:06:19 03/31/04 (0)
- I hear the set director had to replace - tinear 06:37:06 03/31/04 (0)
- His THX1138 or M*A*S*H* roles get my vote (nt) - grinagog 21:09:33 03/30/04 (0)