[/caption]I am reminded by the New York Times that one of the most gifted actors, Robert Duvall, though almost 80, is still alive and doing stellar work. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I like the movies and every chance I get, I love to reference films. It goes back to my youth when the two hours or so I spent at the movies took me somewhere, and the actors made that movie real – Mr. Duvall has done that for me countless times.
As a boy, new to this country, and wanting to understand the Vietnam War, because, though my father is one of its veterans, he doesn’t speak of it. So when realistic movies, like “Apocalypse Now” come along, I would watch them over and over again.
“Apocalypse Now” is a Francis Ford Coppola movie, and although Mr. Duvall role is brief, he eats it up. Who could forget that scene on the beach where there is rapid gunfire and mortars are going off and death is all around Duvall, yet he is cavalier, spouting those immortal words: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning!”
I would be remiss if I did not address Mr. Duvall’s calm, cool, and collected performance in two “Godfather” movies, as the legal enforcer for the Corleone family.
It is not only the big budget movies that Mr. Duvall excels at...look at his brilliant performance in the movie, “The Apostle, ” where he played an evangelist with feet of clay, but who manned up to those frailties.
The mark of a good thespian is being able to convincingly play any role, and if you see Mr. Duvall as “The Great Santini,” those of us who served our country will recognize officers who most resembled Duvall’s character.
In an age of obsession with youth, it is good to see that Mr. Duvall still is respected and is gainfully employ in the art he obviously loves so much. I must convey a story to show what kind of man he is: about three years ago or so, the famous Jewish director, Steven Spielberg was lauding Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Around the same time, Castro had summarily executed two Cuban reporters for criticizing the Cuban regime.
Mr. Duvall took offense, starting out his critique by saying that he may not work again in Hollywood, but he had to take director Spielberg to task. He went on to say that Mr. Spielberg would have been outraged had some one of his stature lauded Adolf Hitler. Mr. Duvall is indeed an actor and a man with the courage of his conviction.
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