"Stagy" Acting: Appropriate or Not?

[Lensman]

With the release of the actual theatrical trailer, I think it's appropriate to address the objections some have made to the "stagy" style of acting seen in the trailer. Now Hines has made it clear he hired stage actors instead of "movie stars", so it's hardly surprising to see this acting style.

However, I've read that at the time of the American Revolution (circa 1776), people really did act as though they were on a stage, and really did speak as though every word were being recorded for history.

Now my question is: Was this sort of artificial mannerism still in vogue in the late Victorian era? Or a better question: To what extent was it still part of British culture? Is the "stagy" acting style closer to the way people really acted and spoke circa 1901, or is the "natural" acting style in vogue in modern movies closer to the way people acted and spoke in Victorian England?

[JediMartian]

I agree with you Lensman, I've heard that as well. Also you only need to look at other period movies to get a feel of the "stageiness" of how people spoke back then. Bram Stoker's Dracula is a perfect example of it

[RustiSwordz]

Good acting is prerequisite too....

[the Donal]

It is a little like learning to speak Latin- no-one really knows how it sounds.

We probably all think that the gentry spoke in very posh, exagerated tones- like going to see a Gilbert & Sullivan production, and the 'common' folk all spoke like D!ck van Dyke in Mary Poppins. Who knows?

I'd rather it just sounded natural with the language intact, but you get what yer given and enjoy it as you can!

[thed0ct0r]

Surprisingly I don't think the acting is going to bother me. I quite liked the gent remarking how he'd expected to see some charred corpses. God accent or not I liked the delivery!

[the Donal]

obe honest, this film will be much more fun with hammy/stage acting. It just wouldn't be right without!

[Thunder Child]

The desicion to hire stage actors was a mistake. I've found a review of the movie on internet and the following comment was given about Anthony Piana:


"Though, I can't put all the blame on the actors. Much has to be laid on Mr. Hines's, who doesn't so much direct as start the camera and run away. For example, I have worked with the lead, Mr. Anthony Piana, and I know him to be an accomplished stage actor with considerable talent, but it is clear that not only is he new to screen acting (No fault. So was Lord Olivier once), but with his very passionate acting style he is hopelessly miscast as the passive observer of the Martian invasion and having Hines's non-directing does nothing to mitigate.

Mind you, Mr. Piana isn't helped by his makeup. In theatre there is what is known as the "thirty-foot rule" that states that costumes, props, and makeup are designed with the fact that no one in the audience is going to be closer to the action than thirty feet. This is one of the reasons why stage makeup is so exaggerated. It's also the reason from the moment Mr. Piana appeared on screen I was half expecting the film to turn out to be a gay farce. His makeup would have been spot on for the stage, but here it was enough to frighten the children. At least, it would if they could get past his moustache, which is so blindly fake that it staggers the imagination. It is one of those stiff black things with every hair in perfect parallel and the whole thing looking as if it had been cut out with a stamp and glued to a bit of pasteboard."

[sunnyrabbiera]

thunderchild3 said:

The desicion to hire stage actors was a mistake.

they still did infinately better then Tom Cruse

[FALLINGSTAR]

sunnyrabbiera said:

thunderchild3 said:

The desicion to hire stage actors was a mistake.

they still did infinately better then Tom Cruse

Tom Cruise is a great method actor!


The only problem is......................he just plays himself all the sodding time!

[RossH]

thedonal said:

We probably all think that the gentry spoke in very posh, exagerated tones- like going to see a Gilbert & Sullivan production, and the 'common' folk all spoke like D!ck van Dyke in Mary Poppins. Who knows?

I know for a fact that the 'common' folk spoke NOTHING LIKE D!ck Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. ;-)