Table of contents:

What does Quentin Tarantino have to do with the "charismatic SS man" Christoph Waltz?
What does Quentin Tarantino have to do with the "charismatic SS man" Christoph Waltz?

Video: What does Quentin Tarantino have to do with the "charismatic SS man" Christoph Waltz?

Video: What does Quentin Tarantino have to do with the
Video: Cranes (with english subtitles) Mark Bernes - YouTube 2024, November
Anonim
Image
Image

Did Tarantino really reveal to the world the talent of Christoph Waltz, or was it a kind of "inoculation of genius" from a great director to a talented actor? You can't argue with one thing: the charismatic SS man Hans Landa turned out to be the one who glorified the second and became the favorite brainchild of the first.

Not the most famous Austrian actor Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz in his youth
Christoph Waltz in his youth

Then the world will wonder how the career of Christoph Waltz has so long passed out of sight of the leading directors of our time. But the first decades of work brought him relatively modest results and very moderate fame. Waltz was born on October 4, 1956, he grew up in an acting family - his great-grandfather and grandmother played in the theater, his aunt also went to the stage, his mother studied with Max Reinhardt, the famous Austrian theatrical figure. Christoph chose the same path, but, by his own admission, he did not like to study, however, he regularly attended the acting department at the University of Vienna. He later went to New York, where he became a student at the Lee Strasberg School of Acting, popularizer of the Stanislavsky system in America.

From the film "Flame and Sword: The Legend of Tristan and Isolde"
From the film "Flame and Sword: The Legend of Tristan and Isolde"

Waltz first appeared on the stage at the age of 21, and got his first leading role in a movie at 25. The film "Flame and Sword: The Legend of Tristan and Isolde", despite the fact that Christoph's character was young and very attractive, failed at the box office. Waltz turned his attention to the role of negative characters, antagonists - this decision will also later become one of the reasons for his unprecedented success.

From the TV series "Commissioner Rex"
From the TV series "Commissioner Rex"

Most of his projects in those years consisted of roles in serials - including in the Austrian "Commissar Rex", where Waltz played a maniac criminal. The actor was constantly busy, filming for little-known Austrian and German directors - and would have remained known only to a part of the European public if fate had not brought him together with one of the recognized geniuses of cinema - Quentin Tarantino.

Tarantino and Inglourious Basterds

Christoph Waltz
Christoph Waltz

It was in 2008, Christoph Waltz had already turned forty-two by that time. Tarantino spent a long time hatching the idea of his film, writing the script for a long time, and after finishing, he faced difficulties in choosing an actor for the role of SS Standartenfuehrer Hans Landa. According to the script, the character turned out to be very extraordinary - the director was seriously afraid that "". A separate requirement for a candidate for this role was knowledge of several languages perfection, Landa, according to the plot, was a polyglot, "perhaps the only Nazi who spoke Yiddish." Tarantino had already rejected the candidacy of Leonardo DiCaprio and was close to declaring the project invalid when Christoph Waltz came to audition.

Still from the film
Still from the film

When Waltz read the script sent to him by the agent - and contrary to usual practice, Tarantino gave candidates for the role not only the casting scene, but the whole story - he found the idea strange and even ridiculous, and was not at all inspired by the opportunity to take part in the auditions. In addition, the Austrian remembered the words of his agent, who had once dissuaded the actor from taking a course for Hollywood film companies - the Americans, they say, would only invite him to the role of the Nazis. However, the reputation and fame of the American director played a role: "- the agent now said to Walz, -!".

When the actor, among his other merits, is fluent in several languages, passed the audition, it became clear that Hans Landa was found. "", - admitted Tarantino, and added: "".

From the movie "Inglourious Basterds"
From the movie "Inglourious Basterds"

This opinion was shared by the audience, film critics, and the entire world film community, after the release of the film, Christoph Waltz received many awards for his supporting role and became the only actor from Tarantino's films to be awarded an Oscar. Landa turned out to be not just a bright and integral character, he is almost magically grabbed the attention of the audience in every scene where he appeared, and, according to the most sharp-tongued critics, the fame of "Inglourious Basterds" was built mainly on Waltz's charisma.

At the 2010 Academy Awards
At the 2010 Academy Awards

The most charismatic villain in world cinema

After the release of Tarantino's film, Waltz was among the most sought-after actors. Each of his roles becomes an event in the film industry, especially since the Austrian is invited by the most iconic and titled directors. The Green Hornet by Michel Gondry, Water for Elephants! Francis Lawrence, The Musketeers by Paul Anderson, The Massacre by Roman Polanski - Waltz starred in these films only in 2011.

From the film "Water for Elephants!"
From the film "Water for Elephants!"
From the movie "The Musketeers"
From the movie "The Musketeers"

The next, 2012, he was invited to his new movie Tarantino, the role of the bounty hunter Dr. Schultz was written by him specifically for Waltz. This project brought the Austrian actor a second Oscar.

From the movie "Django Unchained"
From the movie "Django Unchained"

It is believed that Christoph Waltz can play everything - in any case, each of the roles he takes on is unique. Although most of his heroes are villains, or at least characters are ambiguous in an ethical sense, they are all different - Waltz never repeats himself. Walter Keane in "Big Eyes" by Tim Burton, Franz Oberhauer from "Specter", the twenty-fourth part of Bond, Captain Rom from the movie "Tarzan. Legend "- these characters have only one thing in common: the person who embodied their images on the screen.

From the film "Spectrum"
From the film "Spectrum"

Waltz himself admits that the main thing for him in any project is the script, and the actor follows the scriptwriter's plan unconditionally. He does not like to talk about his characters in interviews - the viewer, according to Waltz, must independently understand them, without prompts and prompts. The actor himself loves to be one-on-one with art - visiting museums, listening to opera, going to theatrical and ballet performances.

Christoph Waltz
Christoph Waltz

He considers himself a root crown - but in Austria he does not often visit, changing London, Berlin and Los Angeles as a place of residence. Waltz is married for the second time to costume designer Judith Holste. In 2005, the youngest daughter of the actor was born. The three oldest children from their first marriage live in Israel, the son serves as a rabbi.

Waltz with his wife
Waltz with his wife

Waltz's immediate plans include participation in Woody Allen's new film along with Gina Gershon, Wallace Sean, Louis Garrell and other world-famous movie stars, filming will take place in Spain, in the Basque Country. And, perhaps, the future will give movie lovers another project where Tarantino the director and Waltz the actor will meet.

With Quentin Tarantino at the Golden Globe Awards
With Quentin Tarantino at the Golden Globe Awards

Another star that appeared on the horizon of world cinema after Inglourious Basterds - Frenchwoman Melanie Laurent.

Recommended: