Laurence Olivier: Five Films for Newcomers
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Sir Laurence Olivier. What more can be said about the stage and screen icon? He truly was one of the finest thespians of all time, and it is never too late to get familiar with his legacy. However, it may be easy to know where to start, but how well can his filmography be divided into different categories? Well, it’s actually quite easy; there wasn’t much old Olivier couldn’t pull off (despite some of the more well known achievements he has had). I’ve done the usual deed on someone’s birthday (Olivier’s is Sunday) and picked five films that may illustrate his career in its entirety. So, let’s get to it. Here are five films for newcomers to the works of Laurence Olivier.
5. Sleuth
Olivier could play cunning and clever so well, so he fits in perfectly with the strategic chess game of Sleuth. He is up against the then-rising-star Michael Caine (now also knighted), and the two are playing friendly whilst trying to figure each other out. While Caine feels more like the active participant, Olivier always feels twelve moves ahead, and that’s the most interesting element of Sleuth.
4. Wuthering Heights
Of course, Olivier was great at taking part in the classics, and one of his most noteworthy roles was right in the middle of the Golden Age of Hollywood: Heathcliff in the greatest version of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. You feel his torment, especially in the “present”, and he plays the flashbacks with complete awareness of what is to come (not prophetically as a character, but with the audience’s knowledge in mind, as he wrings each moment out with as much contextual nuance as possible).
3. Marathon Man
We have the side of Olivier where he plays a devilishly evil antagonist, and I can’t think of a finer example of this clear-cut kind of archetype than his work as Nazi Dr. Christian Szell in Marathon Man. Whereas anyone else would overact this precisely specific role, Olivier gets into the crux of this character, and becomes quite frightening. We don’t ever see Olivier playing ball in quite this way too often, but when we do (like in Marathon Man), he is unforgettable.
2. Rebecca
Then you get a role that’s a little more multifaceted and difficult to compartmentalize easily, like Maxim de Winter in Rebecca. In this frigid film, he almost feels like a living mannequin: his heart is there, but he is still completely lifeless (I mean this in the best way possible). Underneath this dead exterior is a dark secret that unfurls ever so perfectly when Maxim cannot hold onto this dark side any longer; even here, Olivier feels more eerie and void of spirit than he does menacing and monstrous.
1. Hamlet
Despite his versatility, there really is no better place to start than his obsession with the works of William Shakespeare (which he starred in, and also adapted and specialized in as a filmmaker). For this entry, let’s head directly to Hamlet (which he directed, produced, wrote, and starred in)., where Olivier commanded himself flawlessly, and delivered us the greatest cinematic version of the renowned character. Olivier plays Prince Hamlet with so much psychological torture present, that his downfalls and struggles feel devastating. If you want to know more about why Sir Laurence Olivier was such a legend, then Hamlet really is the best place to start.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.