Robert Duvall: five best moments

http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/oct/17/robert-duvall-five-best-moments-performances

Version 0 of 1.

Robert Duvall has over 50 years in cinema behind him, as a leading man and director and producer. So, as he stars alongside Robert Downey Jr in The Judge, out in UK cinemas this weekend, we’re counting down his five best on-screen moments to date – and there’s a lot to choose from. Commenters, please: suggest your picks below-the-line for any unforgivable omissions (and who knew it was this difficult to find YouTube clips of Duvall in Tender Mercies?).

The Godfather

Duvall pulled in major critical acclaim for his role as Tom Hagen, the Corleone mafia family’s lawyer, trusted consigliere and sort-of adopted son. His on-screen restraint and tight emotional range earned him best supporting actor nominations at the Baftas, Academy awards and National Society of Film Critics awards.

Apocalypse Now

If you’re after a memorable film quote, you could do worse than Duvall’s shirtless delivery of “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”. He played Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore in Francis Ford Coppola’s take on the gruesome state of combat in the Vietnam war, no doubt tapping into his brief real-life army stint during the Korean war.

To Kill a Mockingbird

In his film debut Duvall played Arthur “Boo” Radley, the mysterious figure whose character plays a heroic part in Robert Mulligan’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel. Both the film and book tackled race relations in America’s south, and even in a peripheral role, Duvall displayed his ability to intrigue and captivate an audience.

Get Low

In no way related to Lil Jon or the Eastside Boyz, this performance saw Duvall land just on the right side of the “heartwarming and quirky elderly recluse” trope. His Felix Rush is a somewhat misunderstood man determined to organise and attend his own funeral party. Duvall also produced this Aaron Schneider-directed picture, and earned several best actor award nominations from a smattering of critics’ societies.

The Apostle

In this role, Duvall could make a believer of just about anyone. He delivered one rousing speech after another as a preacher trying to escape his past and, making time out to “shout at God” on the odd quiet night. Extra points to Duvall for also writing, producing and directing the film.