Some
people establish themselves as giants of film through the sheer volume of their
work, becoming so ubiquitous and visible that they can’t possibly be ignored. Others, though, through either the vagaries
of Fate or simply personal choice, don’t have as long of a filmography, and
gain the heights of cinematic Olympus by having just one or a handful of roles
so powerful and iconic, so influential, that the rest of their work (or lack
thereof) effectively doesn’t matter.
One
such person was Gene Wilder. While he
mostly retired from on-screen work after the 80’s, the combination of his
touchstone performance as Willy Wonka and his collaboration with Mel Brooks on
three of the greatest film comedies of all time (Blazing Saddles, The
Producers, and Young Frankenstein),
all of which came out in the 60’s and 70’s, have long assured his immortality
to lovers of great acting and great storytelling.
The
moment that, for me, perfectly sums up his power as a performer and a comedian happens
in his very first scene with Zero Mostel in The
Producers, where he plays a somewhat hapless corporate accountant who is
eventually drawn into the seedy underbelly of Broadway showbiz by the (literally)
seductive Mostel. This entire opening
remains a gold standard of cinematic comedy in terms of its writing, visuals,
and characterization, but its highlight is a moment where the *ever-so-slightly*
neurotic Wilder, growing increasingly nervous and agitated over Mostel’s scheme
and sleazy behavior, takes out his little blue security blanket to calm himself
down. Mostel, curious, grabs it out of
his hand, and Wilder’s resulting flip-out is, quite simply, beyond words. It’s a perfect example of sheer, instinctive
acting, the sort of thing only someone with a talent like Wilder’s could make
even remotely believable. You can’t script
it, you can’t plan for it, and God help you if you try to copy it.
I’m
amazed, looking back, by how old Wilder looked, even back then, and how little
his face seemed to change over the years.
There was such age, wisdom, and even a tint of sadness in his eyes, and
it lent an air of seriousness to all his roles.
Which, maybe, was one of the keys to them being so damn memorable.
Some
might say it’s a shame Wilder couldn’t establish himself as well as a director,
or that he should have kept up making movies throughout his life. Personally, I think his core work is so
strong, so perfect, and holds up so well that I couldn’t have ever wished for
more from the man. He’s left us some
remarkable treasures to remember him by, and I feel it will be some time indeed
before we have a generation untouched by this man’s gift for bringing a smile
to just about anyone’s face.
Rest
in peace, Gene. We love you still.
-Noah Franc
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