Today’s 12 of the Best list celebrates the life and extraordinary career of Christopher Plummer, who has sadly passed away aged 91.
Born in Toronto in 1929, he moved to New York to study acting in his early 20s, fast becoming a star on Broadway following his stage debut in 1954. He graduated to movies in 1958, going on to appear in over 100 films, winning many accolades and awards, including the triple crown of Bafta, Golden Globe and Oscar aged 82, for his supporting role in Beginners (2010). Remarkably, his IMDb rolecall lists 35 films rated 7.0 or above, which, if not a record must be very close.
Very few actors have earned such universal respect and admiration amongst the industry, supported by the fact he kept working right until his last days. For me, he could equally convey kindness, menace and conviction, sometimes all at the same time. It took me a long time to appreciate his earlier roles, and I always unfairly dismissed him as a lesser light of Hollywood and British classics. But, in recent years, I have come to fully realise the impact he has had on audiences spanning several generations, and he was in fact named the inaugural Wasteland lifetime achievement winner last July. A lot of his better known movies are not amongst my favourites, it has to be said, but never because of him. He was one of that rare breed that could make even the poorest dialogue and underwritten roles sing by his sheer presence. He will be greatly missed.
Here then is my effort to applaud his long career, with a tentative list of 12 films I believe reflect the diversity and range he possessed. The Wasteland 12 of the Best lists, as always, are never ranked in any way. This particular list is in chronological order. If I have missed one of your favourites, or you’d otherwise like to leave a comment to pay homage to the great man, please do so. I hope you enjoy the list and feel inspired to watch one of them this weekend, or in coming weeks, to honour his memory.
RIP Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer 1929 – 2021.
Following several years of rave reviews on Broadway, and a handful of well received supporting roles in Hollywood films, the 35 year old Plummer could not have launched his A-list reputation in more iconic style. As Captain Von Trapp he perfectly encapsulated the balance between draconian overlord and a good man with a broken heart. Few cinema moments are more satisfying or touching than when we see his transformation into loving father as he joins the family in singing Eidelweiss. Plummer himself was less than complimentary about the film and his relationship with Julie Andrews at first, but, like the character he played so well, he mellowed to realise its status as a classic, and indeed the iconic skill of Andrews. Without his global success here his career may have been very different. Full of unforgettable moments, it is impossible now to see anyone else doing as well in the role. His refusal as an actor to overplay the sentimental moments in favour of a truth to character is probably the key. This integrity lasted him a lifetime.
In a star studded film, led by Peter O’Toole, Plummer took on the role of real life Nazi officer Field Marshall Rommel, bringing a gravitas and cold determination to the role that became his trademark in supporting roles for decades. Less a pure “war” movie, this is more of a whodunit in uniform. Once again, he chose not to play the obvious stereotypes of evil and darkness, but played Rommel as a man first and a Nazi second. The film itself is problematic now, but as a museum piece and entertainment as a detective story it still holds up as a decent watch. Proof also that Plummer could hold his own sharing the screen with stone cold stars such as O’Toole and Omar Sharif. Of all Plummer’s 60s and 70s output as military men, this is the one that still has interest to modern audiences. As an interesting trivia fact, producer Sam Spiegal was so pleased with Plummer in the role that he bought him a Rolls Royce!
Plummer was almost fired by the producers of John Huston’s wonderfully enjoyable film, before Sean Connery stepped in and said, “lose him and you lose me”. You can’t see it on film, but there was a lot of tension behind the scenes, with accusations of racism and mistreatment of the crew throughout. It is testament to Plummer’s integrity and professionalism that he not only remained focused through a thankless job, but rose above the character given on paper to emerge as a memorable part of the whole, despite Caine and Connery chewing up every moment of on-screen time. It was his quiet dignity yet again that proved a counterpoint to the more showy performances of the two leads. He is not the main thing you remember from the film, but he is the thing that gives it balance. His final moments as Kipling are especially worth seeing again and again.
Aged 50, Plummer had reached the point of his career where he was being cast almost exclusively as villains or unlikable foils to the film’s hero. As William Fawcett Robinson in this under-rated time travel fantasy, he is ostensibly the villain, as Jane Seymour’s manager, the man intent on preventing Christopher Reeve from his destiny and happiness for some very shady reasons. Again, Plummer only turns up the cheese a notch or two, aware of the two dimensionality of his character, but refusing to indulge it in a moustache twirling pastiche. What works about it is that we can see his reasons and can almost sympathise. As with the best movie villains, the secret is to be almost likeable, yet ultimately corrupt. Plummer achieves that splendidly in what is a guilty pleasure movie for me. Interestingly, I have always thought Plummer was interchangeable with Max Von Sydow in many roles – Von Sydow was offered this role first, and turned it down, allowing Plummer to step in.
Plummer’s career had become a little bogged down in the 80s, with very few roles offering him the quality he needed to display his considerable talents. A decade after the previous film on this list, an unexpected source of recognition came in the sixth feature in the original Star Trek movie franchise, and the deliciously arch Klingon villain, Chang. Using his vast experience as a Shakespearean stage actor and his array of Nazi officers on film, Plummer brings a devilish relish to the part that few others could have delivered with such class. Star Trek villains come and go, but Chang, together with Khan in the second movie, stand out as perfect realisations of what is needed to pull the trick off. Detestibly arrogant and terrifying mean, Chang is a prime example of what a sci-fi villain can be in the right actor’s hands. He gets to deliver some unforgettable lines, and is rewarded with one of the best demises in the genre. I love this movie, and love what Plummer brings to it.
At 70 years of age, Plummer again took on a juicy role as a real person, Mike Wallace, the famed journalist of 60 Minutes fame, in Michael Mann’s glorious production of The Insider. Not for the first time, or the last, he was to deliver a memorable and fully rounded performance behind two huge lead stars – in this case Russell Crowe and Al Pacino. An intensely smart film, it needed everyone involved to understand the nuance of character at the heart of these men, and the motivations that drove them. Plummer gives another sensitive vision of a man not entirely likeable, but not entirely wrong; fodder for lesser actors to mess up, for sure. Probably my favourite film on this list, and one of my personal favourites amongst Plummer’s work. There is a maturity and craftsmanship on display here that was begging for awards recognition. I believe it paved the way to him finally getting that in subsequent films. At such an age, this was actually the beginning of an era of consistent quality that would last another two decades.
Two years later, and Plummer and Crowe meet again on screen in Ron Howard’s far from perfect but much loved A Beautiful Mind. I have a lot of problems with this film, but Plummer as Dr. Rosen, the man who initially diagnosed and attempted to “cure” mathematician John Nash of schizophrenia, is not one of them. It is another role of believable dignity and assured presence, swamped by the more showy and sentimental elements of the film that make me cringe just a little. By this point in his career you do start to feel you are watching an actor so comfortable in his naturalism and calm demeanour that it often doesn’t feel like screen acting at all. His part in it isn’t going to be the main thing you take away from the experience, but it would certainly be a poorer film without him.
Approaching 80 years old, Plummer added another string to his bow by adding his voice talents to the Pixar universe, in Up. As adventurer Charles Muntz he loosens the reigns on having fun just a notch, clearly enjoying himself and the hyperbole of his dialogue. Again, he is the villain of the piece to some extent – he certainly does some very strange things to dogs! But, again we see his talent for shade in portraying Muntz as a real man with real motives that went astray. There is no sign whatsoever of his energy waning, and he even stated it was one of the most fun jobs he could remember doing. “Adventure is out there”, he reminded us – no matter what age or time of life you find yourself in.
I have to confess that this is one of two films on this list I have yet to see. Considering it is the role for which he finally received absolute recognition by sweeping the awards Triple Crown (Oscar, Bafta, Golden Globe), I am a little ashamed not to have got around to it yet. But, in the light of his passing, I am going to make an effort to finally see it this weekend. Plummer claimed he was drawn to the role of Hal, a man diagnosed with cancer who comes out to his son as gay in his final year of life, because it had no degree of self-pity to it. It was a celebration, not a bemoaning of modernity and the wonders of old age. I expect to be fully involved in this tale and be touched by what Plummer brings to it. Even in theory it stands out even more as exemplifying the philosophies of his acting career – that people are a tapestry of their words and deeds which often defy easy explanation and labelling.
Whether you prefer the original Swedish version of this devastatingly exciting thriller or not, it is hard to deny that the David Fincher version has a lot going for it. Not least, attracting Plummer to the role of Henrik Vanger, a man with a dark past and a potential secret of earth shattering consequence. Such is the skill on display by Plummer here that, even until the very last moments, we are unsure of whether to trust or believe a word he says. He evokes suspicion and sympathy in equal measure, highlighting yet again the theme of ambiguous humanity that punctuates Plummer’s magnificent career. The deftness of his touch as Henrik is beautiful to behold. As is his understanding of genre and tone. A wonderful piece of supporting work.
Sadly, I have yet to see this one either. I hope to put that right soon. It had mixed reviews and garnered attention for all the wrong reasons initially, being the film Kevin Spacey was fired from months into shooting in the midst of the #metoo scandal. Plummer stepped into the role of John Paul Getty aged 88 at a moment’s notice, completed work on it in 3 weeks and was nominated for an Oscar as a reward. Whether the role justified that or not, it is an incredible achievement at such an advanced age to have the energy, virility and will to do that. Plus, he didn’t need the heavy ageing make-up Spacey did… everyone wins, expect KS. Director Ridley Scott showed Plummer no footage of Spacey in the role and was astonished how different, yet equally effective, both portrayals were. Plummer had met Gettu Snr. as a young man and claimed to use the impression he had gained from that meeting to colour the performance.
The film and performance that inspired me to award Christopher Plummer the lifetime achievement honour on The Wasteland last Summer. His totally consummate understanding of cinema, genre and character is so expertly on screen in every moment. You don’t get to be that effortlessly good without a lifetime of experience – I simply adore what he does with patriarch Harlan Thrombey in this vivid and perfectly realised murder mystery pastiche. He exhibits a rare lightness of touch here, whilst still giving the impression of a fully rounded man who has lived a complex and rich (in many ways) life. It will perhaps now be remembered as his last great role, and what a fitting way to say goodbye and cement his movie legacy for all time. As in this and all the films above, imagine it without him and realise how it probably wouldn’t be anywhere near as good. I certainly am struggling to think of anyone that can take on the mantle he carved for himself in the work of his final years.
Thank you for sticking with me through this list. I hope you discovered something you didn’t know, or were inspired to watch something you haven’t yet seen. Watch this space for more 12 of the Best articles soon. If you have a comment you’d like to share, please leave it below, or engage with thewasteland.art.blog on Instagram. Shantih Kx
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