In a career of remarkable versatility, Maggie Smith revealed theatricality to be a mode of existence

As a movie enthusiast with over three decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that Maggie Smith was a true master of her craft. Her ability to transform simple dialogue into captivating performances was nothing short of extraordinary.

Few actors can manipulate words as skillfully as Maggie Smith, using even the simplest syllables to create powerful performances. For her, language was a versatile tool.

In her writing, her characters often land heavily on consonants, similar to a plane making an emergency landing amidst an engine failure. On the other hand, she elongates vowels in a way that seems to challenge the very laws of physics. She wields silence as if it were a lethal weapon. Her pauses could engulf any nearby conversation. The emptiness she leaves behind, before her speech, is more potent than any joke – it carries not only the anticipation of what she may say, but also how she might deliver it with impact.

As a product of an English acting school deeply connected to Shakespeare, Dame Maggie (who passed away in London at 89 on Friday) was meticulously prepared for adaptability. Spanning decades, genres, and cultural boundaries with her stage and screen work, her remarkable versatility had one consistent trait: a profound respect for the written word. Her talents – widely acclaimed as legendary – transformed scripted dialogue into melodious speech.

In her, comedy seemed more instinctive than tragedy because she recognized that life doesn’t distinguish between the two – pain and absurdity often coexist. She cherished the resilience of human eccentricities and whims, their ability to persist despite immense adversity. Every person will eventually fade away, but our unique characteristics are irreplaceable. She celebrated those remnants while also satirizing their questionable significance.

In 1990, when I was still a student, I had the chance to witness Smith performing on Broadway in New York for one time only, in Peter Shaffer’s “Lettice and Lovage” at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The atmosphere around the production was electric, and it’s a memory that remains vivid even today. Audiences were drawn to the theatre like moths to a flame to catch a master of comedy at her peak. Watching Smith and her co-star Margaret Tyzack exchange quick-witted remarks was as thrilling as watching Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova trade powerful forehands on the tennis court at Wimbledon.

The play, which centers around a whimsical guide leading tours through a boring and grand English manor house, clashes with a detail-oriented authority figure at the historical site, is essentially forgettable. However, what remains memorable are the sharp wit, the escalating frustration, and the dance of contrasting personalities momentarily aligning. Shaffer skillfully offers enough material to let two seasoned actors showcase their impressive skills.

1969 saw Smith receive an Oscar for her captivating performance in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” a movie based on Muriel Spark’s novel. This film portrayed a charismatic teacher at an Edinburgh girls’ school, whose unconventional teaching methods, filled with romantic ideas, could be potentially dangerous and even fascistic. The role was tailor-made for Smith’s powerful acting skills and enchanting allure.

She was at her best on screen when she could bring the stage with her. Her first Oscar nomination was for playing Desdemona opposite Laurence Olivier’s Othello and her subsequent nominations were all for characters whose theatricality was a mode of existence. She earned a second Oscar for her magnificent supporting turn in Herbert Ross’ 1978 film “California Suite,” playing an egomaniacal British actress who has come to Los Angeles with her husband to attend the Academy Awards as her marriage unravels. Smith makes a full-course meal of Neil Simon’s savage skit.

Acclaim fell upon Smith due to her roles in “Downton Abbey” and the “Harry Potter” series, a level of recognition she viewed warily. Performing as a sharp-witted dowager or powerful witchcraft teacher felt second nature to her, but what truly captivated her about acting was its ability to offer a transformative experience. Actors embody many personalities, and Smith recognized the vast array within herself.

Noble individuals who behaved in dictatorial ways could make for entertaining roles, but common folk could be equally dominant. She shone on stage and screen in Alan Bennett’s “The Lady in the Van,” portraying a stubborn squatter with a strong sense of self-importance. Another one of Bennett’s works, “Bed Among the Lentils” (from his “Talking Heads” series for BBC Television), provided her an opportunity to play a solitary vicar’s wife struggling with alcoholism and desires that were hard to conceal.

Exhibiting a unique blend of emotional depth and unconventional wit in characterizing women pushed to their breaking point, as exemplified in the 1987 film “The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne”, was one of her specialties. She understood that no drama is more compelling than the paradox of human nature, the struggle between personal identity and societal impression.

Compare the arrogance of the indelible dowager from “Gosford Park” with her desperate financial situation. Satire is most effective when it’s mixed with uncomfortable truths.

Smith possessed a unique talent similar to Geraldine Page’s, where they seemed to effortlessly bring real-life authenticity from the streets onto the screen or stage. This suggests that ordinary people had somehow managed to slip through the casting process undetected. Remarkably, both were among the most skilled actors of the modern era, a clear demonstration of their exceptional talent. Smith, steeped in the classical British tradition, was guided by the swift eloquence found in Shakespeare’s works. Her impeccable timing was unparalleled, yet it was her ability to expose raw truth within the brief pause before thoughts and emotions are expressed verbally that truly set her apart.

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2024-09-27 22:31