Dealing with critics. Part I

“Ultimately, most actors have to walk on the set and say, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”. Because you may be dressed in the scene, but trust me, you are naked in front of a lot of strangers. And you are ultimately depending upon their kindness,” states Peter Strauss. Because of this, actors are extremely susceptible to criticism.

Writers, directors and other members of a production team can use various excuses to deter criticism, but when an actor acts, that is them; they can’t displace the criticism, there is no where for it to go. Kate Winslet (Titanic) said once, “Because of the person I am I won’t be knocked down-ever. They can do what they like. They can say I’m fat, I’m thin, I’m whatever, and I’ll never stop. I just won’t. I’ve got too much to do. I’ve got too much to be happy about.” 

There will of course be some critics that dislike a film very much, while others find the exact same film very enduring and delightful. From a critical standpoint, a film may not possess all the qualities of an Oscar-caliber picture, although the film will still bring in millions of dollars at the box office due to audience appeal. It is important for an actor to try and take constructive criticism well but with a grain of salt. 

Actors and directors cannot allow one bad remark about a film to alter their thoughts and beliefs about it. If an actor or director truly believes in the quality of their work then reviews should mean very little to them. As director Paul Mazursky once stated, “I don’t take most of the critics seriously. I don’t see how you can see ten pictures a week and do a legitimate job day to day”.

Robert Altman has mentioned that the only thing that he has really learned from critics is that there are people that look at film from a different point of view then his own.

An example of how reviews do not necessarily reflect the impact a movie may have is seen in a 1980 review in Variety magazine of the film Raging Bull. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Raging bull was given mixed reviews for both its so-called “lack of quieter, introspective moments” along with “audience alienation”. 

Scorsese was also criticized for actor Robert De Niro's character being a “turn-off” in that same article. Despite these criticisms, Raging Bull went on to be nominated for several Academy awards including those for Best Actor and Best Director, and is today considered on the of the American Film Institute’s 100 best films of all time.

Critics have been very kind to actress Mary McDonnell. She was given rave reviews along with Academy Award nominations for her performances on the films Dances with Wolves and Passion Fish. McDonnell points out actors live in a different world from that of their fellow collaborators. “Actors are part of a certain percentage of people on this planet that have emotional vocabulary as a primary experience. It’s as if their life is experienced”.