I think it funny that there was a time that I didn’t think Leonardo DiCaprio was going to be much of an actor. After TITANIC, I was ready to write him off as an another pretty face that would bring in the box office but not the quality roles. How wrong I was. In fact, DiCaprio has grown into one of my favorite actors working today.
I am ready, based on the trailers for DJANGO UNCHAINED alone, to say that DiCaprio is the favorite for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in February. He is playing against type and is chewing the scenery with such skill that I don’t see who else could take it from him.
In a feature looking at the prospective nominees for the Oscars, Variety interviewed DJANGO UNCHAINED producer Stacey Sher who recounted her experience with DiCaprio filming a particular scene which resulted in the cast and crew giving a standing ovation.
“Leo had slammed his hand on the table countless times and he moved his hand further and he crushed a crystal cordial glass,” Sher says. “Blood was dripping down his hand. He never broke character. He kept going. He was in such a zone. It was very intense. He required stitches. [The ovation was] not because he cut himself. Because in that scene he had pages and pages of monologue. His performance was masterful. His level of commitment is extraordinary.”
Now, I know a flesh wound is not exactly losing a limb, but it goes to show that DiCaprio is one of those rare actors that completely loses himself in the character he portrays. You can see multiple instances of this intensity in the various trailers for the film. I am hoping we are not getting all of the best bits in these trailers and this quote leads me to believe the meatiest part of DiCaprio’s performance has yet to be seen.
DJANGO UNCHAINED opens on Christmas Day