by Jennifer Drewett
The issue of access to acting opportunities for anyone who isn’t a rich, white man in modern times has come up recently with James McAvoy pledging £125,000 to The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to fund talent for those under 25 who cannot afford the drama school fees and Christopher Eccleston pointing out in a recent interview that if he was entering acting now it would be so much harder for him as a working class actor. Inequality within the film industry is a definite issue but it definitely isn’t impossible to make it as an actor if you’re not from a high socio-economic background. One such examples is the talented Alan Rickman. He was born in 1946 on a council estate in Acton, West London to his unemployed Mum and his father who was a factory worker who would die when Rickman was 8. He ended up attending Latymer Upper School on a scholarship and would go on to get a degree at Royal College of Art. He ran a successful graphics design business he set up before his love of theatre got him to audition and get a scholarship for Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He’s worked hard to get to where he is and to celebrate the release of the film A Little Chaos which he starred in and directed, here’s an essentials list of Alan Rickman films you must go watch.
Honourable Mention: Die Hard. I’m totally aware of the cult following his character Hans Gruber received when Die Hard hit the cinema screens but there are two excellent reasons why it wasn’t included in the Essentials list. The first reason is that I’ve only seen Die Hard once many years ago so my memory of the film is limited hence I feel I can’t adequately comment on it. Secondly, and most importantly, these Rickman performances in these films made a genuine impact on audiences including myself. I felt they deserved commentary and recommendation on their own merits.
The issue of access to acting opportunities for anyone who isn’t a rich, white man in modern times has come up recently with James McAvoy pledging £125,000 to The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to fund talent for those under 25 who cannot afford the drama school fees and Christopher Eccleston pointing out in a recent interview that if he was entering acting now it would be so much harder for him as a working class actor. Inequality within the film industry is a definite issue but it definitely isn’t impossible to make it as an actor if you’re not from a high socio-economic background. One such examples is the talented Alan Rickman. He was born in 1946 on a council estate in Acton, West London to his unemployed Mum and his father who was a factory worker who would die when Rickman was 8. He ended up attending Latymer Upper School on a scholarship and would go on to get a degree at Royal College of Art. He ran a successful graphics design business he set up before his love of theatre got him to audition and get a scholarship for Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He’s worked hard to get to where he is and to celebrate the release of the film A Little Chaos which he starred in and directed, here’s an essentials list of Alan Rickman films you must go watch.
Honourable Mention: Die Hard. I’m totally aware of the cult following his character Hans Gruber received when Die Hard hit the cinema screens but there are two excellent reasons why it wasn’t included in the Essentials list. The first reason is that I’ve only seen Die Hard once many years ago so my memory of the film is limited hence I feel I can’t adequately comment on it. Secondly, and most importantly, these Rickman performances in these films made a genuine impact on audiences including myself. I felt they deserved commentary and recommendation on their own merits.
Harry Potter Series
It would make logical sense to point out a role that arguably Rickman is best known for in the generation of the current I’m With Geek staff. One can’t mention Rickman without someone referencing his performance as Professor Severus Snape in the incredibly successful Harry Potter film series. Whilst the film themselves fall short in contrast to the books, Rickman is one of the best elements of the entire series. He plays the classic depressive intellectual character he has come to perfect over his four-decade career and adds a quality to Snape that makes us empathise with him against our better judgement.
Sense & Sensibility
This is a motion picture adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility that isn’t quite as celebrated as Pride & Prejudice as a story but is arguably better. This is the story of the Dashwood women who end up having to move out of their beloved home and downgrade their living when Mr Dashwood dies and his son from a previous marriage gets almost everything. They end up in Barton Park, Devonshire and the story explores their adjustment as a family as well as the romantic entanglements of Marianne (played by Kate Winslet) and Elinor (played by Emma Thompson). Rickman plays the noble and kind Colonel Brandon, a military man who falls for Marianne and harbours a difficult past. It’s a role that one wouldn’t ordinarily match to this actor but he effectively plays a man women would swoon for especially when he rescues Marianne from succumbing to the pouring rain and did all he could to aid her sister in nursing her back to health.
Dogma
Rickman is very much known for his love of theatre which really shows in his method of acting. It must’ve been incredibly strange when it transpired that he would play a character called Metatron who would come out with such lines as “See? I’m as anatomically impaired as a Ken-doll!” Thankfully for film audiences everywhere, Dogma exists to amuse us and bring interesting commentary on, among other things, religion and representations of angels and God. Rickman’s firm yet hilarious Metatron showcases some of his funniest scenes. Some actors struggle to have good performances in comedies as well as dramas. Rickman makes it look effortless
Snow Cake
Now Snow Cake was discussed previously on this site when I discussedAutism in Film . As I pointed out there, Sigourney Weaver’s performance as Linda is sublime but it would not have been possible without Rickman. Not only did Rickman personally recommend Weaver for the role of Linda but his performance as the traumatised Alex who was in a car crash that killed Linda’s daughter Vivienne. Alex is a difficult character to pull off in a brutally honest script but Rickman does a great job. His quick-witted but sensitive Alex is a character one can’t help but immediately root for even when more about his past is slowly discovered.
A Little Chaos
It would be a crime to have an Essentials on Alan Rickman without mentioning A Little Chaos. For those who haven’t already read my review of this, Rickman plays King Louis XIV as well as directs the film. His portrayal of the King is wonderfully multi-faceted. Whilst he plays up to the opulence the King gets to enjoy, he brilliantly shows off the human side of him especially in the wake of the death of a loved one. His interactions with Winslet’s Sabine de Barra is a sight to behold, something that hasn’t happened since they starred in Sense & Sensibility together. It’s a beautiful film that is highly recommended for all.
What Do You Think?
Are these the best movies of Alan Rickman?
Is there more in is repertoire that you love, actually?
Let us know in the comments below!
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