MovieChat Forums > The Boston Strangler (1968) Discussion > Acting Ability

Acting Ability

posted 17 years ago by jon-431
3 replies | jump to latest

I've looked through many of the threads here, to see what other people thought about this film. Many concern themselves about the 'R' rating that the film received and why it was attributed.
I have two points to make. Firstly, I was seventeen years old when I came across this film, some time after its release, and I became so engrossed with the peeling away of Curtis's sanity, as it is unveiled that he truly was the 'strangler', that it was the one and only occasion I have ever had, when viewing a film, that I was forced to leave my seat, go to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face. Therein lies the rating, and for once, I believe that they got it right. It is nothing to do with sex and gore, it is psychological trauma, (for want of a better word), that an impressionable person should be shielded from. Remember, I was 17, world-wise and therefore fairly invulnerable to this fare. Tony Curtis was so magnificent with his ability to act on screen; that he so wonderfully sympathised with the character, he made it ultra real. To date, it stands above many of the other performances I have seen, which comes to my second point: Cliff Robertson in 'Charly', won the Best Actor award that year...WHY?

[–] Eudocia508 17 years ago

It was on tv the other night and I was rivetted by Curtis's performance. I remember seeing it many years ago and being struck then by him--seeing it last night I was shocked by some scenes wondering if they had a hard time with the rating board. Curtis gave such a chilling interpretation and really sold it. I was a little surprised by Fonda--I agree with the poster who basically said he phoned it in. I thought Tony Curtis deserved an Oscar for this. At least a nomination.

[–] Marinas1212 12 years ago

My goodness I couldn't agree with you more ~ I watched it for the first time last night and believe me, as a 49-year old psychotherapist who really is somewhat world-wise as you put it, I had to pause the movie at several occasions (all of them when Tony Curtis was onscreen) as I found his mesmerizing portrayal of this character (factionalized or not) mesmerizing to the point it was almost unbearable. I notice everyone on this board who slaughtered this film appears to be male. I believe they simply cannot imagine the terror this theme arouses in women.

And I couldn't agree with you more re the lack of an Oscar nod for Curtis. It probably had to do with the fact that he was cast against type.

"Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars."

[–] richard-III 11 years ago

I became so engrossed with the peeling away of Curtis's sanity, as it is unveiled that he truly was the 'strangler', that it was the one and only occasion I have ever had, when viewing a film, that I was forced to leave my seat, go to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face.

Excellently well said. I could not agree more. When I first saw this movie on TV as a late show, I must have been about twenty, and at the end of a good film came the dramatic climax with DeSalvo (Tony Curtis, opposite Henry Fonda) facing his own thoughts and memories, before mentally collapsing. I just got lost in the still of the night.

"I don't discriminate between entertainment and arthouse. A film is a goddam film."