All That Chat - re: SOM's Rolf: His Behavior at the End

HOME ALL THAT CHAT ATC WEST COAST SHOPPIN' RUSH BOARD FAQS

LOGIN REGISTER SEARCH FLAT MODE E-OPINIONS

not logged in

re: SOM's Rolf: His Behavior at the End

Posted by:	JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 11:33 am EST 12/06/13
In reply to:	re: SOM's Rolf: His Behavior at the End - Michael_Portantiere 11:00 am EST 12/06/13

I've always found this moment in the film to be so interesting. As you say, the line itself could be taken as high praise and Plummer could have chosen to play it that way and give Rolf some of the compassion and understanding that he has lately re-learned to give his own children. But that would not have motivated Rolf's next action. So Plummer needed to take a sympathic line and play it in such a way that it causes such offense to Rolf that Rolf changes his mind about helping the family in an instant. And, boy, does he. The icy way that Plummer says the line is completely out of character with the man we've seen since Maria melted his cold heart and it's difficult to think that the character we've grown to love could be that tone-deaf and blind to the reaction he'd get. Frankly, I've always been surprised that Plummer didn't find himself shot at point blank range, after all. Plummer's Captain has basically insulted Rolf's manhood and gives him no choice, but to assert himself in the only way he can. I would love to have been on the spot and seen how Plummer worked all this out. I wonder if there was any discussion about how this was going to work. Clearly, Lehman had taken the scene in the opposite direction from the stage script, because he wanted a more dramatic ending, but I wonder if he actually thought it through to this moment and the almost-impossible acting assignment he was handing his leading man.
URL:	Jere-Rigged

reply \|

Previous:	re: SOM's Rolf: His Behavior at the End - Michael_Portantiere 11:00 am EST 12/06/13
Next:	re: SOM's Rolf: His Behavior at the End - Michael_Portantiere 12:18 pm EST 12/06/13

Thread:	re: SOM's Rolf: His Behavior at the End - Michael_Portantiere 12:18 pm EST 12/06/13 (3) re: SOM's Rolf: His Behavior at the End - JereNYC 12:45 pm EST 12/06/13 (2) re: SOM's Rolf: His Behavior at the End - Michael_Portantiere 02:39 pm EST 12/06/13 (1) re: SOM's Rolf: His Behavior at the End - LegitOnce 05:52 pm EST 12/06/13

All That Chat is intended for the discussion of theatre news and opinion
subject to the terms and conditions of the Terms of Service. (Please take all off-topic discussion to private email.)