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Over the course of his seven decades on the stage, in movies, and on television, Robert Duvall has played characters ranging from ruthless corporate executives (Network or The Conversation), a Mafia consigliere (The Godfather), a strutting egotistical colonel obsessed with surfing in a war zone (Apocalypse Now), to an easygoing philosophical ex-Texas Ranger (Lonesome Dove). The common thread running through all these performances—and through Duvall’s persona—is believability. No matter how daring, evil, banal, sophisticated, or enigmatic the role, Robert Duvall makes it undeniably authentic.
Compare Tom Hagen of The Godfather with Gus McRae of Lonesome Dove. The former is cautious, thoughtful, shrewd, and loyal; the latter is daring, outlandish, provocative, and a bit of a debauchee. You probably couldn’t find two more dissimilar people, yet Duvall makes each one eminently believable. His attention to craft and detail, and his avowed observation of human tics and behavior have molded him into one of the finest American actors of his generation.
In Tender Mercies, Robert Duvall’s performance as a washed-up country western singer fighting for self-respect and redemption earned him an Academy Award. His portrayal of Mac Sledge’s stoic internal struggle with his demons, revealed in reluctantly revealed bits and pieces, is a remarkable piece of work.
He is the quintessential actor, so absorbed in the inner lives of his characters, that their authenticity is hard to doubt. His skill at internalizing these lives into his own persona makes him one of our best.
The Top Ten Films of Robert Duvall
The Godfather: In this modern classic, surrounded by talent like Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Diane Keaton, Hagen shines as the fiercely loyal, prudent, and deliberate family lawyer to the Corleone family. Hagen is calm, cool, measured, and quietly ruthless man who thinks everything through. As an “adopted” member of the family, Hagen holds his own with the Corleone sons Sonny (James Caan) and Michael (Al Pacino), while maintaining a shrewd business acumen with the Godfather (Brando). Duvall carries this off with an air of relaxed confidence. In the scene where he is discussing Solozzo’s proposed deal with the Godfather, Duvall exudes an air of confidence, efficiency, and shrewdness. He is entirely believable.
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, John Cazale, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, and Abe Vigoda. Adapted from the novel by Mario Puzo. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Tomorrow: Based on a short story by William Faulkner, this film is about Jackson Fentry (Duvall), a poor and isolated farmer who takes in a pregnant woman whose husband has abandoned her. Fentry nurses the woman back to health, all the while growing more attached to her. Before she dies after complications of childbirth, she makes him promise to look after her son, but the child is forcibly taken away from him by her ex-husband’s brother. Years later, as shown in flashback, Fentry sits on a jury that will determine whether the boy lives or dies. Fentry, to his credit, remembers his promise. Duvall excels here at expressing a multitude of emotions with minimum expression. Fentry is so isolated, he has very nearly forgotten how to communicate with people, but Duvall manages to portray a rich and complex—and unappreciated—inner life remarkably well. His body language, facial expressions, and eye contact are all the tools he needs.
Starring: Robert Duvall, Olga Bellin, Sudie Bond, Peter Masterson, and James Franks. Adapted by Horton Foote. Directed by Joseph Anthony.
Tender Mercies: In this understated drama about guilt, repentance, and redemption, Duvall plays Mac Sledge (Duvall), a washed-up country western star who, after hitting bottom, decides to straighten up. Unable to pay his motel bill after a binge, Sledge asks the owner Rosa Lee (Tess Harper) if he can work off his bill. She agrees to hire him if he stops drinking, which he does. After a time, Rosa and Mac develop feelings for each other as he also develops a strong relationship with her son Sonny (Allen Hubbard). Mac begins writing songs again and goes to Harry (Wilford Brimley), his former agent, who refuses to represent him mostly because his ex-wife (famous country singer Dixie—Betty Buckley), is still angry at him. Mac gives the song to a local band and then reconciles with his teenage daughter Sue Anne (Ellen Barkin). Duvall’s portrayal of Mac as a reticent and tortured man is a marvel of understatement. His face and words betray very little of his inner life; his voice and eyes and body language, however, speak volumes.
Starring: Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Betty Buckley, Ellen Barkin, and Wilford Brimley. Written by Horton Foote. Directed by Bruce Beresford.
The Great Santini: A domineering and abusive Marine pilot, William “Bull” Meechum (Duvall) moves his family to his new post in Beaufort, South Carolina. His wife Lillian (Blythe Danner) is quiet and unassuming, never contradicting or berating her husband for his abusive behavior or drinking, and his children Ben (Micheal O’Keefe) and Mary Anne (Lisa Jane Persky) are well-behaved and accustomed to his harsh discipline. Things come to a head when Ben earns a spot on the high school basketball squad. During a one-on-one game with this father, Bull refuses to let Ben win, intimidating him and becoming aggressive when he begins to get the upper hand. Afterwards, during a game, Bull tells his son get back at another player who fouled him, resulting in him getting ejected from the squad. Ben incurs his father’s wrath by helping a mortally wounded friend, but when Bull learns his son showed courage in his choice, he lays off but still cannot apologize. Duvall’s performance as the cruel, narcissistic, and sometimes sadistic father is somehow sympathetic; underneath his tough and stern drill-sergeant exterior the viewer senses a man who senses he is out of place in the world of his family and is hurting them.
Starring: Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner, Michael O’Keefe, Lisa Jane Persky, Stan Shaw, and David Keefe. Written and directed by Lewis John Carlino and based on the novel by Pat Conroy.
Lonesome Dove: In this epic Western miniseries based on the best-selling novel by Larry McMurtry, Duvall plays Augustus McCrae, an amiable ex-Texas Ranger, who, with his surly partner Woodrow Call (Tommy Lee Jones) decides to take a herd of cattle from South Texas to the wilds of Montana. Along the way, they encounter outlaws, an Arkansas sheriff looking for his wife, wild Indians, and the psychotic Blue Duck (Frederic Forrest), an old adversary. Duvall’s McRae is a cowboy philosopher always on the lookout for an adventure or a pleasant afternoon with with his favorite whore Lorena (Diane Lane). This performance is the first in a number of later films that have Duvall playing upright and articulate gentleman cowboys. He gives McRae’s shrewd humor, infectious enthusiasm, and provocative pronouncements complete and utter credence. His mannerisms as Gus, are so seemingly spontaneous that the character is entirely and always believable. He is one of the most likable and sympathetic heroes to ever grace the small screen.
Starring: Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Diane Lane, Frederic Forrest, D.B. Sweeney, Danny Glover, and Robert Ulrich. Written for the screen by Larry McMurtry and William D. Wittliff. Directed by Simon Wincer.
Apocalypse Now: In one of his most memorable supporting roles (pronouncing one of the most notorious movie lines ever), Duvall plays Colonel William “Bill” Kilgore, a zealous Calvary commander who, after leading an attack on a Vietnamese village, kneels down in front of his squad and says, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”. Kilgore is a surfing enthusiast who attacks the village for the quality of the waves. Duvall brings a fanatic intensity to the character who was loosely based on the real-life characters of George Patton and Colonel John Stockton. His camaraderie with his men, paired with the casual arrogance of a complete egoist makes Kilgore—even for the short amount of time he is on screen, one of the most memorable characters in the film.
Starring: Marlon Brando, Frederic Forrest, Martin Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper, Harrison Ford, and Robert Duvall. Written by John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
The Apostle: In this film, Duvall plays Euliss F. Dewey, a charismatic preacher. When he learns his wife Jessie (Farrah Fawcett) is having an affair with a youth preacher Horace (Todd Allen) and plans to leave him and attempting to have him removed from the church, he snaps. In a fit of rage, he kills Horace and flees to the bayous of Louisiana, where he destroys all evidence of his past and rebaptizes himself. He starts to build a new life, starting a new church and a radio program as the Apostle E.F. After hearing him on the radio, Jessie calls the cops. They show up in the middle of a service and Sonny ends up getting his just desserts. Duvall’s performance in this demanding role, ranging from a man brimming with devotion to a jealous lover consumed with rage, is nothing short of remarkable. Stringing together the broken hopes of a man whose only continuing life thread is his unwavering belief in a force greater than himself demands a range and commitment few actors could hand.
Starring: Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, Miranda Richardson, John Beasley, Walton Goggins, and Billy Bob Thornton. Written and directed by Robert Duvall.
M*A*S*H*: Robert Altman’s landmark wartime comedy boasted an all-star cast of hot-shot doctors including Donald Sutherland (Hawkeye), Elliott Gould (Trapper John), Sally Kellerman (Hot Lips), and Tom Skerrit (Duke), along with an outstanding supporting cast including Robert Duvall. Hawkeye and Duke’s bunkmate Frank Burns (Duvall) is the antithesis of the fun-loving and irreverent doctors. Burns, and his relentless piety, becomes a target of their (and the viewer’s) contempt and scorn. When the new head nurse Hot Lips arrives, sparks fly between her and Frank, culminating in his final humiliation. In his depiction of the eminently unlikable Frank Burns, Duvall manages to strike an unsteady balance between stodginess, meanness, and moral superiority. It’s hard to like Duvall’s Burns, but it’s even harder not to feel badly for him. He likes the kid at school who never quite fit in.
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall, and Gary Burghoff. Written by Ring Lardner, Jr.. Directed by Robert Altman.
True Confessions: In this neo-noir film, two brothers, Des Spellacy (Robert DeNiro), a Catholic priest and Tom (Robert Duvall) a homicide cop, find themselves at odds when the investigation of a sensational LA murder involving a dismembered prostitute implicates one of the primary lay donors in the local diocese. Tom is assigned the case, and when it leads to the madam of a local brothel and then to megadonor Jack Amsterdam (Charles Durning), Tom is determined to bring him to justice but is frustrated when Des attempts to shield him. During his investigation, Tom discovers that his brother is also implicated in the prostitution ring and that the revelation of this will ruin his career. Tom is determined to bring Amsterdam in, which leads to his brother’s downfall. Duvall’s performance as the intensely driven Tom, and the chemistry between him and DeNiro, is one-of-a-king.
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, Kenneth McMillan, Burgess Meredith, Ed Flanders, and Dan Hedaya. Written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne. Directed by Ulu Grosband.
Open Range: In this neo-Western, Boss Spearman (Duvall), his partner Charlie Waite (Kevin Costner), and their tiny crew of Mose (Abraham Benrubi) and Button (Diego Luna) are driving a herd cross-country. After Spearman sends Mose into the town of Harmonville for supplies, he is beaten and arrested by the local sheriff. When Charley and Spearman go to get their man, they are told by town boss Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon) that free grazers are not tolerated. Soon after, their camp is raided, and when he discovers Mose has been killed and Button is mortally wounded, Spearman declares war on Baxter, resulting in one of best shootout scenes in the history of film. Along the way, Charley is smitten by Sue (Annette Bening), the doctor’s sister. Duvall’s portrayal of Spearman is reminiscent of his work as Gus McRae. Both men are intelligent, articulate, and committed to protecting his men. As a paragon of individual conscience and frontier justice, Duvall’s Boss Spearman is perfect.
Starring: Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Michael Gambon, Annette Bening, Diego Luna, and Abraham Benrubi. Written by Craig Storper. Directed by Kevin Costner.