Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1975: Results

5. Leon Vitali in Barry Lyndon- Vitali gives a good performance being properly pompous but as well managing to be somewhat sympathetic by showing where his character is coming from.

Best Scene: Bullingdon duels Barry.

4. Charles Durning in A Dog Day Afternoon- Durning doesn't have much of a role, but he makes more than the most of it portraying the method of the police negotiator in a very compelling fashion.

Best Scene: Moretti tries to handle Sonny and the crowd. 

3. Max von Sydow in Three Days of the Condor- Max von Sydow is excellent in his portrayal of the cold calculated killer who we absolutely believe when he says his job is refreshing.

Best Scene: Joubert warns Condor about his possible fate.  

2. John Cazale in Dog Day Afternoon- Cazale once again gives a great tragic performance. He is terrific in creating both a danger in that violence bubbling underneath the man, but as well the sadness by earnestly showing just how lost his character is.

Best Scene: Sal asks Sonny if they will really kill the hostages. 

1. Robert Shaw in Jaws- Good Prediction RatedRStar, Michael Patison, and JamDenTel. Although I loved the performances of Max von Sydow, John Cazale, George Burns and Burgess Meredith I did not have to think twice about who would be my choice for the year overall. Robert Shaw is amazing in the role of the Ahab like shark hunter Quint. He is outstanding every moment he is on screen giving an equally entertaining and heartbreaking turn. His delivery of the Indianapolis speech alone should have guaranteed him both an Oscar nomination and an Oscar win.

Best Scene: The Indianapolis monologue. 

Overall Rank:

1. Robert Shaw in Jaws
2. John Cazale in Dog Day Afternoon
3. Max von Sydow in Three Days of the Condor
4. Burgess Meredith in The Day of the Locust
5. George Burns in The Sunshine Boys
6. Brad Dourif in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
7. Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws
8. Charles Durning in Dog Day Afternoon
9. Chris Sarandon in Dog Day Afternoon
10. Donald Sutherland in The Day of the Locust 
11. Will Sampson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
12. Leon Vitali in Barry Lyndon
13. Cliff Robertson in Three Days of the Condor 
14. Fernando Rey in Seven Beauties
15. Keenan Wynn in Nashville
16. Christopher Lloyd in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
17. Lance Henriksen in Dog Day Afternoon
18. Henry Gibson in Nashville
19. John Houseman in Three Days of the Condor
20. William Redfield in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
21. Christopher Plummer in The Man Who Would Be King 
22. Richard Benjamin in The Sunshine Boys
23. Allen Garfield in Nashville
24. John Houseman in Rollerball
25. Sully Boyer in Dog Day Afternoon
26. Philippe Leotard in French Connection II
27. Saeed Jeffrey in The Man Who Would Be King
28. Ned Beatty in Nashville
29. Sydney Lassick in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
30. James Woods in Night Moves
31. Keith Carradine in Nashville
32. Jack Warden in Shampoo
33. Scott Glenn in Nashville
34. Jackie Earle Haley in The Day of the Locust
35. Hardy Kruger in Barry Lyndon
36. Michael Murphy in Nashville
37. Murray Hamilton in Jaws
38. Fernando Rey in French Connection II
39. Kenneth Mars in Night Moves
40. Patrick Magee in Barry Lyndon
41. Danny DeVito in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
42. James Broderick in Dog Day Afternoon
43. William Duell in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
44. Luther Adler in The Man in the Glass Booth 
45. Scatman Crothers in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
46. Edward Binns in Night Moves
47. Robert DoQui in Nashville
48. Lawrence Pressman in The Man in the Glass Booth 

Next Year: 1975 Lead

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1975: Max von Sydow in Three Days of the Condor

Max von Sydow did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning KCFCC, for portraying Joubert in Three Days of the Condor.

Three Days of the Condor is an effective thriller about a low level CIA operative Joseph Turner with the codename the Condor (Robert Redford) who becomes entangled in a complex plot after all of his co-workers are murdered.

Max von Sydow plays a freelance assassin known only as Joubert who we first see leading the murders of Condor's co-workers. Sydow plays the assassin of a similar sort to say Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men, who goes about his task quickly and efficiently. Sydow thought doesn't exactly take the approach one might expect from the assassin who is too good at his job. Usually they are played in some sort of detached psychopathic manner, Sydow does not take this approach instead gives a most unique portrayal of the strange man Joubert, that succeeds in being the killer he should be but does something else quite remarkably.

In being the killer Sydow is excellent in portraying the incisive manner that the man takes about his task. He is very quiet there such an eerie quality to Sydow's manner here. He is believable as being a man you might not notice at all in his modest style, yet Sydow is brilliant as when you do notice him there is that element to him that creates such menace. Sydow isn't cold exactly but nevertheless is quite chilling as he conveys the ruthlessness that is in Joulbert. Joubert doesn't yell, or even get angry he calmly moves and talks as he goes about killing. Sydow portrays it as simply as his nature and he doesn't require a second thought.

What especially stands out about Sydow though is the emotional quality he does have in the role. For example in the scene where he has leads the murders the last person says she won't scream Joubert responds with a simple "I know". There is a feeling in Sydow's performance that he almost can empathize not that it stops him from completing the murder in anyway. It makes these moments particularly striking though because Sydow shows Joubert who understands human emotions just fine, he does not portray him as a soulless monster, but a man with all the feelings within a man yet still fully capable of killing without hesitation.

Sydow through portrayal of Joubert in this fashion actually makes him all the more memorable of figure. Instead of being just a killer who does not know anything else or anything better Sydow's makes him a man who certainly knows of many things and can enjoy the little things of life yet he has chosen that his profession simply is what suits him the best. Sydow's final scene where he talks to the Condor in just a casual manner is an incredible scene for Sydow. Sydow in the scene presents both Joubert's considerable intelligence as well as his philosophy behind what exactly it is that he does.

The intelligence is best summed up by the vivid description of the Condor's possible future which is perfectly delivered by Sydow which emphasizes past knowledge of this man, as it is clear Condor's possible fate is something Joubert has seen before. In terms of philosophy Sydow has such an ease and grace in his delivery that he allows one to understand exactly why Joubert does what he does, and even why he is able to do it without blinking an eye. Joubert describes it as refreshing, and even though what he is speaking about is killing for money Sydow plays it so well showing the complete contentment within the killer.

 Sydow establishes Joubert as the man who seems the most comfortable not only with himself, but as well the whole world. It is quite strange as well as considering he is the cold blooded killer of the film, but it succeeds because it fits the nature of the film as well as due to Sydow's completely selling this character. He creates just a fascinating man in Joubert who can be a peace not needing to know why but rather simply needing to know how much. This is simply the best type of supporting performance in the film one that is wholly intriguing when he is on screen and always remembered when he is off. This is a great performance by Max von Sydow's as he left me only wanting to know more about this man.

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1975

And the Nominees Were Not:

John Cazale in Dog Day Afternoon

Charles Durning in Dog Day Afternoon

Robert Shaw in Jaws

Max von Sydow in Three Days of the Condor

Leon Vitali in Barry Lyndon

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