The scene that really gets me is when Dustin Hoffman, as Lenny Bruce, goes on after shooting up with his wife backstage. For the most part, the movie is a collage that cuts abruptly from one time period to another. But here, the camera, seated somewhere to the right, in the back of the club, stays with him. It’s a long shot. Painful to watch. He riffs incoherently, unable to settle on any one subject matter, and the audience laughs only when it doesn’t know what else to do. And because we are kept far away from him as he self-destructs, we feel less like we are watching a movie and more like we are part of that uncomfortable audience, witnessing greatness hit bottom.
I don’t know how close Hoffman actually gets to Lenny Bruce, but his performance in this scene is a perfect example of how extraordinary he was as a young actor.
by Teddy Blanks | Source: DVD
02 Oct 2007 12:11 AM | Submit Comment
