The most notable thing about Max von Sydow is that he has played them all. Strong heroes, existential figures, formidable villains—there are few actors in the history of film with the versatility of the Swedish star. With a career that began all the way back in the 1950s, von Sydow has continued to turn in unique performances throughout his career, working with celebrated auteurs like Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and, most notably, Ingmar Bergman. Sure, there are a handful of dud performances (“Dune,” “What Dreams May Come“), but the strong performances still reign over all, and the range of the actor’s work is simply astonishing. This week in Brooklyn, BAMcinematek begins a career retrospective of the formidable actor (all in 35mm!), and here we salute five of von Sydow’s most powerful performances.
1. “The Seventh Seal” (1957)
“The Seventh Seal” made Max von Sydow an international star, and with good reason. As a despairing knight returning from the Crusades, locked in a battle of chess with Death, von Sydow manages to commit to the despair and agony of the unknown. Ingmar Bergman certainly puts together some astonishing images, but his close-ups on von Sydow, especially as he prays to God in a church for some sort of solace, magnify the intensity of the existential angst on display. “The Seventh Seal” remains both Bergman’s and von Sydow’s most cited and celebrated work, and one that still deserves to be revisited. Few films bare their souls so bluntly as the duo here have managed.
Von Sydow is also quite good in "Flight of the Eagle" (1983)
If one really thinks about it picking The Exorcist was not such an obvious choice. So thank you for this. People tend to forget that Von Sydow was 44 years old back then and yet he is amazingly convincing as a weary old man. Thanks to Dick Smith's make-up yes, but also because he's a great actor.
I love the Hour of the Wolf addition, although I think Shame was the greater performance that year. Also surprised you left out Pelle the Conqueror – I assumed that'd be on the list for sure. Honorable Mentions to Hamsun, Flight of the Eagle, and The Emigrants.
Great you included "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly". Fantastic, touching performance but I thought you might overlook it due to the brevity.
He was only in a couple of scenes, but von Sydow was hilarious in "Hannah and Her Sisters"
"If Jesus came back and saw what's going on in his name, he'd never stop throwing up"
No "Flash Gordon" = FAIL. Period.
Pelle The Conqueor????
He was great in Beginners. Oh wait..!
He is my favourite actor. So glad you included his performance in "The Diving Bell…". So many of his performances could be included here. My personal favourite of his is in Bergman's "Shame". He plays an everyman civilian caught up in a war he does not understand. His struggle between fear and cowardice is powerful and painful, with his most striking moments (alongside his equal in Liv Ullman) performed without dialogue, using only expression.
It's a crime that, like Peter O'Toole, Max has never won an Oscar. He should have won for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. In a film that I found to be remarkably unsentimental about a devastating illness, Max carried the emotional weight of the entire film in the phone call scene.
how about "the greatest story ever told" i could not stop crying
What I believe is extremely sad is not seeing any credit given to the most important part as the lead actor for the greatest story ever told! After his part in that film nothing nothing could come close in meaning or performance.
He\’s also one of the rare actors who\’s played God (actually Christ in "The Greatest Story Ever Told") and the Devil (in "Needful Things") onscreen.
Max is a fantastic actor and no more brilliant in Pelle the conqueror . I\’ve always thought Max Von Sydow was one of the most highly rated European actors of his day. A MASTER of his craft. Good life to him.