"What happens to a dream deferred?" This quote alone from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes describes the character of A Raisin in the Sun's Walter Younger, a man who becomes caught up in a dream and loses his deceased father's insurance money and is faced with making the tough decision of giving up his family's pride to appease the racist community in which he and his family were to move into, or to take a stand and make his family proud, being the man his father once was. Walter Younger is a very complex character, and there are a lot of components that go into portraying the role well and accurately, and being able to make you feel as he does in the story. In my opinion, a great actor must be able to show signs of happiness, sadness, anger, and all feelings in between to make it seem realistic and to make the viewers feel the exact same way and more. Elements that go into making that effect include appropriate eye contact, facial expressions, hand gestures, and most importantly the ability to be understood. After watching the three actors Sidney Poitier, Danny Glover, and Sean Combs all perform their best Walter, I observed enough to choose who I felt portrayed the character best.
Sidney Poitier, the Walter in the 1961 version of the play, was the first Walter that I experienced. He was a very decent actor for the role because he maintained direct eye contact with any other character to whom he was speaking to, as well as moving around in an energetic manner, as if he was excited to have this role. He also did very well with showing his emotions, such as nervousness in the scene where Momo comes to bear the bad news and is handed a glass of water by an anxious and oblivious Walter. Though he had almost a completely flawless performance, I did find one thing to be quite off. When Walter tells his family of his decision to talk to Lindner and accept the money, he goes about it in a silly, yet dramatic, manner. Poitier, on the other hand, took it into a more cynical sense, making his point a bit subtle and hard to understand. He cried when it seemed appropriate, but the viewers didn't know why. I felt that his over dramatic sobbing scene distracted away from the full meaning of what was going on, making the scene itself seem humorous.
The 2008 version of the play, which featured Sean Combs as Walter, differentiated from the other two films in a more calming way, which could be due to its modern set. Personally, I found that a mild Walter was not how the film should have gone. I assumed that the actor himself was calm in nature and hadn't really known how to be angry. He made inappropriate outbursts that seemed sort of shocking to the audience because of his lift of tone.
Danny Glover was my favorite of them all. I felt as if he put in a great amount effort into his role and made the feeling very realistic to the audience and connected to the viewers in a way that the other actors lacked in. He used perfect facial expressions, a great use of props, and tone when interacting with other characters in the film. It even makes it seem as if you aren't watching a film, just watching a household full of troubles. Glover possesses the qualities that make up a good actor, and that is why I chose him as my favorite actor.
All in all, these three actors did very well with their roles, taking different point of views with what they each thought that Walter should be like. It was fun for me to experience all three acting styles, and I look forward to seeing more movies that they participate in.
Sidney Poitier, the Walter in the 1961 version of the play, was the first Walter that I experienced. He was a very decent actor for the role because he maintained direct eye contact with any other character to whom he was speaking to, as well as moving around in an energetic manner, as if he was excited to have this role. He also did very well with showing his emotions, such as nervousness in the scene where Momo comes to bear the bad news and is handed a glass of water by an anxious and oblivious Walter. Though he had almost a completely flawless performance, I did find one thing to be quite off. When Walter tells his family of his decision to talk to Lindner and accept the money, he goes about it in a silly, yet dramatic, manner. Poitier, on the other hand, took it into a more cynical sense, making his point a bit subtle and hard to understand. He cried when it seemed appropriate, but the viewers didn't know why. I felt that his over dramatic sobbing scene distracted away from the full meaning of what was going on, making the scene itself seem humorous.
The 2008 version of the play, which featured Sean Combs as Walter, differentiated from the other two films in a more calming way, which could be due to its modern set. Personally, I found that a mild Walter was not how the film should have gone. I assumed that the actor himself was calm in nature and hadn't really known how to be angry. He made inappropriate outbursts that seemed sort of shocking to the audience because of his lift of tone.
Danny Glover was my favorite of them all. I felt as if he put in a great amount effort into his role and made the feeling very realistic to the audience and connected to the viewers in a way that the other actors lacked in. He used perfect facial expressions, a great use of props, and tone when interacting with other characters in the film. It even makes it seem as if you aren't watching a film, just watching a household full of troubles. Glover possesses the qualities that make up a good actor, and that is why I chose him as my favorite actor.
All in all, these three actors did very well with their roles, taking different point of views with what they each thought that Walter should be like. It was fun for me to experience all three acting styles, and I look forward to seeing more movies that they participate in.