1943 – Paul Lukas
Watch on the Rhine
So Paul Lukas took home the Oscar for his performance in Watch on the Rhine. He also played the role on Broadway before the film. He was a Hungarian-born actor, but it was a little difficult to place his accent during the film. He was supposed to be a German who spoke several languages fluently, and I thought I could hear a bit of French when he delivered his dialogue. He played Kurt Muller, a man who made a profession out of being an anti-fasciest. And he was very passionate about his work, willing to fight for it, and willing to die for it, if necessary.
Lukas created a character, who, though he ends up murdering a man in order to save the lives of others, he is the hero of the movie. The film almost, but not quite, treated the murder as a justified act of patriotism. But he was more than just a freedom-fighter. He was also a loving father and husband, and he was clearly just as passionate about his family as he was about his work, which I liked.
So what made Lukas stand out among his competitors to win the Academy Award? Was it his looks? Well, he was certainly not a bad looking man, though he wasn’t a Hollywood heartthrob. Was it his attitude? He had a very stoic and matter-of-fact attitude, which is a common German trait. But no, I think it was his passion. Passion for his work, his family, and his convictions. It’s what made him a sympathetic character, despite the dark business to which he had to attend. Lukas did a great job of bringing that passion to the foreground, making it Kurt Muller’s defining characteristic.
But like any gentleman, he never lost control of that passion. He ruled it, and never let it rule him. One of his best scenes was one in which he is talking to his eldest son, trying to explain why he had to go back to Germany, even though his very survival was not guaranteed. He also had to explain to his son, who wanted to accompany him on his dangerous mission, why he had to go alone, but also acknowledging that the boy’s time would come when he would have to fight for his own cause, and that he was proud of him. I thought it was a wonderful performance, and the Academy voters seemed to agree.