1944 – Alexander Knox
Wilson
This is actually the third time I have had to watch this movie, and while I can appreciate what it has to offer in terms of storytelling, and subject matter, I just find it to be a bit of a dull movie. And unfortunately, I think a certain amount of that is due to the performance of Alexander Knox, and the way he played the part. I’m not exactly sure why he was nominated for Best Actor. But I have to get over my own opinions, because I suspect I might be missing something. I’m sure I don’t have all athe facts. Here’s what I mean.
Knox played a well known and well beloved public figure, Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States. The film follows his political career, starting with his time as Governor of New Jersey, and ending with his departure from office after his second term as Commander in Chief. During that time, he became widowed and re-married, passed many beneficial laws and legislation, kept the US out of WWI until the time was right, and dealt with the aftermath of the war, including being a key figure in crafting and signing the Treaty of Versailes, among other things.
Obviously, the monumental historical events that took place in the narrative were much closer to the hearts of viewers in the 1940s. Those audiences may have even been familiar with the real Wilson. Maybe Knox, to his credit, played the part exactly as he needed to. But I just found that the character’s supreme emotional stabiliity bordered on emotionless and stiff. I imagine he had to be realistically accurate to the actual President. For for my tastes, he was gentle and mild to the point of ridiculousness. He was just… dull to watch on the screen.
But was his steady, rational, Rock of Gibraltar performance enough to earn him a Best Actor nomination? I’m not so sure. Maybe I’d have a different opinion if I had actually lived through the Wilson Administration. Still, there were two scenes that stood out to me as good, or at least more interesting than the rest. One was where he told off the German Ambassador and went to war. The other was where he yelled at the French diplomat for going back on his word about German land rights. Knox was good, especially in those scenes… but I wouldn’t call him great.