Programmed March 2024

Living the Part

Featuring a new introduction by Isaac Butler, author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act Extreme diets, elaborate prosthetics, uncannily convincing (and sometimes less so) accents: the late twentieth century witnessed the rise of a new strain of screen acting that saw stars deploy extensive research, long preparation processes, and often staggering physical transformations to create their characters. Inspired in part by Robert De Niro’s work in the 1970s, these performers sought to live within the very skin of their characters and render them with operatic intensity. Bringing together key performances from actors like De Niro ( Raging Bull ), Meryl Streep ( Sophie’s Choice ), Jeffrey Wright ( Basquiat ), and Joaquin Phoenix ( The Master )—as well as an essential showcase for chameleonic precursor Lon Chaney ( The Unknown ) and several films that comment on the transformational potentials and pitfalls of acting—this program surveys a major shift in film art that continues to inspire both acclaim and controversy.