SnapeFest
I don't know why, when I was thinking about what to write today, Alan Rickman popped into my head. "I should do a blog entry about Alan Rickman," I thought.So, okay. Here we are. Let's talk about Mr. Rickman.
What is it about him that is so appealing? Obviously, that voice. My word! That voice. (I wonder what his singing voice is like...anyone?)
The eyes. The intense, dark eyes.
Oh, and the mouth. Yes, definitely his mouth.
Not to mention the way he throws on the role of a character as comfortably as Snape does his cloak. Gotta love those long black cloaks/coats (Angel, anyone? Spike?).
I loved him in Sense & Sensibility, especially during the scene where Marianne is ill, possibly dying, and he says to Elinor, "Just give me something...anything to do." The expression on his face, and in his voice was so intense, yet underplayed. Perfect. If I were Elinor, I'd have swooned right there!
And anyone who knows me well also knows that if I were Maid Marion, I would have picked Alan Rickman over Kevin Costner any day. Sure, he was a little overzealous...but that was the script! Alan over Kevin is a no-brainer. Those eyes. That thick dark hair. That voice....
I just saw Love Actually recently, and once again was enamoured with the guy, and the way he played the role so sensitively.But the role I absolutely love him in is, of course, as Snape. It was brilliant to cast him as Severus, and for many reasons.
I think Snape has become a most beloved character, that, despite what may or may not have happened in The Half-Blood Prince (which I haven't read yet, thankyouverymuch!), having Alan Rickman play him has done more to create sympathy, and a following, for the character than anything else.
I'm convinced that, despite appearances to the contrary, Snape's a good guy. Actually, the best of guys.
Based on his backstory, his trials and tribulations, his unpleasant youth...he reminds me of a person having to kick an addiction (in his case, to Voldemort and the Death-Eaters), and being strong in his own brooding, quiet, arrogant, misunderstood and cranky manner.
Plus there's the whole story that Rickman didn't want to play Snape, because he didn't want to
be cast as a villain once more (and I say, what's wrong with that?)...and after a private conversation with JK Rowling in which she may have divulged some very interesting information, he agreed to play the part.I'm dying to know what she told him, but I guess we'll have to wait until all becomes clear.
So, what's your favorite Rickman role? I'm looking for recommendations. And...has anyone heard him sing?
Edited to add: My friend Janet had a special fragrance made that she thought of as Snape's (musky, spicy, with a touch of lapsang souchong), and just just emailed to let me know she's sending me a sample of it! How cool is that?
Colleen Gleason stepped onstage at 9/27/2006 08:34:00 AM
32 Comments:
My husband always laughs at me when I say I think he is sexy. I love his eyes and so agree with the voice thing very sexy.
Just fell in here via GoogleBlog!
Always nice to find someone who admires Alan Rickman! I have heard him sing on stage in Private Lives and have to say he isn't the World's greatest singer and yet... that voice wins everytime.
As for recommendations you have to try Truly, Madly, Deeply for all round "goodness" and Rasputin for well, Rasputin really!!
He has a new film out in the UK (in the States at Christmas) called Snowcake which is wonderful. Wall to wall Rickman and a good story and great scenery too!
I'd never really thought about Alan Rickman until I saw your post. The man I go ga-ga over like that is Sam Elliott.
I admit, I haven't seen many of his movies ~ the only ones I've seen were Robin Hood, Sense and Sensibility and Die Hard. Out of those, I think my favorite would have to be Sense and Sensibility. Colonel Brandon was just such a nice man, and I believe he played villains in the other two.
I love him as Colonel Brandon, but he's wonderful in everything. He's so engaging, no matter what.
Lancelot once sat next to him in a restaurant in NYC.
Devonna, does that mean you haven't seen the Harry Potter movies? I did love him in S&S, although I appreciated him more the second time I watched it.
But I see what you mean about Sam Elliott. Yes, indeed. Is he the one who was with Jessica Lange for a long time (maybe still is)? We saw them at a restaurant in Napa once, sitting at at table a few over from ours. I remember thinking she ate like a cow.
And Gypsy...ooooh....Did Lance give you all the good details? I hope he had nice table manners. ;-)
Give me an occupation!
I love that seething, quiet intensity. I like Snape, too.
And Love, Actually was fun.
And yeah, I liked him in Die Hard!
So I guess I am a Rickman fan, too.
I agree about the Robin Hood movie. His kind of wavy, long black hair and those open-necked shirts? Flutter.
Of course, I have a soft spot for villans with a sense of humor. That scene (granted he was trying to do something dispicable to Marion which was not cool) but when he did that move when they were on the bed and he used his legs to spread hers--I loved that for some reason. He was so enthusiastic. Maybe that's weird, but oh well.
Yeah, it's totally about the voice!!
I think he's an EXCELLENT Snape! And even though I absolutely adore Rickman, I still hate Snape. I did read Half-Blood Prince and... will... he's a villain I love to hate!
Loved him in Love Actually (though my favorite storyline in that movie is the Liam Neeson/stepson plot (and talk about another actor I totally adore... it's Liam! *drools*)
Another movie not mentioned here where our sexy Rickman appears is Dogma. He cracks me up in that movie!! Oh. And there was Galaxy Quest.
And back to his role as Snape. The character reminds me a lot of John Locke of "Lost" first season. In that there were these villain waves coming at you and you were inclined to not like him, then he does something to make you think of him as the good guy. But before you get too comfortable thinking of him as the good guy, something else happens that has you second guessing again. Maybe it's that back and forth, being uncertain, that I really like.
I loved this entry - Alan Rickman is great!
Kate.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/bobandkate/AnAnalysisofLife/
I love him in everything. No doubt (hee hee, "No doubt... NO doubt" from S&S) you've heard me go on about my one contribution to Film Theory which goes like this:
ALAN RICKMAN MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER.
Every movie he is in, he is one of the best -- if not THE best -- part of it.
~Diana
The hands! His hands are SO expressive, in addition to his voice.
And OMG to sit next to him in a restaurant, I'd love to know what he smells like (I have a thing for scents, I'd love to know what Robert Plant & Johnny Depp smell like, too).
You should see him in Dogma. The Voice of God hahah! Talk about perfect casting! That character is my second favorite of his.
I'll end with a quote by Alan Rickman from the movie Dark Harbor:
You know,
I look at you
and it’s funny, you don’t remind me of myself exactly
but you remind me of a certain time.
I remember what
I used to think love was like fireworks,
the explosions, the highlights,
but it is not.
It’s time:
to go through the seasons together
through change
through the ups and downs,
to be able to look at your beloved
and say,
"We did that together as one,
we chose each other above all things".
That’s love.
It’s unexplainable.
It’s a secret
that can only be known
once you’ve done
the time.
LOL! My first thought was "oh my gosh, Janet has to see this!!"
I really like Alan Rickman...not for the same reasons of course. He makes a great bad guy but my favorite role of his is that of Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility. It is a family favorite and he is great in the role.
I love Alan Rickman as well. He does have the best voice (Marvin in Hitchhiker's Guide, hehe). I probably wouldn't be as crazy about Snape if any other actor played him.
Also loved him in Galaxy Quest.. hilarious!
Alan Rickman has bewitched my mind and ensnared my senses...As Professor Snape, his mysterious tortured soul is fascinating and entices me to know more. I believe that Snape has decided to follow what is right, rather than what is easy, and it will all be revealed in JK's last book. As Snape, he is convincing as he is amazing. As Alan...still amazing and convincingly so! Swoon...THUD...as I fall to the floor with the vapors !! LOL
...what SilverWillow said...
Oh, yes, Janet, the hands. Good point.
And Diana...I don't think I've yet heard your thesis that ALAN RICKMAN MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER, but I must agree.
Thanks to those who reminded me that he was the villain in Die Hard! I'd totally forgotten, and now I must re-watch that movie in order to enjoy.
And Jaye, I know exactly what you mean about the leg-thing and his character in Robin Hood. Not a very nice thing he was doing to Marion, but he had such a way about the whole movie!
Carl, my 10 yo daughter, who loves S&S doesn't quite "get" Rickman/Brandon yet, but she will. I definitely prefer him to Hugh Grant.
And J....thanks for popping by again! I've got to catch up on LOST myself. Still watching the first season.
Colleen ~ I think Sam's been with Katherine Ross for almost forever...but his voice still gets me every time. *Big sigh*
And you're absolutely right, I haven't seen any of the Harry Potter. I'm pretty sheltered ~ haven't seen any of the Star Wars or the Lord of the Rings movies either.
if you go here ( http://www.aprilwinchell.com/multimedia/ ) and look a bit, you will find a recording of alan rickman singing "intelligence." it's not great, but it's not brutal either. i would much rather hear him recite it though.
i think he's quite a lot of fun in "blow dry" which is not a very good movie and tremendous in "closet land" which is not a fun movie. but both show different sides to him that are less...obvious, i guess.
it has always made me sad though that he couldn't do the voice in the "clerks" cartoons, he was cast as the town bad guy and wasn't able to do it, so alec baldwin stepped in. can you imagine how good it would have been with rickman?
I like his character better than Grant's but I actually think Hugh was a good choice for that particular role. I just don't like his clothes though. They look so uncomfortable.
And I had forgotten about Galaxy Quest...he's great in that. They all are actually. Fun film.
And while his isn't my particular favorite in Love Actually that is one fantastic film.
Who is Alan Rickman? ;)
I'm not actually sure I ever knew his name. But I do really like him as Snape--perfect casting, I think.
And I also have had a suspicion for some time now that Rowling has a few tricks up her sleeve as far as Snape is concerned. This latest book shook my faith a little, but I'm still going with the theory.
I hadn't realized he was in Sense & Sensibility...will have to watch again.
Mmmmm, that voice....doesn't it just beg for one of those 3.99 a minute 900 numbers? ;c)
You're thinking of Sam Shepard that's been with Jessica Lange - Devonna was right - Sam Elliot has been with Katherine Ross for forever. Must be something about loyal (but not marrying) Sams!
And...Alan Rickman briefly sings in Truly Madly Deeply, doing a lovely harmony with Juliet Stevenson (who also makes an Austen appearance, in Emma - those Brits sure get around).
Great post! LOVE Alan Rickman
And Diana - I agree with your thesis - I have that with several actors, mine being "I know if I see (blanks) name in the credits, no matter how horrible this movie is, there'll be a gem or two!"
Have you seen Quigley Down Under? He was the villain in that one also but I loved him! QDU is a great western romance also. From 1990.
I started crushing on him from Die Hard and haven't looked back. I will try and see anything he is in but I didn't know he was in HP. I'm waiting until all the books are published or all the movies are done. Then I'll do a marathon ;)
CindyS
I first crushed on Rickman in Dogma and haven't yet stopped . . .
Now How'd I miss this! I loved him as the voice of the depressive robot in The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy ... loved him in Dogma ... laughed at him in Robinhood ... and LOVE LOVE LOVE him as Snape. Perfect Snape really.
"Plus there's the whole story that Rickman didn't want to play Snape, because he didn't want to be cast as a villain once more (and I say, what's wrong with that?)...and after a private conversation with JK Rowling in which she may have divulged some very interesting information, he agreed to play the part."
oooo interesting tidbit THAT! Snape? A good guy afterall? :D
HEY! Where's my post???
:(
For some reason I can't post on your TT 13--the post comment link is gone from my system.
At any rate, I prefer Ranger to Joe Morelli...
Cheysuli and Zeek! I know! I don't know why it's doing that.
Grrr. Blogger. Grrr.
I loved him in "Die Hard," but he is most awesome in "Robin Hood." Even though he was supposed to be so bad, I actually felt sorry for him in the end, because the character was more pathetic than evil, at least in my opinion. :) He plays whatever character well, and I think he has a broad range that the public may not give him enough credit.
Snape reminds me of the same thing, Colleen. I tend to think of him as someone who is torn between deep-seeded inclinations and what he knows to be right. (However, I hate how he is portrayed in the movies on occasion because we don't see enough good from him!) I hope that we find out soon enough what Snape's deal is because I really want to like him, but he's making it hard thus far in these films.
I forgot about Quigley Down Under. That is a great film. And Rickman is a fantastic baddie in it.
Post a Comment
<< Home