In the wake of yesterday's tragic news about
the passing of American actor Bill Paxton, die hard film lovers and casual
movie goers have been ruminating on his filmography, debating which of his
roles resonated the most with them through the years. What follows what
is a list of some of his most memorable performances. Spanning genres and
various emotional depths, each one of these films not only reflects the impact
of Mr. Paxton's immense talent, but also highlights his remarkably eclectic
career.
1. One False Move
One False Move depicts a streets meets country detective story
about a trio of murderers and their collision with destiny. The standout
is Paxton's career defining performance as Dale "Hurricane" Dixon,
the local sheriff in the town that the killers are heading to. Amazing
dialogue and stone cold brutality blend together to produce a film that stays
with you long after the credits roll, dealing with topics of racism, big vs.
little city law enforcement, and most importantly the idea of fate and being in
the right place at the right (or very wrong) time.
Paxton's turn is a pristine example of his layered brilliance,
combining elements of both classic noir and southern Gothic thrillers to
explore the notion of a man who is the center of his own universe and what
happens when that universe is violently disturbed. He jumps from casual
racist to overzealous do-gooder in an instant, but it is the naive Samaritan in
between, the product of his upbringing and victim of his self-absorbed
invulnerability that makes this a special performance. Paxton loses
himself inside Hurricane's considerable orbit, portraying the quintessential
only child with a badge and the way in which Paxton is able to make your care is
unforgettable.
2. Frailty
Paxton's directorial feature debut, Frailty, is a horror epic
that confronts ideas of faith and fatherhood through a supernatural mystery.
Paxton himself stars as a father who believes he has been chosen by god
to hunt demons that walk among us. One of his sons becomes a believer
while the other begins to doubt the providence of their family's mission.
Paxton's embodiment of a blue collar crusader is heartbreaking, stripping
away masculine mores to reveal a deeply wounded man trying to resolve loss and
parenting two budding young men simultaneously.
The occult aspects
of the story serve a remarkable foil that keeps you guessing until the end.
Paxton's artistic direction, his genuine restraint is a reflection of his
personality. Paxton was known for always supporting his cast and crew and
it is his renowned sense of charity and community that bleeds through into the
core of Frailty's tragic paternal odyssey.
3. A Simple Plan
One of Sam Raimi's finest films, A Simple Plan, is a quiet noir
potboiler. What begins as a snow covered morality play when three men
find millions inside a crashed plane slowly contorts into a Sartre-like
dissertation on the personal hells we often construct around ourselves, where a
single bad decision becomes the first domino in a trail of damnation.
Paxton's chemistry with longtime collaborator Billy Bob Thornton is the
central stage on which these ideas are tested, manipulated, and ultimately paid
for in blood.
While Thornton's turn received the most acclaim, Paxton's is not
to be underestimated. He presents as a content family man, who when
tempted is quick to mortgage himself out one piece at a time, dismantling his domestic
sanctuary brick by brick.
4. Near Dark
Near Dark is a western horror hybrid that
presents a unique take on bloodsucker mythology while also overcoming its B
movie DNA through a strong ensemble performance and searing nocturnal visuals. Paxton, however, steals the entire theater as Severen, the vampire pack's
vicious killer who becomes a surrogate brother to the protagonist. He
manages to shift between trailer park sexy and stone cold killer with lightning
speed, keeping in step with Near Dark's rapid fire pace.
Paxton's bloody Cheshire grin has become
a symbol for cult '80s horror and it’s easy to see why. He embraces the
dusty soul of Near Dark with a vice grip and never relents. Longtime fans of
the film always refer to the bar sequence as their favorite scene and the
reason for this rests on Paxton's bloodstained shoulders.
5. Aliens
James Cameron's action sci-fi classic,
Aliens, released 30 years ago and is considered a benchmark in the genre. Paxton's
iconic performance as foul mouthed grunt, Private Hudson is perhaps his most
famous role. Every line he utters is instantly quotable and it is his
unforgettable take on the practical joker pastiche that the audience most
relates to, displaying natural fear and courage in equal amounts throughout.
He takes the flawed every man and throws him into space where monsters
are real and confronts these truths with humor and charm at every turn.
Honorable Mentions:
It would be unfair to not mention Mr.
Paxton's amazing performances in the television series Big Love, or his work on
other films such as The Terminator, Predator 2, True Lies, Titanic, Edge of Tomorrow,
Apollo 13, and Twister.
He will be deeply missed.
-Kyle Jonathan