Stars in Your Eyes? Here’s Looking at You

Great directors will tell you that one of the secrets to becoming an effective movie actor is the ability to communicate through the eyes.

by Colleen Patrick | Published September 5, 1994

The eyes truly are a window to the soul. Or the character, or even to getting the audition. I've named the style of film acting I teach"Les Yeux"because of the emphasis on the eyes in expressing a "beat (an emotional intent; a specific attitude). When you act on stage, the entire body can be used to express how you feel. But the film actor is confined to what is captured by the camera lens - usually the face - and the focus of the face, of course, is the eyes.

All stories are told from someone's point of view, or the way someone sees something. We have to see clearly how characters act or react to something by looking at their eyes. Famous directors like Frank Capra have said the secret to becoming a star is the actor's ability to communicate through his or her eyes. Think of modem film actors like Jane Fonda inKlute,Danny Glover inThe Color Purple,Jodie Foster inSilence of the Lambs,Anthony Hopkins in anything, Whoopi Goldberg inGhostand Tom Hanks inForrest Gump.Their eye work distinguishes their screen work.

On the big screen, a single tear slowly moving down a distraught face might convey anguish more effectively than screaming and flailing, which can be more appropriate for a stage performance. Silent films feature overdramatized eye work. Features likeOrphans of the Stormstill hold up, however, because the story is told through the eyes of characters superbly portrayed by Lillian and Dorothy Gish.

One actress who made the transition from silent to sound films and who continued to modify the emphasis on eyes was Greta Garbo. Casting directors under­stand the significance of the eyes. One casting agent tells me when she looks at a head shot, she coversall but the eyesof the photo to determine whom she recommends for a part. Film animators know this secret. Eyes are always drawn disproportionately large in animated characters from Mickey Mouse to the Lion King, because they convey the character's feelings.

Stage plays are full of words. Screenplays are full of action, with an emphasis on facial expression. Once we determine what the action is physically (wide shots), the usual practice is to move in for close-ups. Close-ups show what the characters are feeling - whether the emotion is emanating from the gut, the groin or the heart. Even in action films, no one would care about allthose explosions if they didn't see the reactions of the characters they care about. Is our hero afraid? Confident? Overconfident? Hurt? Happy? Is the captured villain delighted - or vengeful?

It's important to understand that the eyes only reflect the degree to which the entire body is engrossed in thought, feeling and expression. Your eyes only reveal the degree to which you are concentrating. Actress and director Melanie Mayron ("Melissa" in TV'sThirty Something)says it's more important to concentrate on the thought than the eyes.

"If you're thinking and feeling," she says, "it's going to be seen in your eyes as well as every part of you. The camera may only capture your eyes, but your entire body must be included in the thought."

During the filming of the featureMissing,director Constantine Costa­Gavras instructed the young actress Mayron, "Remember, you are saying, 'They are taking him away! Help! Help me!"' So she began to memorize the words until he added, "But of course, it's all in the eyes."

"I realized he only wanted to see the thought, not hear the lines!" she said.

As for her own directing technique she says, "I rely on the craft of trained actors. If I'm not getting what I want, I find out what they're thinking and feeling, to make sure we're going in the same direction." She is currently directing a remakeofFreaky Fridaywith Shelly Long, to air next February on ABC.

How important is it. to speak with your eyes on film?Hollywood has consistently rewarded voiceless parts with Academy Awards. Jane Wyman(Johnny Belinda - 1948), Marlee Marlin(Children of a Lesser God - 1987)andHolly Hunter(The Piano - 1993)all received the Oscar for playing mute women.

The point is not to overemphasize the eyes. It's to be aware of their power so that you don't neglect an important weapon in your film acting arsenal.

Advertisement

COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT

POST A COMMENT

OUR PRIVACY POLICY | We will not publish or sell or share your email address or other personal information. Read more.

Name:
Email:
URL:

Type the word you see below:

Comment:

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

SITE DELIVERY OPTIONS

Advertisement