Tips on Analyzing Acting Performance

To support generalizations and evaluations about film acting, the film critic informs
the reader of relevant facts in the consideration of an acting performance and then
analyzes those facts in light of the purpose behind the acting performance in terms
of the film's story. First, the critic will give a physical description of the actor as a
person, and will highlight what s/he has done to become the character for this
performance. Then a particular scene is described in which this actor performs
well. The analysis of acting does not get lost in details of plot but attempts to
describe and analyze what the actor does with the body and the voice to convey
emotion and move the story along. A good analysis of acting does not just describe
the film character and tell what s/he does, but distinguishes the acting performance
from other filmmaking techniques like story, writing, editing, in which the
performance takes place.
Here are some points from which you can build an excellent analysis of acting
performance. Note that the first bunch of items refer to what the actor does to
prepare (before the performance) for the role.
1. Describe the physical characteristics of the actor: height, weight, body
type, age, ethnicity, nationality, speaking style (including native language
and accent), etc. Whatever you can find out about the natural person
behind the acting performance will help you assess the quality of that
performance.
2. Describe what the actor has done to change and/or mold his/her own
physical, facial, vocal characteristics for this performance. Some actors gain
or lose weight, cut or grow hair, learn new skills or hone developing skills (like
piano playing), learn new languages and/or dialects, etc. An actor may also
be credited for managing distortions in age and body type created by
makeup.
3. Describe the acting style if relevant and note the film genre and/or type of
part in this film (comic, farcical, serious, romantic, tragic, musical - note
singing/dancing skills - historical, fantastical, etc.)
4. Briefly describe the traits and function of the character portrayed in the
film, as well as his or her relationships with other characters. What does this
actor do to make this character come alive?
5. Then, describe a key scene in which this actor plays an important role and
tell what idea and/or feeling is communicated by this scene. Tell what the
character does, in general, to further the story in this scene. Your analysis will
probably include more than one scene, since movies give us many key
scenes to flesh out their characters, but it helps to focus scene by scene for a
detailed analysis of the acting performance.
Describe in detail what the actor does in this scene to communicate the
feeling/idea of the scene. Consider the following aspects of a performance,

and as you describe them, make connections to the scene and its emotional
impact:

Large physicality/visibility of the actor: physical body and physicality of the

performance (here you can note the athleticism of the performance and tell
whether or not a stunt double was used or the actor did his/her own stunts),
costuming (note how body is or is not exposed via masks and stages of dress
or undress, note distortions of body and masks).

Detailed physicality/movements: facial expressions, gestures (especially

upper and lower limbs), poses, postures/stance (straight and tall, hunched
over, arms crossed, hands on hips, etc.), use of props, athletic motions and
abilities shown, other movements and connected sequences of movement

Voice: vocality or sound effects produced in the scene (audible body

expressions, sounds made with fingers, mouth, throat, feet, etc.); speech
clarity (precise or muddled); speech type (language, dialect, accent); speech
quality: volume, pitch, tempo/rhythm, intonation, emphasis, tone

Connections with other characters and objects, including space between

characters and use of props, reactions and other evidence of listening to, real
interaction with, other actors in the shot. How does the actor show his/her
relationships with the other characters here?

Consider editing: whether the scene is one long take, or if the shots are long
rather than short cuts, in which case we are able to really see the actor at
work. But if the scene is broken up into many shots and short takes (more
rather than less editing), then we can say that some, if not all, of the acting
performance is constructed by the editor so that the editor gets at least some
of the credit.

You say, "That's a lot of stuff!" And yes, a good actor brings a lot of stuff to her or
his performance. Of course, when you are discussing acting, don't feel you must
touch on every point enumerated above. Just think about these points as you come
to assess the quality of an acting performance.
Here's an example of a piece out of a longer acting analysis of an imaginary
mystery romance starring Rita Hayworth and Clark Gable, movie stars in what have
been called the "golden years" of Hollywood. The film critic wants to say that
Hayworth's acting is really good, and here picks a scene where Hayworth
communicates the flirtatiousness of her character, Karen. To say that the acting is
"great" or that Hayworth's performance "drips with sexuality and flirtatiousness"
and end there is not very satisfying; details to show what the actor does to
communicate that she is flirting are needed to make for a satisfying analysis of the
acting performance. Here are a couple of ways to do this:
In the following example, Rita Hayworth's acting performance is described but the
focus is on Karen, the character in the story:

Karen (Rita Hayworth) is flirtatious in this scene. She shows she still desires John
and oozes sexuality, desire, and guile as she slinks toward him, swaying her hips
and licking her lips. Her blue eyes glance at him from under her eyebrows, and she
keeps looking away as she approaches, then touches his arm, presses her pelvis
toward his thigh, smiles sensuously, and whispers, "I'm here" . . . . (And so on . . .
this is the way you start.)
To focus more on the actor herself, the film critic changes the emphasis and
perspective, making the actor's name primary (and putting the character name in
parentheses):
In this scene, Rita Hayworth brilliantly portrays a flirtatious woman (as Karen) who
still desires the man (John, played by Clark Gable) she had brutally rejected.
Hayworth exudes sexuality, desire, and guile by slinking toward Gable, swaying her
hips and licking her lips. Her blue eyes glance at him from under her eyebrows, and
she keeps looking away as she approaches, and then touches his arm, presses her
pelvis toward his thigh, smiles sensuously, and whispers, "I'm here."
When you provide details to show what the actor does to convey emotions and
move scenes forward, you not only enlighten your readers, but you give them a
better appreciation of acting performance. The details you give and the words you
choose to describe the performance bring the scene back to life in the mind of the
reader. You are a generous film critic when you give enough detail so that the
reader can see and feel the film experience again, and in a new light. What a
delight!
Revised 28 February 2009.
Modified from Gloria Floren, Letters Department, MiraCosta College, One Barnard
Drive, Oceanside, California 92056.
Contents Copyright 1998-2009 Gloria L. Floren. All rights reserved. U.S.A.