Charlton Heston, RIP

I saw him in person once, when he came to Harvard to give his NRA spiel, and I can report that his physical presence was just as remarkable, if not more so, in the flesh as it was on screen. Here, via Dave Kehr and Richard Corliss, is the French critic Michel Mourlet's famous Cahiers du Cinema assessment of the Heston mystique:

Charlton Heston is an axiom. He constitutes a tragedy in himself, his presence in any film being enough to instill beauty. The pent-up violence expressed by the somber phosphorescence of his eyes, his eagle’s profile, the imperious arch of his eyebrows, the hard, bitter curve of his lips, the stupendous strength of his torso - this is what he has been given, and what not even the worst of directors can debase. It is in this sense that one can say that Charlton Heston, by his very existence and regardless of the film he is in, provides a more accurate definition of the cinema than films like “Hiroshima mon amour” or “Citizen Kane,” films whose aesthetic either ignores or repudiates Charlton Heston. Through him, mise en scène can confront the most intense of conflicts and settle them with the contempt of a god imprisoned, quivering with muted rage.

Also worth a look: The tribute that Richard Dreyfuss (yes, that Richard Dreyfuss) penned for NRO (yes, that NRO) when Heston was diagnosed with Alzheimer's six years ago.

Comments

He was a terrible actor and a worse person. Glad to hear he finally croaked. I wish it had happened sooner. Did you really think anything Dreyfuss says will abnegate Heston's lack of worth? Dreyfuss is singularly unimpressive as an actor and person, as well. Wake up. Be real. How did you get this gig? I like how having a disease somehow enoble's one. Everybody gets sick and dies, most times slowly and sometimes in a flash. Why does a a dying person take on fantastical characteristic's they never had when the were full of life?

Posted by Ralph Spindall | April 6, 2008 10:18 PM

THIS IS AWEFUL FOR SOMEONE TO WRITE - YOU REAP WHAT YOU SEW. I AM SURE YOU WILL NOT BE MISSED EITHER WHEN YOUR DAY COMES. NO ONE WHO WRITES SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD BE A DECENT PERSON.
Comments (1)

He was a terrible actor and a worse person. Glad to hear he finally croaked. I wish it had happened sooner. Did you really think anything Dreyfuss says will abnegate Heston's lack of worth? Dreyfuss is singularly unimpressive as an actor and person, as well. Wake up. Be real. How did you get this gig? I like how having a disease somehow enoble's one. Everybody gets sick and dies, most times slowly and sometimes in a flash. Why does a a dying person take on fantastical characteristic's they never had when the were full of life?

Posted by Carol | April 6, 2008 10:37 PM

Reply to Comment #2

I am sure people must think you are the worse person, and will be glad to hear when you finally croak. Maybe they are also hopeing is happens sooner than later.

Posted by Karen | April 6, 2008 10:41 PM

Reply to Comment #2

I am sure people must think you are the worse person, and will be glad to hear when you finally croak. Maybe they are also hopeing it happens sooner than later.

Posted by Karen | April 6, 2008 10:42 PM

I met Mr. Heston once...almost. I was at a Hollywood party and was at the time an actor myself in a popular tv series.

Talking with friends, I turned to notice Mr. Heston watching me from 20 feet away in a group of his own friends. At first I thought he was looking at someone else, then realized he was watching me, as if trying to remember where he knew me from, (which he didn't.)

Suddenly a bit self-conscious, I smiled at him. He stared for a long moment without acknowledging me, then turned back to his friends.

Perhaps he was from that time in our recent history where men did not easily and with ease acknowledge other men, and was therefore not able to simply smile or nod back.

For my part, I was hurt enough by the experience, for he resembled greatly my father as I in some minor way resembled Mr. Heston at the time, that I remember it still with a mildly sad sense of loss. He was after all a hero to me as to milions of other young men who grew up in the 50s and 60s.

It is for his roles as an icon of American cinema that I will honor him. And regret we could not share a more human moment when we had our only chance.

I have since and will continue to remember to step outside my self-defined "role" in life and remember that life is what we're here for, and too often, we only get one chance to live it by giving the simple things to our fellow humans.

Posted by James Lawrence | April 6, 2008 10:45 PM

Thanks, Ross, for the link to the fine appreciation by Richard Dreyfuss.

I loved Heston playing the bit part of the gas station attendant in Wayne's World, the role being a nod to his mythic reputation. "I knew a girl who lived on Gordon Street..."

Posted by curt | April 6, 2008 10:53 PM

hey spindall nonone will miss you when you croak it thats for sure.

Posted by james gough | April 7, 2008 3:00 AM

So I guess they finally pried the gun from his cold, dead hands.

...come on, if you live to be 84, there's nothing tragic about dying.

Posted by guyminuslife | April 7, 2008 7:48 AM

Worshippers of celebrity,

Heston was a mediocre actor who "played" people and read the words that were written for him. He wasn't the people he played. His personal actions showed him to be a man who had no values of his own, he followed leaders left and right. He personal life was just as 'acted' as his Hollywood roles. He wasn't Ben Hur, Moses, or a hero of apes. One day he was a gun control advocate, and the next a mouthpiece for the NRA. He was like many actors. His persona adopted the roles he acted, like most vacuous actors who get held up by Hollywood's PR machine. See Susan Sarandon and Brad Pitt, or maybe they are 'Louise,' the feminist gun toting leftist, and Achilles himself. Be real, actors aren't.

You want a REAL American? Look to John McCain instead of worshipping some wazoo actor. And my fellow croakers: get used to the idea, it's where we are all headed. One day we won't get up, that's all. Death is way over-rated.

Posted by Ralph Spindall | April 7, 2008 8:22 AM

Dear Mr Spindall

There is a way of conducting oneself with dignity, honour and self respect. And then there is the way you have conducted yourself on this forum.

Your outburst speaks ill of you. I didn't know Mr Heston; I'm neither a huge fan of his acting nor especially a fan of his politics. Being Irish, gun ownership simply isn't a big deal for me. But I don't wish the man ill.

I don't mourn public figures who I don't know. I don't miss them, so I don't weep for them. But one thing I don't do, even when they are figures that I loathe, is rejoice in their passing. That sort of behaviour shows a lack of common decency. It has nothing to do with one's political affiliations. It is simply a matter of proper conduct.

If you cannot forbear from expressing your venom on the occasion of someone's passing, then you must certainly find it almost impossible to refrain from expressing that sort of bile on other occasions, also. If you can't muster even that basic level of self restraint, it speaks ill of you.

By the way, those posting similar sentiments about you show the same basic lack of decorum. This isn't intended as a personal attack, simply a little lesson in how to conduct oneself where the death of another is concerned. Show some class.

Posted by Tom O'Gorman | April 7, 2008 9:14 AM

Dreyfuss' tribute is very sweetly worded, but I'd take issue with his worshipful notion of Heston's "dignity." At the end of the day, dignity is a pose; we warm-blooded mammals just aren't very dignified at our core. There's nothing wrong with a sense of decorum and restraint, of course, but it shouldn't be used as a magical pass to excuse oneself from deserved opprobrium. Heston appeared to want to act (both in movies and real life) in what I'd describe as an excessively dignified, and therefore often foolish, manner.

Posted by Bill | April 7, 2008 9:54 AM

The conflation of roles actors play with who they are as individuals, is a classic example of the shallowness of American culture, of which there is a panoply. The very notion of 'celebrity' is an almost iconic example. It seems to me far more Americans are concerned with Britney Spears [plug your favorite actor's name in] than with the number of young men and women who have died in the war in Iraq, or are concerned with why we are in Iraq.

Tom Gorman's interest in artificial, subjective and fluid social norms are pathetic: "...common decency...proper conduct...basic lack of decorum...show some class." After 12 kids were shot to death at Columbine HS, in Littleton, CO, about 10 miles from Denver, Heston, as president of the NRA, refused to call off NRA's national convention. The citizens of Littleton, clergy, the mayor of Denver all asked Heston to call off the convention out of respect for the grief stricken community. Heston refused. So when you talk about 'decorum, decency, and class' perhaps you might want to understand the nature of the words. Heston, in my opinion, demonstrated no human decency when it would have mattered, but that would have required courage.

Gorman sums up who he is quite well: "Being Irish, gun ownership simply isn't a big deal for me." I suggest you work on your ethics and morality, before you further polish your etiquette.

Posted by Ralph Spindall | April 7, 2008 12:32 PM

Charlton Heston was the best over-actor Hollywood ever produced.

Posted by Fitz | April 7, 2008 12:50 PM

@Spindall

I was with you (though I wouldn't speak as harshly) until you called John McCain a hero. This guy is as big a loser as Bush is... of sub-par intelligence, and a bad pilot.

"He personal life was just as 'acted' as his Hollywood roles." - Just like McCain. Remember when he fought Bush and Bush tore him a new one? And then, like a pansy, stood next to him in support. I lost all respect for the man on that day. Some maverick.

Posted by Spindall Lite | April 7, 2008 1:27 PM

I'm just wondering Ralph, after reading your last comment, how your celebration of Heston's death as the passing of evil is materially different from your example of Heston and the NRA's lack of decency?

The call for the NRA to cancel their convention was a political trick, an attempt to get them to admit culpability in the Columbine deaths. Heston was both morally and politically correct to ignore it, and your predictable accusations of inhumanity only make you appear, well--inhuman.

Liberals-progressives routinely get angry when their irrational propositions--in this instance, that inanimate artifacts are responsible for mayhem, and not those that wield them--are rebuffed by the public. We will simply not be intimidated by wannabe fascists and I commend Heston for standing up for American values against the evil that left-wingers do.

Posted by Mick Stockinger | April 7, 2008 1:38 PM

May I take this opportunity to say how much I admired Mr Heston. Being English manners are most important it's just a pity that some do not know what they are for, one should not speak ill of the departed how can they defend themselves shame on you, before you reply and think that this is from some posh bloke in the U/K it's not just a hard working class normal bloke brought up to know right from wrong not 'dragged up; You Sir; are one of lifes losers, We have a saying; WHAT GOES ROUND COMES ROUND.

Mr Heston sent a reply to my GET WELL CARD on his ill health that was in 1999 he wrote a number of times and I was extremely grateful to him for his kindness shown to me. A True Gentleman and friend that will be sadly missed.
A Star in Heaven,
Victor.

Posted by victor tumilty | April 7, 2008 3:02 PM

When he was playing to his strengths, Heston was amazing. I can think of several Heston performances I am grateful I saw.

Spindall writes:

"Did you really think anything Dreyfuss says will abnegate Heston's lack of worth?"

I assume this is a joke. Is it really possible to abnegate a lack?

Posted by J Mann | April 7, 2008 3:13 PM

Ah, J Mann, you, as we say in the mannered U/K, are spot on! I commend you on your intelligence and sense of humor. I guess it would be difficult to "deny" a "lack of talent" except in some convoluted meaningless semantic construction.

But really you guys [and we are all men here], read "Michel Mourlet's famous Cahiers du Cinema assessment of the Heston mystique" again but this time out loud to someone you know. If they don't double over in paroxysms of laughter, they are probably dead. When I read it I rolled over in my grave.

Oh well, back to heaven. Love, Ralph/xxx

Posted by Ralph Spindell | April 7, 2008 4:15 PM

I guess we'll be able to pry his guns from his hands now then.

Posted by Minnesota | April 7, 2008 4:49 PM

Mr Tumilty is obviously a man who understands the notion of common decency. It means not using a man's death, no matter how vile you might conceive that man, as an opportunity to vent one's spleen.

Obviously the fact that I use "artificial, subjective and fluid social norms" is seen as detrimental to my exercise of morality and ethics. This is a strange conclusion to draw. Exactly what social norms are not fluid, or in some sense subjective? The question isn't whether they are subjective or fluid, or even artificial, but whether they have any value. Some people understand that not speaking ill of the dead is a convention worth maintaining. You obviously don't.

I wonder whether you have lost anyone close to you, Mr Spindell. I earnestly hope not. If and when you do, you might gain a better appreciation of the pain caused by loss, and the needlessness of others trampling, even metaphorically upon graves.

Internet forums, at their best, are a fine example of a robust exchange of views. At their worst, they are a platform for unrestrained, badly written, juvenile ranting, which drag the level of discourse down. People complain about the increasing level of partisanship in US politics. This sort of attack, spitting on a man's grave, is Exhibit A.

Posted by Tom O'Gorman | April 7, 2008 7:08 PM

My word, there are some jaundiced, small-minded, bilious, spiteful, vitriolic, disrespectful people in the world, judging from the comments some have posted after the passing of Charlton Heston.

He couldn't act? Just watch "Will Penny", OK?

I thank the man for the many hours of pleasure he gave me. His family must be so proud of him: can a man achieve more?

Posted by Byron Jones | April 7, 2008 7:51 PM

you got it josnes. will penny and charlston are the last of kind, last of a breed. now we got them pretty boys like cloony, noting real about the top men actors. you can have your brad spits, damons, cruises, and decapreos, none of them has as much talent as heston.

spindel or whtever your name id, drop dead!

Posted by finger on the trigger | April 7, 2008 11:52 PM

I think he was one of the greatest actors in film. I also met him once and he was a great guy. No one compares to his acting ability today. I only wish he had lived to 100!!

Posted by George H. | April 8, 2008 2:37 PM

I think he was one of the greatest actors in film. I also met him once and he was a great guy. No one compares to his acting ability today. I only wish he had lived to 100!!

Posted by George H. | April 8, 2008 2:40 PM

I think he was one of the greatest actors in film. I also met him once and he was a great guy. No one compares to his acting ability today. I only wish he had lived to 100!!

Posted by George H. | April 8, 2008 2:40 PM

Victor and Byron make good points. Spindall...well, life's simply given you lots of opportunities for learning, let's leave it at that. There's always the next life time too.

Civility is underrated in our culture, says Victor, and he's right. Just read some of the lame comments above.

Byron mentions Will Penny. Probably the best thing he ever did on film from an acting point of view.

I also saw him in Long Day's Journey Into Night, on stage. he did a solid, if not luminous, job.

Posted by James Lawrence | April 10, 2008 3:45 PM