I have been a fan of Daniel Day-Lewis ever since I was captivated by his raw, passionately intense portrayal of 'Gerry Conlon' in Jim Sheridan's masterful 'In the name of the Father'. Day-lewis' ability to go above and beyond of what's required from an actor is awe-inspiring. Regarding his staggering commitment to 'Method' acting, it's no surprise that his name and performances are mentioned in the same breath as those of Brando, De Niro and Pacino. Not only does his work cement him as the leading 'Method' actor of his generation but also as the outstanding actor of the last twenty years.
His versatility and range as an actor is illustrated throughout an incandescent career. From mastering and trancending physical acting with a bravura performance as 'Christy Brown' in Sheridan's 'My Left Foot', to producing a naturalistic masterclass with 'In the name of the Father', to a brilliant stylised performance as the brutal, merciless 'Bill 'the Butcher' in Martin Scorsese's 'Gangs of New York'. Noting only three illustrious performance after heralding a glorious twenty-plus year career seems somewhat mystifying no doubt. However, those of you that are familiar with Day-lewis will be fully aware of his tendency to be highly selective of his roles, only commiting his unearthly talent to the most complex and daring of characters. Although 'My Left Foot', 'In the Name of the Father' and 'Gangs of New York' are his defining performance to date, Day-Lewis has also produced an array of highly commendable and indeed often excellent performance in lesser known films such as 'My Beautiful Laundrette', 'The Age of Innocence', 'The Crucible' or 'The Boxer'. His admirable body of work is a showcase of limitless versatility, depthless range, absorbing emotion and finely-layered characterisation.
His work is his art, to watch Day-Lewis act is a unique experience because when we've finished watching one of his great performances we feel as if we've just experienced a real life person being dissected on-screen. The depth of Day-Lewis' realism is unique. Whilst with the vast majority of actors we watch there's always the underlying feeling that we're watching the actor ACTING, if that makes sense. We see the actor manipulating and fabricating the emotion and mannerisms of a character, there's very little sense of sincerity in the performance, or more specifically, 'the truth'. It's almost like watching a magician show a magic trick that you already know the secret to. This isn't the case with the great actors, like Mr Day-Lewis. His on-screen work is filled with real magic, without illusions. The sincerity and naturalism of his acting means he compels us to the degree that we don't see the on-screen illusion because we're transfixed by it, we're apart of the character's world meaning we contemplate it as real almost. There's no brevity to Day-Lewis' emotion, what he commits to screen is something that burns with us long after we've watched the performance. Something which lingers and probes at us, pushing us to consider the performance, to dissect the character or to realise the construction of the characterisation.
Appreciating Day-Lewis isn't hard. Although there's a natural urge to dissect and analyse his work to the utmost ends, it really shouldn't be that case. I can, and have, orate about what makes him brilliant but appreciating that greatness can only be understood by just simply watching him perform. That sensation of knowing you're witnessing something special just confounds you, it leaves you wanting more but wholly satisfied.
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