That's understandable, I suppose, given that we neither saw his face nor heard his voice, the two most commonly understood tools in any actor's repertoire. Yet, Prowse was more than just "a guy in the suit," as I've sometimes heard said of him. His performance in Star Wars is quite good, portraying the imposing physicality of the Dark Lord of the Sith while also evincing a low-key intensity that's even more evident in The Empire Strikes Back. From what I have read, the Vader costume was bulky and stiff, which would have made it hard for any actor, particularly one whose face was completely obscured, to convey much of anything. Nonetheless, he did so and did so memorably.
I was seven years old when I first saw Prowse as Darth Vader on the big screen and I will never forget it. The moment he strides into the smoke-filled corridor of Princess Leia's starship, surrounded by stormtroopers, is one of the truly great character introductions in all of cinema. Prowse effectively portrayed menace and authority in equal measure. By all rights, Vader could well have come across as ridiculous rather than threatening. That he did not is no mean feat and a testament to Prowse's skills. In a very real way, Star Wars would have been impossible without him.
I'm with you on this. His physical presence in Star Wars is impressive and shouldn't be downplayed.
ReplyDelete"Prowse effectively portrayed menace and authority in equal measure. By all rights, Vader could well have come across as ridiculous rather than threatening. That he did not is no mean feat and a testament to Prowse's skills."
ReplyDeleteWell put. I hadn't thought about it in those terms before, but his performance really was a crucial detail upon which the overall feel of the movies hinged.
David Prowse's role in bringing Darth Vader to life was really brought home to me when I watched Rogue One. The Darth Vader at the end of the movie just did not move right.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting observation. Not having seen any of the post-Lucas films, I wouldn't have known about this otherwise.
DeleteIt does go to show how important the voice is for a character.
ReplyDeleteConsider Chewbacca. We didn't see his face or hear his voice, but we all knew who Peter Mayhew was. (Okay, a lot of us knew who Dave Prowse was, too, but that's not the point I'm making here.) His acting was all through movement, too. And he rightfully gets the credit for it.
But James Earl Jones gets the credit for Darth Vader, all because of that amazing voice. It's a great voice, and I love it, but I still loved the physical presentation Prowse brought to the role.
Thank you for this discussion!