Denzel Washington by Cynthia Baron (review)

Film Stars, the British Film Institute's ongoing book series, proclaims inside its front cover that each edition is "devoted to an international movie star . . . their acting and performance methods, the cultural significance of their work, and their influence and legacy." Among the nine film luminaries who have received prior consideration are Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, and Rock Hudson.

The institute tasked film scholar Cynthia Baron with revealing the story behind the success of American actor Denzel Washington, arguably one of the greatest movie stars to appear onscreen since the invention of the medium. She ably provides a compelling view of the man and his complicated times in her edition, titled simply Denzel Washington.

Analyzing Washington's ascension to stardom is complicated because one must be brave enough to follow the actor's perilous journey across the stormy sea that is Hollywood racial politics. Today, like a neo-Colossus of Rhodes, Washington has become an icon, his stature straddling the murky tributary dividing Afrocentric filmmaking from the so-called mainstream films primarily aimed at white audiences. Given this set of circumstances, and since he has served both cinemas, understanding how Washington became arguably the larger-than-life symbol of the American acting franchise is essential. Baron's timely research allows readers to both consider the actor's career and make sense of how his against-all-odds exalted status was achieved.

The book utilizes, to great effect, the author's keen skills as an observer of acting performance. It is during these moments, when Baron painstakingly interprets Washington's vocal choices, body gestures, and facial movements, that we gain a greater appreciation of those precise methods this actor utilizes to command our attention so completely. We also learn that these techniques, combined with a powerful screen presence, are why audiences do not appear to care now what race Washington belongs to; they care only that he satisfies our high expectations of the acting craft.

Baron's discussion of Washington's performance as Alonzo Harris in Training Day is but one example. Here she describes Harris's first meeting with his trainee Jake (Ethan Hawke): "Alonzo and Jake meet at a greasy diner. From the scene's opening moments on, the actors' gestures and expressions establish a contrast between their characters. Washington starts in a secure position, his posture strong and bound. [He] uses his hands, arms and shoulders as a forceful coordinated unit" (81). Using a full two pages to detail every physical movement and speech pattern Washington chooses in this crucial opening sequence, Baron compels us to pay strict attention: "[Washington] snaps his newspaper taut, suddenly taps the pistols in his shoulder holster together and abruptly replaces a smooth flow of dialogue with sharp minced words punched out. He will suddenly raise an eyebrow, drop into a whisper or fix Hawke in a cold stare. Washington shows that Alonzo enjoys his role of authority" (82).

A more-than-could-be-hoped-for number of films (including the award-garnering Glory, Philadelphia, Malcolm X, and The Hurricane) receive this manner of performance analysis. The accounts of Washington's acting movements are accessible, riveting, and fun to read. Baron's observations offer readers a unique recounting of some of the most important scenes in the actor's screen career, from the perspective of how the actor approached, and then carried out, those performance choices.

But Denzel Washington does much more than provide observations about a polished actor. Woven throughout the book is an informative discussion concerning "representational politics" (64), a deftly layered view of the race-based obstacles Washington overcame. We learn how his business savvy, including specifically his intelligently selected roles, eventually transformed him into a bankable leading man who was ultimately cast in parts that Hollywood typically reserved for white males. Baron's narrative is mindful of how these evolving screen representations, from race-specific to race-neutral, were received by audiences. This analysis is spot-on. She writes,

Washington's credentials as an award-winning actor have likely fostered acceptance by (white) mainstream audiences. His association...