Projector: Images of Jared Leto (Item 19)
Speaker: Throughout this presentation, I will be discussing the use of
method acting and how this style of acting can be linked to Jared Leto’s
individual character roles. However, before delving into Leto’s roles and
whether or not these can determine if the actor can be termed as a method
actor, we must first understand what method acting is, deciding whether the
definition could term Leto as a method actor.
Projector: Transition to following slide with quotes on:
"Involved the performer feeling his/her way into a role
from the inside, temporarily identifying with a character or, in a widespread
distortion of the approach, actually becoming the character while playing
him/her." (Item 17)
"To play truley means to be right, logical,
coherent, to think, strive, feel and act in unison with your role." (Item 18)
Speaker: Both Stanislavski's definition and the educational
definition of method acting refer to the use of identifying and in a way,
becoming the character you are playing- to know their attitudes, behaviour and
the small impulses that make each individual character unique in their own
way.
Projector: “car chase” scene (Item 1)
Speaker: This scene is the first time that Leto appears in Suicide Squad. In this, the actor is playing The Joker, a character which requires a large amount of understanding of the character to play in such an authentic way. From the manner that he holds his hands upon the head of the walking stick to the recklessness of his characters attitude showing throughout his own acting, he adapts the characters mannerisms and attitudes as his own. The psychotic and antagonistic attitude shown throughout the scene is a key example of the use of method acting due to the vast contrast from Leto's own personality to the personality shown throughout this scene. Leto is known to be a kind and caring person, an atti tude that is absent from these scenes; from this, we are able to understand further how Leto has truly become the character that he is playing, believing that he himself is somewhat connected to this character.
Projector: Suicide Squad article
" I saw him out of makeup once and I was actually petrified of him. I was too scared to go up and didn't know who that person was, and when he got back into his makeup I was far more comfortable." (Item 10)
Speaker: This quote is a prime example of how Leto connected to his character in a way that has taken a step further than how many actors connect to their roles. From this quote alone, we see how co-workers of the actor were not aware of who the actor was himself because he was continuously in character throughout the filming process. Leto's method acting within this film became so genuine that his co-workers did not recognise him out of costume to the point that they were even in fear of meeting the real actor. Can Leto be termed a method actor because of this?
Projector: "Joker meeting" scene (Item 1)
Speaker: In contrary to the previous scene from Suicide Squad, this scene displays another side of the character as he is separated from Harley Quinn, causing him to become unstable; this is portrayed throughout the beginning of this scene. As the camera tracks out from The Joker, we are able to see the vast array of knives surrounding the character as well as hearing dietetic sound of the iconic Joker laugh. From this brief scene, it is clear to see how Leto has connected to his character, truly identifying with the character and the struggles he is going through in this point in the film. There are subtle things that we can see throughout the scene which back this up further such as the shakiness of Leto's hand as he holds the gun up or manner by which he speaks- we are able to hear the pain in his voice as he is separated from the one person he loves.
Projector: Jared Leto on playing the Joker in 'Suicide Squad' (Item 14)
Speaker: In the interview which has just been shown, jared Leto discusses some elements that related to him in the film. Leto states that he knew that he wasn't Joker throughout filming, but that the role required commitment and focus; this can be seen throughout this scene as we see the commitment and focus that Leto has within this scene.
Projector: "Chemical Bath" scene (Item 1)
Speaker: Once again, Leto uses method acting within this scene which can be seen through his dialogue, body language and other aspects of his overall character in the scene. Throughout this, we are able to understand Joker's thoughts and feelings towards what is happening in his facial expressions; this can be seen as the character decides to return for Harley. As he begins to walk away, we see the struggle in his expression as to whether he should leave, followed by him rolling his head backwards in irritation as he decides to return to her. Although this can be seen throughout many actors' work, Leto uses the knowledge of his character to accurately portray how his character would feel at this time, creating an effective attitude to portray within this scene as well as his sentiment towards Harley.
Projector: Jared Leto interview (Item 15) [3:23- 4:03]
Speaker: Joker and Harley's relationship is discussed within this interview with Jared as he says describes how their relationship is and how secure it is. As he discusses this with the interviewer, we are able to understand what he is saying as well as being able to see it throughout the chemical bath scene.
Projector: “I’m Rayon” scene (Item 2)
Speaker: This is a key scene in the film, Dallas Buyers Club; in
terms of viewing Leto’s acting, this particular scene is the first time we see
him in the film. Here, we are able to witness the actor’s style as he uses it
to play Rayon, a further challenging role to play due to it being a character
of the opposite sex. However, in this scene we see many subtle changes that
Leto has altered to his personality and mannerisms in order to prepare and
become Rayon himself. From this scene, it is apparent that Leto has adapted his
voice so that it has a higher pitch as well as using a southern accent and elongating vowels. All of these aspects of this change in his voice
allow him to sound more feminine and adapt to the different mannerisms and
characteristics of Rayon, creating the character as realistic as he can,
somewhat becoming Rayon himself.
Projector: Jared Leto on playing Rayon (quote from clip underneath video) [1:05-2:23]
"I couldn't be one way one moment and then the director says action and then my voice immediately jumps up an octave, I remember all of these mannerisms and I'm in this emotional place. It didn't make sense, I had to be where I needed to." (Item 12)
Speaker: Here, we see Leto discussing his reasoning within choosing to go method while playing Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. From the quote above- taken from the interview, we begin to understand the reasoning behind this choice and how we can relate this to the film.
Projector: Jared Leto on playing Rayon (quote from clip underneath video) [1:05-2:23]
"I couldn't be one way one moment and then the director says action and then my voice immediately jumps up an octave, I remember all of these mannerisms and I'm in this emotional place. It didn't make sense, I had to be where I needed to." (Item 12)
Speaker: Here, we see Leto discussing his reasoning within choosing to go method while playing Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. From the quote above- taken from the interview, we begin to understand the reasoning behind this choice and how we can relate this to the film.
Projector: "bed" scene (Item 3)
Speaker: This scene from 'Requiem For a Dream" shows Leto playing another role. The scene shows the actor playing a much more simplistic character than his other roles that have been discussed previously. In this, we see the actor with his mother; we are able to see the affection that his character has for the other and how from one small scene, we can understand the relationship they have with one another. Apart from this, we are also able to see the transformation Leto went through for this role through how thin his body is.
Projector: Elle article (Item 7)
Speaker: This article shows how Leto adapted his life in order to prepare for this role. The actor lost 25 pounds in order to be the right body type for the character he was portraying; although many actors go through this type of process for a various amount of roles, this shows the amount of dedication that the actor had to stay in the right mindset and to connect with his character in on a deeper level.
Speaker: This scene from 'Requiem For a Dream" shows Leto playing another role. The scene shows the actor playing a much more simplistic character than his other roles that have been discussed previously. In this, we see the actor with his mother; we are able to see the affection that his character has for the other and how from one small scene, we can understand the relationship they have with one another. Apart from this, we are also able to see the transformation Leto went through for this role through how thin his body is.
Projector: Elle article (Item 7)
Speaker: This article shows how Leto adapted his life in order to prepare for this role. The actor lost 25 pounds in order to be the right body type for the character he was portraying; although many actors go through this type of process for a various amount of roles, this shows the amount of dedication that the actor had to stay in the right mindset and to connect with his character in on a deeper level.
