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100 Most Memorable Film Characters Of All Time: Nominations 41 thru 60 - Page 5© Jason O'Brien 49) Jefferson Smith in MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (Jimmy Stewart) Clearly one of Jimmy Stewart's most immortal performances will always remain Mr. Smith, the man who went to Washington with such ideals about how the political system should work, and managed to hold on to those ideals through the reality of the political waters he ultimately finds himself in. His final filibuster as he refuses to give up is one of the signature performances in all of cinema.
48) Nurse Ratched in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (Louise Fletcher) Milos Forman's 1975 Best Picture winning classic contained one of the most immortal battles of will between two people in film history. Jack Nicholson's Randle McMurphy squares off almost immediately with Louise Fletcher's Nurse Ratched, who rules her floor in the mental hospital with an iron hand. We get too few glimpses into Ratched's normal life, but you sense a lot of personal pain in her character, and a will to control that comes under fire when McMurphy comes into her life. It's high caliber performances to see them fire away at each other, and both won well deserved Oscars. 47) Martha in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (Elizabeth Taylor) What is perhaps Elizabeth Taylor's finest performance was as Martha, the foul mouthed brassy woman at the center of this brilliant film adaptation of the amazing play, brought to the screen by Mike Nichols. Starring alongside Richard Burton, Martha's deconstruction is brilliantly realized by Taylor's no-holds-barred performance. 46) Alex in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (Malcolm McDowell) Who can ever forget Alex, the central character of Stanley Kubrick's still powerful 1971 cult classic? Alex is the personification of a new youth in the future of this film, where youth have lost all morals in regards to violence, and practice it regularly as often as they can, often with very brutal and shocking attacks on innocent civilians. But soon, Alex becomes the poster child for reformed individuals, as the system employs its own shocking methods to mold him into a model citizen. Malcolm McDowell brings an amazing and bizarre quality to the character of Alex, all a part of a film which may never lose its ability to shock, amaze, and confound. 45) Tom Joad in THE GRAPES OF WRATH (Henry Fonda) Henry Fonda's signature performance came in 1940 in his performance as Tom Joad, the central character in John Ford's brilliant adaptation of the popular novel. His signature scene says it all ... "I'll be there" ... he stands for the struggle of the people just trying to get by during this Depression era fable.
The copyright of the article 100 Most Memorable Film Characters Of All Time: Nominations 41 thru 60 - Page 5 in Academy Awards is owned by Nicholas Moreau. Permission to republish 100 Most Memorable Film Characters Of All Time: Nominations 41 thru 60 - Page 5 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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