As the big budget movie 'Kong: Skull Island' hits cinema screens , Brian Lloyd looks back at the best movie roles of one of its stars, Samuel L. Jackson. Will the cult classic 'Snakes On A Plane' make the cut?
5. Die Hard With A Vengeance
With the third Die Hard film, the producers went the route of the mismatched buddy cop flick casting Jackson in essentially the Danny Glover role from Lethal Weapon. Although it hasn't a patch on the first film, the premise is incredibly fun and suspenseful and the interplay between Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson is the core of the film itself. They're fleshed out, they're real and you start to care about what happens to them as the film progresses.
4. JACKIE BROWN
Jackie Brown has a real beating heart at its core that some of Tarantino’s other films often lack. At once a nod to blaxploitation flicks of the early 70s and a gritty character piece, Jackie Brown contains a standout performance from Quentin regular Samuel L. Jackson.
Jackson stars as sleazy gunrunner Ordell Robbie who crosses paths with the titular Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) and bail bondsman Max Cherry (Robert Forster). This sets in motion a fairly labyrinthine caper plot involving multiple money drops/exchanges and numerous double crosses.
Jackson delivers an excellent performance and is far more understated and relaxed here than his character in Pulp Fiction. While it can sometimes be lost amongst the director’s oeuvre, Jackie Brown is easily one of Jackson’s best and perhaps Quentin Tarantino’s finest hour.
3. A TIME TO KILL
The single best scene of Samuel L. Jackson’s career is the moment he surrenders himself to the law in A Time to Kill. After murdering the two men who raped and nearly beat his daughter to death, Jackson’s Carl Lee Hailey doesn’t go on the run. He doesn’t hide out and seek refuge. Instead, he simply goes home. He goes home, sits with his family, and waits. The town Sheriff soon arrives and finds Carl Lee waiting passively on his front porch.
Carl Lee calmly says goodbye to his family, walks down his steps, and slowly approaches the Sheriff. Watch Jackson do this walk. I mean, really watch him. There’s so much going on in his face – guilt, shame, pride, determination, justice – it’s really quite a startling achievement. How Samuel L. Jackson wasn't nominated for this film, I genuinely don't know. That said, the message of the film is a little bit troublesome, as it's effectively arguing in favour of vigilantism.
2. Unbreakable
Like the film itself, Jackson’s performance in Shyamalan’s fourth feature is extremely somber, quiet and subdued. Jackson is nearly unrecognizable as Elijah Price starring opposite Bruce Willis’ David Dunn. Sporting a skew wiff afro and confined to a wheelchair, Price is a comic book fanatic with a rare bone affliction causing him to be known as the “Glass Man”.
Price comes across Dunn who has just emerged from a horrific train crash as the sole survivor. Dunn begins to discover unusual qualities about himself in the aftermath of the accident and the pair begin to suspect they may be polar opposites.
This might be Shyamalan’s best work and is certainly his most visually accomplished featuring some exceptional framing work and fly on the wall cinematography. By far one of his more chameleonic roles, Jackson is simply terrific as Price and strikes an unnerving figure onscreen. His presence is utterly palpable.
1. PULP FICTION
Much of the credit may lie with Tarantino’s writing and direction, but Jackson is so perfectly cast as Winnfield and delivers his monologues and retorts with such force and authority, it’s simply undeniable. Even though he’s part of a huge ensemble effort, Jackson stands out head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. The role that simultaneously jump-started and defined his career.
If you are aggrieved by the lack of snakes in this article the following GIF is for you.
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