(June ‘25) MONTHLY MARATHON IN FILM - Gene Hackman

June 2025 Monthly Film Marathon - Gene Hackman

My first exposure to Gene Hackman was likely something where he was a bit of a side character. I remember being familiar with movies like Hoosiers growing up, but not really knowing much about Hackman who seemed just like a bit of an old guy with anger issues. I feel like most of my generation would know him from something like The Royal Tenenbaums which I watched a few months ago and is famous in Gene’s lore for him being very difficult on set. I think this boils down what is special about Hackman and what specifically he displays in his other performances. In some interview I watched somewhere this month, Gene responded to a question about this set experience in saying something like: “I have a problem with direction because I have a problem with authority.”

Hackman came up on the later side (around 30) in a cohort of actors such as Dustin Hoffman, DeNiro and Al Pacino who famously wanted to challenge traditional Hollywood. In interviews, Hackman brings up Brando as a key pillar of inspiration for him in that he displayed a sort of authenticity that had been lacking in the industry before. To my Gen Z brain, this correlates directly to the counterculture movements of the late 60s and the Vietnam era of the 1970s where young people we’re calling BS on a lot of the established American culture and values. There was a search for a new authenticity; a new way of living with each other and a new way of seeing the world. This is what the flower child movement of the 60s promised and is one of the reasons why it was so popular. Later after the US entered the Vietnam War, many realized with newfound pessimism that the world wasn’t gonna change just because a bunch of San Francisco hippies took LSD and talked about a better system. Baby boomers realized that the bureaucratic establishment was dug-in and the only way to beat ‘em was to join ‘em, so that’s what they did. Hackman and his acting philosophy, I believe, aligns a lot with this 1970s pessimism that was also common throughout much of Hollywood during the time. Film’s like The Conversation explored Nixon-era surveillance paranoia and was a breakout performance for The Hack.

Why did I choose Hackman this month? One of the answers is that he passed away this year. I like to use this medium to recognize people in such a way. Another reason is that Hackman is just an actor that I enjoy very much. He has such an intense energy to him; an anger that can be summoned in an instant. But he also has a shit-eating grin that’ll put you at ease. Both-together give him an energetic charisma through which you can’t exactly take your eyes off him. Other than that, he is very much respected in the industry and is often cited as up there with the best of his generation.

I started off this month with Night Moves which was one of my favorite film of the Hackman series. Hack plays a private eye with a damaged relationship who is hired by an aging Hollywood starlet to go to Florida to retrieve her daughter. One of the key elements of the plot is that Hackman’s character Mosby doesn’t know how to separate his work from his personal life; when he asks someone questions it’s like a detective. He can’t have a normal conversation. This Neo-noir represents Hackman’s depth, but also his ability to convey complicated character traits as a leading man. I love the energy of it, as well as the poster (see above).

Crimson Tide was next which was also one of my favorites and is only removed from the top a tad because he has to go toe-to-toe with one of the greatest of all time; and thus cannot be displayed in a single spotlight. That alone is worth the price of admission; but this movie has a lot. Hackman plays a seasoned submarine commander who does his jo and doesn’t ask why. Washington plays his young second-in-command who is highly educated and wants to understand every twist and turn the vessel takes. When communications with the mainland are cut off during a Cold-War standoff, Washington must choose to trust his trigger-happy captain or go with his gut. First of all, I love a mutiny story; it's just pure entertainment (See Bogart’s Mutiny on the Bounty). Second, like I expressed, these are two of the best of all time in a stand-off. When they yell at each other it’s like watching Ali fight Tyson. This is actually a decent comparison because of the age difference. Denel is young and hungry and Hackman is all-knowing and fortified.

“We’re here to observe democracy, not practice it.”

I rewatched The Conversation for this marathon and I think I got it better than the first time I saw it; also I was lucky to rewatch it on my friends 85 incher which was a treat. Originally, I didn’t like this movie so much because it was so slow moving and understimulating. So much of it happens inside Caul’s head and its subtle at times which is ultimately what people appreciate it me thinks. This has everything I typically would enjoy overall; Duvall/Ford/Hackman trio, takes place in SF, character study…Overall it just hasn’t grabbed me both times I’ve seen it. I can however appreciate Hackman’s dedication to the character and can completely understand why it’s considered his best role. It’s easily his best character. I suppose I just like Hackman better when he’s Hackman. Some actors are great because they can be anything; others are great because they can be themselves doing anything. Both good in their own way.

Besides The Conversation, The French Connection and a few others, many of Hackman’s roles are him as a side character. Often times an antagonist that the protagonist must rally with. The movies that I saw that fall into this category are Under Fire, The Quick and the Dead, The Firm, Twilight, and a Bridge too Far. All are great to excellent performances in my opinion. In each one he is up there with the best on the billing including the ones opposite Paul Newman, Sean Connery, Rob Redford, Michael Caine, Leo DiCaprio (he’s like 11), Tom Cruise and others. It seems Hackman was a great plug-in quality actor that can stand toe to toe with a lot of these guys; and he pulled it off.

One of my favorites this month was another rewatch; Mississippi Burning. This one’s just a classic in which he’s opposite Willem Dafoe. Dafoe uncharacteristically plays the by-the-book carpetbagger FBI agent sent down to the south to investigate the killing of some black teenagers. Hackman as a local yokel is sent to team up with him to translate hick. There’s a few incredible scenes in this one including one where Hackman interogates/tortures a Klan member with a razor in a barber chair (we’re rooting for him the whole time).

All-in all, Big Ups to the Hack man. Rest in piece. I enjoyed watching your performances as you were usually the best thing on screen.