10 Greatest Films of Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave was born in Greenwich, England, in 1937. Both of her parents were famous actors. She and her siblings all became actors. After attending the Central School of Speech and Drama, she began to perform on the West End. She has spent most of her career on the stage and is rated amongst the top ten stage actors of all time.
In 1958, she had a small role alongside her father in a film called Behind the Mask. After that she went back and forth between the stage and television, and didn’t do another film until 1966, at which time she starred in a film called Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment, alongside David Warner. She was nominated for a Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar for that film. That acclaim led to a long string of films.
10. The Bostonians (1984) — a Merchant/Ivory production of the Henry James novel. The film stars Christopher Reeve alongside Redgrave and Madeleine Potter in a love triangle story.
“Don’t you believe in the coming of a better day that it’s possible to do something for the human race?” — Olive Chancellor
9. Coriolanus (2011) — Redgrave plays Volumnia, the mother of the titular character, in this strong and bloody adaptation of Shakespeare’s play. Ralph Fiennes plays Coriolanus. The cast also includes Gerard Butler and Jessica Chastain.
“Do as thou like! Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck’st it from me. But owe thy pride thyself!” — Volumnia
8. Agatha (1979) — In December of 1926, famed author Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days. What happened during those eleven days has never been revealed. This film is a fictional speculation of that time. Vanessa plays the legendary lady of mystery.
“I am smiling because you’re just like your books after all. Always a surprise ending.” — Wally Stanton
7. Camelot (1967) — an opulent musical telling of the story of King Arthur and his lady Guinevere. Richard Harris plays Arthur, Vanessa is Guinevere, and Franco Nero is the betraying Lancelot.
“Was there ever a more inconvenient marriage of convenience? Here am I, at the golden age of seductibility and is my fate sealed with a kiss? Is it? No. Sealed with a seal.” — Guinevere
6. The Loves of Isadora (1968) — There are two versions of this film. There is a two-hour version called The Loves of Isadora and a three hour version called simply Isadora. I have only seen the former. Redgrave plays the famed modern dancer Isadora Duncan.
“Honestly, I don’t want to talk about red pencils with Essenin. I want to talk to him about making love with me. Now, how do say in Russian, “I adore you. You have beautiful thighs”?” — Isadora
5. Mission: Impossible (1996) — my favorite of the franchise. Vanessa Redgrave plays an arms dealer named Max. Besides the fact that I like this film, I chose to include it in this list because I think it is a good example of Redgrave’s ability to project a large presence onto a small role.
“I’m sure we can find something I have that you need.” — Max
4. Julia (1977) — Two women, Lillian (Jane Fonda) and Julia (Redgrave) are childhood friends, separated and then reacquainted as adults when Julia recruits Lillian to help with a secret mission against the Nazis. Julia was nominated for eleven Oscars. Redgrave won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
“Way down deep he’s very superficial.” — Dottie
3. A Month by the Lake (1995) — A romantic comedy about the stiffness of British love, set in the paradise of Lake Como, shortly before WWII.
“I’m sometimes surprised that this place is still here. I thought it would die with him.” — Miss Bentley
2. Mrs. Dalloway (1997) — Vanessa and Natascha McElhone star as the older and younger Mrs. Dalloway in this adaptation of the Virginia Woolf novel about a woman looking back at her own past.
“Those ruffians, the Gods, shan’t have it all their own way. Those Gods will never lose a chance of hurting, thwarting, and spoiling human lives.” — Clarissa Dalloway
1. Blow-Up (1966) — was selected as the best film of 1967 by the National Society of Film Critics. The film is about a fashion photographer, in the mod London scene, experiencing an existential crisis. One day he takes a picture in the park and a mysterious woman pursues him, wanting the film. Upon examining the film he believes he may have photographed a murder.
“No, we haven’t met. You’ve never seen me.” — Jane
Other films considered for this list include: The Pledge, Foxcatcher, The Whistleblower, Venus, Wilde, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, Wetherby, and Mary, Queen of Scots. What would make your list?
