Willem Dafoe: 5 Films

Willem Dafoe is a force of nature, there is no argument. His wide portfolio is a never-ending collection of different performances, and while the films featured on this list are fantastic (minus one), I couldn’t imagine what they would’ve been like without Dafoe.

Number 5: Bobby Hicks - The Florida Project

At number five comes Sean Baker’s The Florida Project

The Florida Project was quite an experimental film, what with the use of non-actors in a character heavy plot. The movie is quite phenomenal, and had elements from all aspects that made it great. One element that shines above all is the performance of Willem Dafoe as motel manager Bobby Hicks. His exterior is gruff, but the man holds gallons upon gallons of empathy. The Florida Project is only low on this list given the other things that make this film amazing, but Dafoe is a strong right hook for this film’s integrity. I would recommend watching any interview where the actor speaks of this film, particularly his GQ film breakdown, where he discusses what separated this process from the rest.

Number 4: Sergeant Elias Gordon - Platoon

Platoon is an anti-war film that changed the way that the world perceived Vietnam veterans afflicted by a war that wasn’t winnable. It was truly the first time that soldiers weren’t welcomed home with a parade, and at the release of the film, the war had only been over for a little over ten years, so the wounds were fresh. Though featured as American Johnny stereotypes, the cast is a collage of experienced actors, and fresh new faces (Charlie Sheen as our protagonist Chris Taylor). Among this cast was the sympathetic Sergeant Elias Gordon, played by Dafoe. He’s a character that, like Taylor, has a thick sense of morality among the horrific assault and murder afflicted on Vietnamese civilians. Dafoe offers a welcoming character that audiences can attach themselves to, as we find ourselves mortified by the things that Chris Taylor sees.

Platoon is a film that has its faults, no doubt. But it is one of the best retellings of the horrors of the Vietnam conflict out there, minus most of the pretentious narrative that you’d find in a lot of these post-war pictures.

Number 3: Klaus Daimler - The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

Hitting number three on this list is Klaus Daimler, the German blowhard with a streak of sensitivity from Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Dafoe speaks highly of this film, as he was cast very close to production when the original actor dropped the role. The film itself is quirky and lovely like most Wes Anderson pictures, and like the trend goes on this list, Dafoe promotes the likeliness of this picture being great. His role slightly pales in comparison to that of Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum’s performances, which is why it’s so high on this list, but the portrayal of this type of character makes it one of the best Dafoe performances of this time.

Number 2: Paul Smecker - The Boondock Saints

I will argue with anyone about why The Boondock Saints is not a good movie. In my softest opinion, it was a script that got lucky at a time where any Quentin Tarantino knockoff screenplays could make it big. Enough about that though, because I could go on forever. It’s on this list because of one reason: the insane and cartoonish performance given by Willem Dafoe as Paul Smecker, a crude detective that has no filter: he is gay but homophobic, he adores classical music, and will yell at anyone he sees if he so pleases. He’s ruthless and menacing, with the insight of a madman. Even though the humor is incredibly dated, Dafoe’s presence makes the film feel weighted, as if he carried it himself. Without him, the film might’ve been a lot worse. Nevertheless, I will always enjoy his performance in a film that makes me particularly sick.

Number 1: Norman Osborn / The Green Goblin - Spiderman

Did you think I wouldn’t mention it?

Sam Raimi’s Spiderman made history. This film, paired with X-Men, is the reason why you can walk into cinemas at any day of the week and 75% of the time you’ll find a superhero movie playing. This film had a lot of experiments, namely industry standard CGI and a famously cheesy director, but the film worked in so many subtle ways. The script was a classic cookie-cutter Spiderman story, and the performances were hammy but emotionally charming. This film doesn’t hold a flicker to its sequel, let alone the Tom Holland performances today, but no future portrayal of Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin could live up to that of Willem Dafoe in this film. There’s a perfect Jekyll and Hyde dynamic that he has with himself, which serves the character perfectly. If anyone should have played Spiderman’s nemesis at the time, in any universe it would’ve been Dafoe. The man just looks like the character (shame they covered his face), and out of everyone in this film, he was obviously having the most fun. Dafoe is an actor that takes all of his roles 100% seriously, and because of his commitment to this film, the movie succeeded more than it already would have at the time. These films have trouble holding up by today’s standards, but if you are looking for a fun supervillain that can be serious but outrageous all at once, look no further.

Willem Dafoe’s portfolio obviously doesn’t stop at these five, and I would encourage you to comb his IMDB credits for any of his films that you can get your hands on. Willem Dafoe is an actor who trusts his text 110%, and if an actor trusts their dialogue and direction, we as audience members can trust them even more.

Films to watch outside this list: Shadow of the Vampire, The Last Temptation of Christ, Wild At Heart, American Psycho

Now go out there and watch a movie.