Max von Sydow passed away, leaving behind his acting legacy

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Max von Sydow, Sweden-born French actor passed away on 8th March 2020. He was 90 years old. Max von Sydow had an impressive acting career, spanning for 65 years. He appeared on films by some of the world’s leading directors, such as Martin Scorsese, William Friedkin, Ingman Bergman, Steven Spielberg and many, many more.

The 65-year long career of Max von Sydow began in Hollywood, in the middle of the 1960s. One of his first movies, which he gained international recognition, was Ingman Bergman’s celebrated release, The Seventh Seal. Afterward, he got the role of Jesus in The Greatest Story Ever Told. He then starred in one of the Star Wars movies, as Lor San Tekka and voiced a character from The Simpsons.

Movies and roles

Max von Sydow will always remain a memorable actor, famous thanks to many world cinema classics, like The Seventh Seal. The movie plot is very interesting: Von Sydow represents the man, who plays a chess game with the Death itself. Another memorable movie of von Sydow was the Oscar-nominated release, Wild Strawberries and The Virgin Spring. This one actually won the Oscar for the Best Picture, when it was released.

Von Sydow received a Golden Globe award for Hawaii. The role also brought his job in the first Exorcist movie, shot in 1973. He received two Oscar nominations. One of them came with the leading role in the drama Pelle the Conqueror. His second Oscar nomination came from the supporting role in the 9/11 motion picture, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, directed by Stephen Daldry.

Surprisingly for an actor of his age, Van Sydow had a successful start, in the first decades of the 21st century. The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, directed by Julian Schnabel, won differents awards at Cannes. Soon after, he was cast for a role in one of the most thrilling movies of all time, Shutter Island. The motion feature film was directed by Martin Scorsese, alongside a leading character, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Intacto

Another great example of his great acting skills is the movie Intacto. Intacto is a Spanish thriller, directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. Some of the most popular Spanish actors have played alongside Max von Sydow in the movie. It was released in 2001 in Spain. After doing a round of different film festivals, the movie saw its international release in 2002.

The plot is something that will definitely catch the eye of the attentive audience. The characters in the movie are engaged in different casino games. Their objective is to get rid of the unlucky people. The most interesting part begins when Sam, a character played by Max von Sydow, begins to run his own casino operations. Federico, a rank-and-file casino employee, has the power of “stealing” other people’s luck. Once Sam and Federico get into a fight. Federico then aims to get the luckiest person to play roulette. Why? He aims to defeat Sam in Russian roulette, a game that he has never lost.

This film is only one example of von Sydow’s incredible acting skills. But as with many movies, starring von Sydow, the Spanish release offers a highly original insight into human nature. In other words, you should consider watching it for its unique plot. One thing is certain: von Sydow will not be forgotten, especially for his vibrant roles in many international productions.

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