TIME TO FLIP THE COIN OVER...IN DEFENSE OF DENZEL WASHINGTON...

HE WON HIS FIRST OSCAR FOR GLORY A FILM A FELLOW CLASS MATE OF MINE AT THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITITUE IN 1975, ED ZWICK DIRECTED, AND HIS THEN PARTNER, MARSHAL HERKOVITZ...DENZEL GAVE A HEART WRENCHING PERFORMANCE INITIATED BY A MILITARY ENFORCER, WASN'T THAT THE GUY FROM "BEUHLER'S DAY OFF?" THE LEAD IN "GLORY" WHOSE CHARACTER WAS BEATING DENZEL'S CHARACTER, USING A CAT AND NINE TAIL WHIP? WAS THAT FOR REAL, WAS HE ACTUALLY USING A REAL WHIP? BECAUSE IF HE WAS, HECK, DENZEL DESERVES TWO OR THREE OSCARS FOR HIS PORTRAYAL AS THE RUN AWAY SOLDIER OR SLAVE NOT WILLING TO SERVE...IF MEMORY SERVES ME...OH YES, MATTHEW BRODERICK, HE TOO WAS EXCELLENT IN HIS PORTRAYAL... MY POINT IS I'VE SEEN BOOKS ON ACTING, THAT SAY "NO ACTING" AND I WONDER IF THESE ARE PUT OUT BY "POSERS", WHO MAY HAVE THE AUDACITY TO SUGGEST THAT AN ACTOR IN ORDER TO GET A REAL, REEL PERFORMANCE WOULD HAVE TO ENDURE A TRUE BEATING, RATHER THAN ALLOWING THE ACTOR TO APPLY HIS CRAFT (PROVIDING THAT THE ACTOR OF COURSE HAS HONED HIS CRAFT)...AND IS A TRUE ACTOR, AND NOT JUST A "POSER" AS WELL... THE BOOK THAT COMES TO MIND HAS A SMILING BEARDED FACE OF A SPEILBERG LOOK ALIKE ON ITS COVER, IF NOT THE MAN HIMSELF, WITH HIS ARMS RAISED AND FRAMING HIS SMILING PUSS... CAN YOU IMAGINE THE LOSS OF TALENT IF THIS IS THE PREREQUESITE FOR A FILM ROLE? I MEAN REALLY...AND OF COURSE THE AMOUNT OF INSURANCE THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE PURCHASED, BUT OF COURSE RELIGION WOULD BE MAKING OUT LIKE THE BANDIT THEY ARE OF COURSE, I ALLEGE...WHICH IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW THE INDUSTRY HAD SUBJECTED TALENT, MYSELF INCLUDED, TO THIS DEBILITATING TREATMENT OF SABOTOGE. SO DENZEL, TELL US, WERE YOU ACTING, OR WERE YOU REACTING TO THE ACTUAL PAIN YOU ENDURED IN GLORY, TO WHICH YOU WON BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, PLEASE, IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND...AND IF IT WAS YOUR CHOICE TO ENDURE PAIN, BECAUSE THAT TOO IS A LEGITIMATE CHOICE, TO WHICH THE CIVILIANS SHOULD TAKE NOTE WHEN THEY BELIEVE ACTORS, ACTRESSES, WRITERS, ETC. ETC. ETC. ARE BEING PAID TOO MUCH. IT BRINGS TO MIND MY ROLE AS "ELLIE" IN SHAFT, THE HIGHEST GROSSING OF THE THREE SHAFT FILMS, AND I RECALL WHEN RICHARD AND I WERE ABOUT TO PERFORM OUR BED SCENE ALSO KNOWN AS OUR "LOVE SCENE" AND HE ASKED, "DO YOU WANT TO DO IT FOR REAL?" TO WHICH I SAID,"NO RICHARD, THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT ACTING?" THANKS FOR LISTENING. HAPPY SUNDAY TO ALL OF YOU. (C)COPYRIGHTED BY GWENDOLYN L MITCHELL ON FEB 1ST, 2015 AT 1:24PM IN LOS ANGELES, CA 90046 USA REVISED AND ADDED AT 1:50PM.