What can we say about the great thespian Christopher Lee? An enigma with a larger than life prestige, and voice with an omnipotent sound of thunder. Mr. Lee was indeed “the most interesting man in the world”, having served in the military during WW II, conducted various opera pieces with a deep soothing voice parallel to Morgan freeman, and derived a multitude of cult characters from Dracula, and The Mummy, to Scaramanga, and Count Dooku.
Of course lets not forget about Saruman from The Lord of the Rings franchise. Essentially the man of many persona’s, Lee immersed himself within his roles with a sense of sophistication that was matched by none other. Having been appointed as commandeer of the Order of the British Empire, along with being knighted by Prince Charles, this man born in Westminster,England showed us the art of why we go to the movies.
Ladies, and gentleman, Christopher passed away on June 7th do to respiratory problems, and heart failure, but this tribute is made for his legacy to stand the test of time. With his personal best performance as \Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, Christopher became a versatile man who captivated those who cared to have an imagination. When asking a fan the other day (by the name of Susie), what was it about Christopher Lee that drew you into a sense of wonder and awe? In response “Christopher Lee had that old Victorian image that brought proper etiquette, and the irony that a monster can be tall, dark, and handsome which made it appealing.” Bluntly, Susie indicates “you can take my blood anytime.” On a serious note, as an actor with a myriad of faces, Lee preserved that classic 40’s and 50’s sense of science, and mysticism within the occult. While the 60’s moved on to science fiction, the 70’s added more sexual innuendos to horror, and the 80’s with B movie action, Lee showed us that a sense of charm added to darkness and mystery was the stepping stone of what being “cool” was all about. Even within the utmost shadows, a sense of pride, dignity, and professionalism was sustained as the forces of good and evil clashed in a cataclysmic melee of suspense and confrontation.
Christopher Lee’s characters always harnessed a type of craving for power that had no limits, and weather his characters were good, evil, or within a shade of gray they expressed a yearning of deep contemplation that hooked the viewer within his world. Thus I bid you farewell Mr Lee. Your work has inserted a layer of skill that will rejuvenate every generation of cinema lovers. It is with pleasure I leave my readers with a quote of his own “I try to describe acting as a combination of the three D’s and the three I’s. Discipline, dedication, devotion. Imagination, instinct, intelligence. Even if all my films haven’t pleased everybody, I’d like people to realize that I’ve always given each film my all…..”
I wouldn’t ask for anything else Mr.Lee.
By: Adam Vega