Donald Sutherland’s career has been a long and prolific journey of sustained hits and very few diminishing returns. From his rise to stardom in the early ’70s’ of charm and charisma to his villainous streak of menace and presence in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Sutherland has cultivated an image of a skilled actor who plays cool, suave, and composed characters who are in the midst of committing acts of intrigue or unraveling them. Here is a list of his very best performances:
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6 JFK (1991)
Warner Bros. Pictures Distributions
Appearing in all but one scene as the mysterious figure by the name of X, Sutherland made it count for all the marbles, gracing us with a fascinating and riveting monologue tying the film’s loose ends together. It has since become one of the most iconic scenes of exposition in film history. With very little room for physical acting, as his role is mostly reserved to sitting in a park bench while relating information to Kevin Costner’s character, Sutherland is able to convey the magnitude of his knowledge through a barrage of facts and dates, weaving them expertly with his calm and collected voice. By the end, you’re left in awe of what has transpired, and the film is able to carry its significance forward thanks to his brilliant delivery. Sutherland’s greatly contributed to the film’s all-too-famous mood of political paranoia, with his scene being one of the most parodied in recent memory.
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5 Klute (1971)
Starring opposite rising star Jane Fonda - who would go on to cement her status with an Academy Award win for her performance in the film, Sutherland plays the titular John Klute, a detective hired by a chemical company executive looking into the whereabouts of another executive, with prime suspect classification given to Fonda’s character Bree Daniels, a call-girl well-acquainted with him. The movie follows the clues given and forms a murder-mystery tale intertwined with Klute’s developing infatuation with Bree, leading to a diversion of interests and conflicts all wrapping up in its grand finale. Sutherland plays a subtle and more relaxed role than his previous performance in MASH (see below) and the results are a magnetic presence that controls the movie’s development, as he is the one tasked with unraveling the whole whodunit of the matter.
4 MASH (1970)
20th Century Studios Distributions
After a period of supporting roles and small cameos, Sutherland landed the role of leading man in Robert Altman’s satirical masterpiece as the iconic Cap. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce. The film amounts to a collection of episodes following the daily and absurd lives of surgeons in the 4077 Mobil Army unit during the Korean War. Sutherland was funny, bombastic, crude, and conniving in his role as Hawkeye, giving us a glimpse of his acting range while entertaining the audience with outlandish pranks typical of the environment. The film was a massive success and catapulted Sutherland’s career to stardom, landing him a series of roles in some of the best films of the decade.
3 Don’t Look Now (1973)
Paramount Pictures Distributions
Starring alongside Julie Christie, Don’t Look Now follows the life of John and Laura Baxter, a couple residing in Venice looking for peace after the tragic death of their young daughter. As they try to deal with the turmoil, John begins to experience of series of unexplainable events that ultimately culminate in the attic of an old cathedral. Themes of loss and religious mysticism are delicately woven throughout the picture, creating an eerie aura permeating over the course of the narrative. It forms the perfect environment for Sutherland’s acting to mold, gripping the audience every step of the way as his wish to uncover the mystery makes its way towards our own. His frustrations and questions are our own, and we leave it the same way we started: completely dumbfounded and in a state of melancholy.
2 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
United Artists Distributions
Perhaps his most famous role in terms of iconic visual (that final shot will be imprinted in our collective unconscious for decades to come), Sutherland plays an honest but tough health inspector in the San Francisco Bay Area who happened to stumble upon a human replacement program carried out by intelligent beings from another world. A remake of the 1956 original, part of what makes this film so iconic in the horror genre is the slow and matter-of-fact way it’s presented; there is little to indicate that something is going wrong, but small little moments begin to creep up until it is too drastic to avoid. Sutherland’s acting chops where perfect for the role, basking and savoring every moment of unease with a collected persona until things become increasingly hostile. His quick-witted reactions are what keeps the plot going, and it was only appropriate that the journey ended with him basking in his glory by finger-pointing at the audience in a state of contempt.
1 Ordinary People
Parramount Pictures Distributions
Easily his most subtle and perhaps difficult role, Sutherland plays Calvin Jarrett, a successful businessman dealing with the loss of his oldest son and the suicide-attempt of his youngest. The movie follows how each character deals with the trauma such an event can inflict and their attempts to grow out of it. On the surface, the role is a standard run-of-the-mill character going through tough times as is most prevalent in dramatic roles of this nature, but so much can go wrong if the actor doesn’t do a proper job at conveying the emotions needed. Sutherland avoided these missteps and gave is a gripping performance, capturing every moment on screen with ease and narrow motions that resulted in vivid expressions of torment and guilt. He meticulously shapes every character’s relationship into different styles, making everyone around him better. The film was a commercial and financial success, earning the Academy Award for Best Picture and firmly establishing Sutherland as a legendary actor who will be remembered among the best of his era.
