B) In pairs. Close the left column and translate the word combinations from Russian into English

younger than his friend	моложе своего друга
two years older	на два года старше
better late than never	лучше поздно, чем никогда
sooner or later	рано или поздно
more or less	более или менее
worse than usual	хуже, чем обычно
better than usual a simpler manner	лучше, чем всегда более простая манера
the greatest comedian	величайший комик
the oldest actor	старейший актёр
the worst defect	худший недостаток
a more popular actress	более популярная актриса
less important facts	менее важные факты
a less talented director	менее талантливый режиссёр
much earlier	гораздо раньше
much stronger	гораздо сильнее
much better	гораздо лучше
much more	гораздо больше
much more interesting	гораздо интереснее
much more talented	гораздо талантливее
one of the best cameramen	один из лучших операторов
the youngest performer	самый молодой исполнитель
the most serious test	самое серьёзное испытание
the most brilliant talent	самый блестящий талант
the sooner, the better	чем скорее, тем лучше
the harder, the more interesting	чем труднее, тем интереснее
as beautiful as	такой же красивый, как
as helpless as a child	беспомощный, как ребёнок
not so experienced as	не такой опытный, как
not so famous as	не такой знаменитый, как

READING

AND COMMUNICATION

Exercise 33. a) Discuss the following questions:

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an actor?
• Do you agree that it is bad that actors have to play in TV shows to make money?
• Who is your favourite actor?
• Are Russian actors better than American ones?
• Do you know any Russian actors who are famous worldwide?

b) Read the article and find the following word combinations:

принять участие в съёмке;

крупный план;

согласиться с трактовкой роли;

воплотить режиссёрский замысел;

выразить идею режиссёра;

описать процесс съёмки;

объяснить цели;

контрастный грим;

широкий жест;

краткие указания;

регулировать свет;

занимать экран;

репетировать движения и текст роли;

быть удовлетворённым актёрским исполнением.

Film Acting

A

The work of a film actor is different from that of the stage actor. All that is essential and effective on the stage – the wide gesture, the contrasting make-up, the declamatory style of speech – becomes false, ridiculous on the screen. The cinema has great advantages over the theatre because it enables the spectator to see tiny details in a close-up and hear shades of intonation.

B

The actor, who is cast for the role after numerous tests, reads the script and his lines. The director explains to him his aims, tells him, what he expects from him, introduces him to the atmosphere of the story, the character of the role and its reality. A good actor must give his own interpretation of the part, but it has to be an interpretation the director agrees with. The actor must see all his role in his mind and not only the little fragment he is taking part in at the moment. A good actor tries to embody the director’s conception of the character, to express the director’s idea through his own individuality, to enrich his portrayal of the character by his own observation of life and imagination.

C

This is how Rene Clair describes the process of film shooting: “The shooting of every fragment of a scene is done in the following manner. The actor receives a few brief instructions from the director and goes through the movements the director asks him to perform. During that time the director of photography has the camera placed in such a way as to follow the actor in his movements. While the electricians under the cameraman’s control regulate the lights, the actor rehearses his movements and lines. When the director is satisfied with his performance and the sound engineer manages to have at least one rehearsal in complete silence, when the director of photography finally regulates the last spot lights, then everybody is ready for the shooting. “Action!” The shooting begins. Usually the director takes a scene several times. It can happen that a fragment, which took a whole day’s work to shoot, may occupy the screen just for a few seconds.”

c) Which paragraph mentions the following?

1. how each piece of a movie is shot

2. what a skillful actor tries to do

3. a practice session with no sound at all

4. things that look silly on the screen

5. using life experience while acting

6. the film director sharing his expectations

7. long hard shooting and short appearance on the screen

8. something cinema gives to its audience

D) Follow-up discussion.

Do you know film directors who play in their own movies? Are they better actors or film directors? What actors do you think could teach you something?

VOCABULARY

Exercise 34. Match the words in the columns to form phrases.