How Samuel L Jackson Shapes 'The Negotiator' and 'Snakes On A Plane's' Style And Content

Samuel L Jackson’s character within any film that he stars in is unlike no other actor. You could tell if Samuel’s voice was calling even if we were 10 million miles from him. His presence, delivery and strength of his speech is one of the main reasons to the success and respect of his career and persona within his films. His character immediately brings connotations towards any audience of what type of genre the film could be and even if they do not like the genre, the chance of people watching the film is very high.

‘The Negotiator’ directed by F Gary Gray, released on the 27^th November 1998 is a truly propelling performance by Sam. He plays as a police officer who has been wrongly accused for the murder of his partner. This is truly a film of spectacular performances by actors from the likes of Kevin Spacey and David Morse. Samuel (once again) shows the power of speech and mind over matter with the way in which he controls the situation with the hostages he takes. The art of an auteur is definitely shown when he is brought to the screen, due to the fact his monologues symbolise him as a person and the person who is in front of the camera. He uses the tactics of being an officer to get towards the truth about what has happened.

‘Snakes On A Plane’ directed by David R Ellis, released on the 18^th August 2006, may not have been a masterpiece, but Samuel L Jackson was cast as the protagonist for a reason because he without a doubt made that film much more entertaining and “watch worthy.” Samuel took a chance with a film that may not have worked or made money but he still brought a memorable performance to the big screen especially for a stupid sounding film. The use of Samuel L Jackson starring in a film about poisonous snakes on a plane truly baffled me, but once you watch the film you will understand the reasons behind his character. He once again illustrates a mentally strong and powerful person that can take control when it comes to life and death situations. He is also represented as quite masculine in this film due to his body figure and the way he tackles the snakes.

I remember the first time I watched ‘The Negotiator,’ I was 11 years old at the time. I loved the films energy and to be honest, the amount of profanity that Samuel L Jackson uses in all of his films keeps me entertained also. When I heard about ‘Snakes On A Plane’ I was very worried if my opinion of Samuel would change but when I built up the courage and bit my lip, the film surprisingly worked and kept me on the edge of my seat. Samuel is a professional at what he does and is a true example of an auteur.