Movies Which is the best female acting performance on film?

[Takes Two To Tango]

I was just watching this yesterday and made me think of making this thread. I believe it's one of if not the best female acting performances in film history.

This was her first major role and she gets an Oscar for it.

 

[Sano]

I don't know if they are the greatest, but some that immediately spring to mind are:

Adèle Exarchopoulos / Lea Seydoux - Blue Is the Warmest Colour
Olivia Colman - Tyrannosaur
Naomi Watts - 21 Grams
Naomi Watts - Mulholland Drive
Cate Blanchett - Tar
Toni Colette - Hereditary
Ellen Burstyn - Requim For A Dream

Some tour de force performances there, the first two probably being my favourites. I'm sure there's a lot more, unfortunately women don't often get the same recognition for well acted scenes.

I'd argue that these two scenes are some of the best most emotionally raw/best acted scenes put on film, period.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

I don't know if they are the greatest, but some that immediately spring to mine are:

Adèle Exarchopoulos / Lea Seydoux - Blue Is the Warmest Colour

Olivia Colman - Tyrannosaur

Naomi Watts - 21 Grams

Naomi Watts - Mulholland Drive

Cate Blanchett - Tar

Toni Colette - Hereditary

Ellen Burstyn - Requim For A Dream

Some tour de force performances there, the first two probably being my favourite. I'm sure there's a lot more, unfortunately women don't often get the same recognition for well acted scenes.

Great list, Naomi Watts is very underrated actress. She's amazing in those films you mentioned.

As well as the other performances you mentioned are incredible.

I agree women performances are usually looked over than men for whatever reasons.

 

[KOPPE]

Gloria Swanson in SUNSET BOULEVARD 1950. She is absolutely captivating and no matter how many times I watch it. Its the greatest female performance of all time imo.

 

[Zer]

I don't know if they are the greatest, but some that immediately spring to mine are:

Adèle Exarchopoulos / Lea Seydoux - Blue Is the Warmest Colour

Olivia Colman - Tyrannosaur

Naomi Watts - 21 Grams

Naomi Watts - Mulholland Drive

Cate Blanchett - Tar

Toni Colette - Hereditary

Ellen Burstyn - Requim For A Dream

Some tour de force performances there, the first two probably being my favourite. I'm sure there's a lot more, unfortunately women don't often get the same recognition for well acted scenes.

Ellen Burstyn is a great shout



My fav ever is Bette Davis in All About Eve

 

[Sano]

Great list, Naomi Watts is very underrated actress. She's amazing in those films you mentioned.

As well as the other performances you mentioned are incredible.

I agree women performances are usually looked over than men for whatever reasons.

Naomi Watts is phenomenal in 21 Grams, such an underrated actress. The way she portrays grief and shame, and a person absolutely crushed, is so real. Thinking about it, that might actually be the best performance of the bunch. Coincidently, 21 Grams is also my favourite acting performance from Benicio Del Toro.

Devastating, but beautiful movie.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Best acting ever.

 

[HenryFlower]

 

[Sano]

I think also one of the reasons that women in general isn't as appreciated for their acting is, that when a woman gives an emotionally strong performance it's often seen as hysterical. While when a man does it, it's seen as vulnurable. I get why, given the context of our society, but there's some incredible performances out there by women actors.

 

[Fox by the Sea]

Sigourney Weaver's Ripley.
Iconic, timeless, kickass.

 

[Tone C]

No mention of a porn actress faking an orgasm?

For shame Sherdog....

 

[HenryFlower]

besides Gena Rowlands in Woman Under the Influence, gotta give some shouts to some obvious GOAT performances off the top of me noggin & perhaps a few lesser recognized/recent performances that are no less GOATed

Maria Falconetti in The Passion of Joan of Arc
Liv Ullmann in Scenes from a Marriage
Liv Ullman & Bibi Andersson in Persona
Sandra Hüller in Toni Erdmann
Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard
Isabelle Adjani in Possession
Krisha Fairchild in Krisha
Julianne Moore in Safe
Isabelle Huppert in The Piano Teacher
Frances McDormand in Fargo
Sissy Spacek & Shelley Duvall in 3 Women
Jasna Ðuričić in Quo Vadis, Aida?
Renate Reinsve in The Worst Person in the World
Vinette Robinson in Boiling Point
Samantha Morton in Morvern Caller
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez & Mya Taylor in Tangerine
Vicky Krieps in Phantom Thread
Agathe Rousselle in Titane
Helena Howard in Madeline’s Madeline
Greta Lee in Past Lives
Ilinca Manolache in Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
Mary Twala in This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection
Toni Collette in Hereditary
Lesley Manville in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Ayako Fujitani in Ritual
Juliette Binoche in Certified Copy
Teyana Taylor in A Thousand and One

 

[NoSmilez]

August Ames.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

besides Gena Rowlands in Woman Under the Influence, gotta give some shouts to some obvious GOAT performances off the top of me noggin & perhaps a few lesser recognized/recent performances that are no less GOATed

Maria Falconetti in The Passion of Joan of Arc
Liv Ullmann in Scenes from a Marriage
Liv Ullman & Bibi Andersson in Persona
Sandra Hüller in Toni Erdmann
Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard
Isabelle Adjani in Possession
Krisha Fairchild in Krisha
Julianne Moore in Safe
Isabelle Huppert in The Piano Teacher
Frances McDormand in Fargo
Sissy Spacek & Shelley Duvall in 3 Women
Jasna Ðuričić in Quo Vadis, Aida?
Renate Reinsve in The Worst Person in the World
Vinette Robinson in Boiling Point
Samantha Morton in Morvern Callee
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez & Mya Taylor in Tangerine
Vicky Krieps in Phantom Thread
Agathe Rousselle in Titane
Helena Howard in Madeline’s Madeline
Greta Lee in Past Lives
Ilinca Manolache in Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
Mary Twala in This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection
Toni Collette in Hereditary
Lesley Manville in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Ayako Fujitani in Ritual
Juliette Binoche in Certified Copy
Teyana Taylor in A Thousand and One

Wow what a list, thank you for taking your time.

 

[Tone C]

August Ames.

Thank you.

 

[Ima5starman]

Katherine Hepburn in The African Queen
Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs

 

[StonedLemur]

Ellen Burstyn is a great shout



My fav ever is Bette Davis in All About Eve

What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
With Bette Davis was tremendous.

 

[StonedLemur]

Katherine Hepburn in The African Queen
Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs

Black Swan was way better than I expected it to be.
Portman was excellent in that.

 

[Other]

 

[zuffazombee]

A few that havent been mentioned...

Elizabeth Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Charlize Theron in  Monster

Cate Blanchett in TÁR

Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin

Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

+ Meryl Streep is the best thing in most of her films, but especially in Doubt, Sophie's Choice and Kramer v Kramer