The Power of Acting: When Performance Makes or Breaks a Film

Nathan Mouret

Abstract: Acting is commonly considered the soul of cinema. While storytelling, direction, editing, sound, and cinematography hold their importance, it is an actor's performance that essentially breathes life into a film. Diving into the depths of how an acting performance with layered nuances draws and shapes cinematic narratives and audience psychology, the paper takes the viewpoint that good acting can raise the level of a poorly written or structurally weak movie and create a stirring and unforgettable piece of art. Focusing on international cinema, this paper looks at how layered performances breathe emotional depth, sincerity, and psychological complexity into the storyline; a dimension the written script would normally lack. The paper also delves into the psychological and emotional impacts of a potent acting performance on the audiences. Acting can very well be a medium through which individual perspectives are challenged, empathy is created, and transformations are somehow fostered. The study affirms the potency of acting as the mechanism revitalizing cinematic narrative and possibly transforming the landscape of viewers' experiences, through the analysis of the interaction between skill, character embodiment, and emotional resonance.

Keywords: Acting, Cinema, Performance Studies, Film Impact, Emotion, Audience Response, Character Embodiment

How to Cite?: Nathan Mouret, "The Power of Acting: When Performance Makes or Breaks a Film", Volume 14 Issue 7, July 2025, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 317-319, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR25701183551, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR25701183551