Popeye 4K 1980

His first film completely shaped his entire career. Not to mention that he started out right away in the lead role, taking the place of a star of that era—but one as boring as Dustin Hoffman. He was so natural and at ease in the completely artificial, picturesque atmosphere of a small port town. Calmly handling the numerous gags that gave the film a grotesque, comic-book aesthetic, Robin Williams imbued his character with a special warmth. His squint, which turned into a grimace, was not at all malicious. Popeye the Sailor took everything deeply to heart in his own way. Faced with various life challenges, he not only showed resilience but also remained cheerful. And Williams added a touch of sadness, understanding, and regret to the character. That is precisely why his sailor Papai bears such a resemblance to the heroes of films like “The World According to Garp,” “The Fisher King,” “Good Will Hunting,” and “Where Dreams Come From.” Williams’s entire charisma lay in this bittersweet understanding of what was happening and in his sense of regret.

Robert Altman certainly paid attention to the details. Notice how often the camera focuses on Robin Williams’ powerful and even unnaturally massive forearms. This simple technique conveys the sailor’s physical strength and his connection to hard labor.

It’s no surprise that the film didn’t enjoy much box-office success in the year of its release (though its earnings were quite respectable). The blend of musical aesthetics with constant gags—compounded by the fact that Robin Williams (who was known primarily for his comedic roles) was not yet a household name—likely left those expecting to see the run-of-the-mill adventures of a famous sailor feeling perplexed. And then there was the frantic search for his own father and the unexpected reunion with him. This was one of those cases where a good movie went unnoticed. That makes the film all the more valuable. The tasteless ending and the event-poor second half of the film don’t really matter here. The movie is just too unusual. Robin is just too good.