'Happy 50th Nastassja' That's One From Our Hearts
Monday, January 24, 2011 at 11:50AM 
Nastassja Kinsi by Richard Avedon
Editors note: For Nastassia Kinski's 50th birthday, I asked Glenn to write up a bit on her appearance in "One From the Heart" since it's a movie I know he loves (even more than me and I like it quite a lot) and also because I like to mark the big milestones for actresses and films. If you haven't seen this movie rent it. If you're too young to know Kinski's work, other must sees include Roman Polanski's Oscar nominee "Tess", the horror remake "Cat People" and Wim Wenders "Paris Texas". Here's Glenn from the great blog Stale Popcorn.
I’m going to commit what must be one of the ultimate cinephile no-no’s and go on the record as stating One from the Heart is my favourite Francis Ford Coppola film. Yes, moreso than The Conversation or Apocalypse Now, even moreso than The Godfather parts one and two, Coppola’s One from the Heart is a personal favourite that, to be sappy and pun-tastic at the same time, I hold very dear to my heart. I don’t have time to get into the hows and the whys, because I’m here to discuss Nastassja Kinski!
Is she for real?
Kinski’s Leila first enters the picture over 30 minutes in, her hair slicked back, waving a sparkler, wearing a beaded yellow one-piece costume and draped with a cape. When Frederick Forrest asks “Is she real?” you have to wonder the same thing. This was Kinski’s first American production and her film following her breakthrough in Roman Polanski’s Tess and she couldn’t have a more eye-popping entrance.
Before long she’s romancing Forrest by performing a dance routine in a neon-lit martini glass to the bluesy trumpet of Tom Waits’ Oscar-nominated music. Coppola himself has said that he envisioned Kinski’s Leila as a "Felliniesque circus performer to represent the twinkling evanescence of Eros,” whatever that means, but her sexy gymnastic routine around the rim of this giant, novelty prop remains the film’s most lasting, and seductive, image. Coppola didn’t exactly make Kinski stretch herself by casting her as an exotic, German goddess, but in the mean time he cemented the image that we all still have of her. And then, poof, “like spit on a grill” Leila is gone; the perfect encapsulation of Las Vegas’ intoxicating, but short-lived high.
But didn’t she leave quite the impression?
Reader Comments (5)
thanks for writing about this. I remember the first time i saw ONE FROM THE HEART the artifice was really hard to get around ... it's SO artificial that you have to just accept that it is and go with it. but that's part of the point. and that martini glass. gorgeous.
I would call myself a Kinski fan, but I have to admit that I haven't seen One from the Heart... My favorite film of hers is Your Friends and Neighbors. It (and Neil LaBute) is definitely not for everyone and I would never say it's "good," but it hit some personal chords for me and I loved Kinski's character.
Weirdly enough, I was just watching the "making of" documentaries on the "One From the Heart" DVDs this morning. Good post on a great movie - I know there's been some reappraisal of it in recent years, but it's still so underrated.
One of my fav Kinski's perfs was in Andrej Konchalowski's MARIA'S LOVERS. Pity she's not working anymore. anyway happy birthday!!!
I also really love Kinski. She gives a great performance in a not great movie - "Exposed." It's worth checking out just for her.