This video essay analyzes Cillian Murphy's performance as Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders. The silent scenes speak the loudest and the way Cillian Murphy uses his eyes deepens our insight into the character of Thomas Shelby.
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Music used:
In Another World by Big Score Audio (Shutterstock)
'Hymn to the Dawn' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au
'Last and First Light' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au
Some Distant Lights by Big Score Audio (Shutterstock)
Under A Spell by Big Score Audio (Shutterstock)
Timestamps:
0:00 Thinking and Listening
7:01 Emotional Eyes
9:19 My Favourite Moment
#cillianmurphy #peakyblinders #thomasshelby
It’s actually crazy how good Murphy is, especially with the eye movements. It’s so convincing. He carried Peaky Blinders.
So basically he is doing what Al Pacino did with Michael Corleone)
Same with Travis Fimmel on Vikings. He brought nuance and layers to that character that carried the show
I disgaree with Ragnar carrying the show. Vikings was quite successful after his depart with Bjorne and Ivar carrying the later half of the series. All three were captivating and multiilayered.
Carried?? Auntie Moll is turning over in her grave. It was fabulous casting.
Peaky Blinders had great casting all around. Cillian Murphy didn't "carry" the show because he didn't need to, it was amazing as a whole.
If anyone might deliver Nolan his best picture win, it's Murphy. He's going to crush it in Oppenheimer. Edit: That went just as I had hoped. Congrats to them both, and to Emma Thomas and RDJ!
Absolutely
don't jinx it lol
What's Oppenheimer
@@luthandolanga7844 Oppenheimer is an upcoming biographical drama film directed by Christopher Nolan that will chronicle the life of a historically prolific scientist named J Robert Oppenheimer, the man who invented the atomic bomb during the second world war, who will be played by Cillian Murphy in the film
@@luthandolanga7844 J. Robert Oppenheimer is often credited as "the father of the atomic bomb", but he worked with a team of scientists (some who were fleeing the Nazis and who had been ousted from their positions). He was a brilliant theoretical physicist who later regretted so much his work on the atomic bomb (as did most others involved, including Einstein) and the destruction to lives it cost, that he was vocally outspoken and even lobbied against the development of the hydrogen bomb (etc). I hope they include his politics in the movie because it was a fundamental part of who he was and what he stood for after the atomic bomb.
You really need a very specific kind of actor to pull this off. You give this character to someone else and they’d look like a boring wooden plank, Murphy manages to make it so that while he’s just sitting there with his poker face, you can still feel his mind racing and strategizing.
Very well put.
Well said!! 🙌
That's partly due to his looks (he has an unusual bone structure and very unusual eyes), but it definitely makes the package for an actor who is literally made to play these kinds of "anti-hero" roles. He's really good at making impassibility interesting, and at making the slightest show of emotion meaningful.
@@singingcat02 His face is definitely unique, with a perfect blend of strong and soft features. It’s even more interesting that, as Murphy himself has noted, he doesn’t come across as particularly intimidating in stature, being a pretty short guy, but his attitude and portrayal more than makes up for it. I think it helps the role, because Tommy is constantly underestimated left and right, which would probably not be the case as realistically if he were played by someone who definitely comes across as a very tough guy, with Jason Statham.
Cillian Murphy and Mads Mikkelsen have similar acting skills.They can speak without saying a word.
The guy delivered a master class on acting in peaky blinders. Pure talent.
The Priest was the most unnerving villain of the show. Luca was scary but he was more "tangible". The priest really did feel like he knew exactly what happened the moment it happened and seemed like he put Tommy under the most pressure.
Yes, he is the underrated villain of the show
I found the Priest himself to be fairly one note, but the idea of the Oddfellows/Section D when it was first introduced seemed crazy. I wish the Priest had simply been the Oddfellow assigned to Tommy, and after they handled him, the rest of Section D tried to take down the Shelbys.
Paddy considine. Is an amazing actor and so underrated.
@@jasonmaxwell9244 hopefully less underrated after House of the dragon, I am sure he will get many more amazing roles in the future!
Season 3 was peak
i’m just surprised he didn’t win a single emmy for this role
Not woke enough maybe
@Blue Mongoose idk there's a lot of minorities for ww1 britain
The series really took a dive after season 2 where they just get directionless and go all over the place.
@@QuynhAn689 i really enjoyed it after s2 🤷🏽♀️
@@captainblue2344 The latest lead actor emmy winners were for: Squid Game, The Crown, Succession, Pose, The Americans, This Is Us, Mr Robot, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Newsroom, Homeland, Breaking Bad. Yeah, all woke tv shows. How stupid can you be?
Tommy, Arthur and Polly are the heart of the show. After the movie Peaky Blinders will be sorely missed.
Its a shame season six shat on arthur. It really annoys me hes just crushed down into an addict and barely seen
@@James-kj9hw he's always dependent on another person tho... emotional anchors are all gone during season 6... he just gone mad in another way.
Most definitely
@@James-kj9hw he´ll have a more powerful role in the movie, i´m sure.
@@darthplagueis8886 He better. Him and Jimmy McCavern still need their duel!
Cillian and Mads Mikkelsen are two actors who speak volumes in silence.
Cillian's portrayal of Tommy Shelby is truly the stuff of legend. Undoubtedly one of if not the most magnificent, remarkable, phenomenal performances I've ever seen by any actor. The power Tommy posseses and the ways in which he conveys that power and imposes it upon other people to threaten, challenge and warn them of all at the same time and with such an incredible degree of stoic gravitas as well, how he can demonstrate such incredible, forceful power using nothing but his eyes is nothing short of miraculous. Cillian crafted every single aspect of Tommy's character to absolute perfection. From his subtle mannerisms, to his vocabulary and speech patterns, to the way he presents himself to the people around him and the exceptionally intricate ways he articulates his words, to how he so masterfully interprets how extraordinarily intelligent Tommy is and how he utilises that intelligence to strategise the downfall of his enemies and opponents, it really solidifies the fact that Tommy's intelligence is the most powerful and invaluable weapon Tommy has at his disposal. And my fucking god, Cillian interprets the harrowing levels of destructive trauma Tommy has both emotionally and psychologically in such a remarkable manner. The ways in which he immerses and subjects the audience to the devastating, internal battles Tommy forces himself to endure with his inner demons that cause him such horrific devastation and poison both his mind and his soul is absolutely magnificent. Tommy is such a complex character with so much incredible depth, and Cillian embodied how conflicted he is as a character in such a masterful way that's truly beyond artistic perfection. I could drone on about how big a simp I am for both Cillian and Tommy all day, but to refrain from boring you all to the point of suicide and I'm going to proceed to summarise this little rant of mine by saying Cillian's performance as Tommy is historically phenomenal and I strongly doubt any other acting performance in any other TV show could ever possibly compare
I recommend Matthew McConaughey in True Detective. Truly unexpected greatness
@@joshanfinson7799 kzhead.info/sun/etuxmNWDlpZsiok/bejne.html
Cillian and Matthew both exceptionally impressive in these roles. I would submit James' Tony Soprano for consideration also, please & thank you. I love powerhouse actors like these, truly masters of the character/craft.
Well put, I agree!
@@joshanfinson7799 Oh yeah McConaughey was absolutely outstanding in True Detective, no doubt about that
Part of why, in my humble opinion, season 6 is so brilliant is that Tommy is at the top of his game and also completely losing it with Ruby being sick etc. He's almost more terrifying when hes out of control than when he's intimidating someone.
S6 did phenomenal on closing Tommy's and Michael's arcs. However, it was very poor on closure for every other character in the series.
@@ComedyBros5 There's still a movie for closure
@@thanosnoctem4473 I hope it does just that. It's hard to cover so many character arcs in what'll probably be a 2hr-2.5hr movie.
@@ComedyBros5 Don't worry, if it doesn't happen in the movie, there will be several spin offs for different characters. So the other characters will also get a closure
@@thanosnoctem4473 Spinoffs? When was this confirmed?
It doesnt hurt, that he has the most beautiful, expressive eyes I think I’ve ever seen!
He’s one of the best actors of our time imo
There will never be another character like Tommy Shelby. There will never be another actor like Cillian Murphy portraying him. Absolute perfection in every scene. I sincerely hope Cillian receives proper recognition of his unique talent in his portrayal of Oppenheimer.
Cillian literally lived as Tommy. Period. That I personally feel Tommy is a real person and not a work of fiction. Watching this video made me realize more why the fans love Tommy, so much. It's those subconscious things that appeal. Like the movement of eyes as stated in this video. Can't help but appreciate the acting skills of Cillian Murphy and the writers, who added this depth to Tommy's character.
@Thomas B yes💯
Well they were all real people
Everyone has a little Tommy Shelby in them
I will watch ANYTHING Cillian is in, he is so unmatched in his acting style and he's so underrated by so many.
Any short king who gives off 6 foot energy deserves an Oscar
Strongest 5ft vs. weakest 6ft
1 minute into this video is already enough to make me rewatch Peaky Blinders. Cillian Murphy really masters the silence. I feel the same way when I saw him in Oppenheimer. His silence is gripping.
He's basically an Irish Al Pacino, guys that can convey a million emotions with just the eyes
Yes!! Just like Michael Corleone! You can never let anyone else know what you're thinking/feeling. Which is why these characters are both so cunning.
Agreed. Both men and their portrayals are a piece of art.
the eyes chico, they never lie
Cillian as Tommy is at the peak of acting in my eyes
Al pacino as michael corleone
@@thomasb282you’ve gone too far bro. Many movies and projects have been brought fought just from Al’s performance as Micheal. Either you haven’t seen the film or didn’t pay attention throughout the runtime.
@Thomas B🏳️🌈⃠ 100%.
I see what you did there
Nolan bringing in Cillian Murphy to portray Oppenheimer during and after the Manhattan Project was FLAWLESS casting!
Great video. Cillian stole every scene he was in… his eyes could tell a million stories without having to utter one word. In Hong Kong, where I grew up, there’s a praise for actors who “can speak with their eyes” and Cillian is definitely one of the very few actors who possess such difficult skill.
“He’s not interested in what you’ll say, he’s interested in what you’ll do.”
It takes a special kind of talent to portray "Thomas doesn't react" in such a powerful way.
There couldn't be a better Tommy Shelby than Cillian Murphy. He nailed the role to perfection. I'm sure even Steven Knight was taken aback by the layers Cillian added to the awesome character of Thomas Shelby.
Thomas Shelby moves as if he's already dead no longer reacting for his life is already finished everything else is just extra so it doesn't matter, cold and unfeeling like death but with those who sit close to his heart in the small twinkles in his eyes and the change in movement he becomes more alive even if it is just for a moment
Great description of the last season!
Simple answer: He's a phenomenal actor
This is an amazing analysis and Cillian brought this same talent of listening and silence to his performance as Oppenheimer.
Watched the whole show because of him. He deserved an Oscar for this role I believe...!
*Emmy. Emmys are for television series
He is by far my favorite actor. What he’s doing is HARD, but he makes it look so easy. And this commentary is SPOT ON!
Cillian is one of the best actors of our day and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on.
The best actors are often the subtle ones, than the over the top and loud ones. But subtle never seems to get the recognition it deserves.
Man this was a masterpiece in my eyes. I was glued to the screen.
Couldnt of described it better
I'm really sad this show never got the recognition it deserved in the US or any of the award shows. I love this character so much!
The best scene I's Polly and Tommy confronts the corrupt nuns....in my humble opinion .. Epic dialouge, great acting, and scene. PERFECT. . ❤
Amazing analysis. Thomas Shelby is a character that's an absolute god of non-verbal communication
That was a really good examination into Cillian Murphy's incredible acting skills.
Murphy has this unique of doing that thing with the eyes. That makes him unique and unrebootable
He was so amazing in this series. I’ve watched it several times, and that gives you a chance to really focus on Thomas’s silence, expressions, and a silence that could be cut with a knife
Almost every cast member was great but my two favorites are Arthur and Thomas. Both performances were absolute masterclasses and the two couldn’t have been more different characters and the type,of acting required
It's going to be a long time before we see another actor with the ability to mentally deliver deep passion in silence. His talent is an incredible gift.
literally the best written(and casted) character in recent TV series
Please do an analysis of Tom Harry’s role as Alfie Solomons. Not only does he steal every scene he’s in, but I think he delivers one of the most powerful performances in history. I was truly astonished at how captivating he was. IMHO, he’s the best actor of our generation.
He's mesmerizing.
Agreed
Cillian Murphy would make an interesting Bond. He does not need words and doesn’t need to demonstrate physical presence. He’s more cerebral. That’s powerful.
**Hardy** but yes I agree, he was the most lovable character.
The way he speaks, the look in his eyes, his mannerisms, untouchable intelligence, his ability to lead, the PTSD that war brought upon him, his stoic presence, and so many more things are exactly why this character reminds me of my husband so much. I've never seen a character that truly reminds me of him until I saw Thomas Shelby.
Best thing about Tommy is how he takes in information, he doesn’t have quick one liners and clap backs, he takes it all in before reacting verbally and you can see it in his eyes and his demeanour, Cillian Murphy is a genius actor. This video explains exactly how I feel about the character.
Love your descriptive analogy of Cillian in his role as Thomas Shelby. His acting is absolutely superb!!!
Such an iconic performance "NO FUCKING FIGHTING!"
In the last season, the the IRA woman is singing in Tommy´s house, after the death of his daughter, and you can see Tommy looking at everyone in the table, in the dark, amazing.
I’m totally in captivated by Cillian Murphy as Tommy. The eyes have it! He is a genius actor, highly intelligent and what he can convey on screen is just astounding!
As an actor he's so powerful...I've set Thomas Shelby photo as a wallpaper on my phone...And His eyes look so perfect whenever I unlock my phone...😇
Cillian shows the emotion so well and the camera work really helps highlight and focus our gaze to really bring it to life. Great series even apart from how "cool" Thomas Shelby is.
Without excellent camera and editing work, his body language and his expressive eyes would be completely lost.
@@captainblue2344 exactly what i thought, these teams are underappreciated
"Silence is a virtue"❤
Eye contact and silence say so much. Those blue eyes say the truth.. he’s smarter than anyone who crosses his path. His eyes aren’t dead. He’s alive. Tommy is the winner. And he’s got a big heart… even though he’s a killer. He’ll only kill when his heart or anyone he loves is at risk
god PLEASE give Cillian best actor for Oppenheimer. Not even out yet and we all know he will be beyond superb
He's a brilliant actor
There's a thoushands of Tommy Shelby videos on yt. This is one of the best. Thank you for this amazing and deep work. This character is really something else. You can feel him.
he's absolutely fucking amazing at his job, and I believe polly, john, and arthur can be just as amazing in their own scenes at the height of their characters.
“You still didn’t tell me what you do” “Oh I do bad things. But you already knew that” That little exchange will forever go down as one of my favorite scenes. She was head over heels in lust after one conversation. Tommy Shelby is truly a master of silence. Great video bud
Cillian needs to thank his parents for those arresting eyes. But its his talent in knowing how to use them that makes him an incredible actor.
Your great analysis here is further proof that Cillian Murphy is a generational talent, and deserves much more praise than he’s been given.
There's a bunch of people who are the best in acting but Cilian's Thomas Shelby is on another level
Need to rewatch peak blinders
This is personally the best individual performance in movie/TV history
Currently watching the series on a 1 episode a day basis, and it's great to find this video that so accurately explains the Tommy Shelby character's energy/presence. Words do convey a wealth of information, but it's the tone, and body language that really drive the point. For Cillian to tell us so much without saying anything at all is a sign of not just a well written character, but of a confident actor whom knows how to deliver a flawless portrayal. Great work.
This is a very well-written analysis of his acting skills. I have never even thought of how Cillian Murphy managed to communicate a lot as Tommy despite not speaking. Thank you for this content.
Cillian Murphy’s silent presence, is powerful and you are focused on every word he says.
I would love to see a video on Arthur because just like Tommy he is battling a dragon in his heart and you can really see it during the later seasons. I think both tommy and Arthur are sad to watch but especially Arthur. He’s much more expensive relative to Tommy and you can really see his pain on his face. Perhaps a video on Arthur Shelby is something to consider. Great video by the way you always deliver.
This was so well put together ❤️ thank you for this 🙏 Such a worthy tribute to one of the greatest performances of all time!
despite them all being incredible scenes, The scene with alfie (you crossed the line) was such an incredible scene, The way he realises and acceptance. One of the best scene in all 6 seasons
I agree, i had to rewind it when I saw it the first time. absolute golden scene
Brilliant breakdown of a brilliantly written character, played by a brilliant actor
I wish I could act like Tommy in my business life because I'd have time to think but everyone would just think I was an aggressive freak.
You just put all the feelings I've had about Tommy's character into words , Thank you ❤
what a wonderful analysis. It’s like you taught me a new perspective to observe how someone acts or reacts. Love this video!❤
Greatest actor ever
One of the best actors portrait one of the best fictional characters of all time
Very interesting analyses of Cillian Murphy's character and the power of silence. I have never seen this series, but now I'm looking forward to seeing it. Thank you so much for this video.
Thank you for making this video!!❤🙏 I've been always amazed by Cillian's eyes movement in every scene, just watched how his eyes move you'll realize so many details about what happened and how he felt, it's not easy as it looks but a very meticulous acting. His eyes just say everything, what a great actor!!❤❤❤
I wish i never watched the series so quickly, it was there and gone in the blink of an eye. Wish i could've savored it more.
Same
Your point about the lack of dialogue and cillians physical acting and acting with his eyes really reminded me of another brilliant character, Michael corleone.
This is an EMENSE essay. The understated, but extremely thought provoking, phrases you use are particularly dope to me.
This analysis totally did justice to his masterpiece of performance and characther, thank you for sharing 👏👏❤
Love your deconstructions bro, keep up the high quality uploads.
In this video, it can be understood the dynamics of power and planned stillness/silence. To listen and assess more, and speak little holds the power of a person that can position themselves to make the real decisions. It leaves people vying for your attention. When the character does speak, his sentence or two is heavier than the paragraphs of those around him. He uses his eyes often as a demonstration of power, and contemplates important questions of those in front of him by asking, ‘Who is the person in front of me? Why do they do what they do? What is their position? What do they truly want? What kind of impactful decisions can be made here? Etc.’ When others speak, he listens extremely attentively and waves nobody off, so that he can get their full truth, and speaks at the very end the final commanding words.
This video... What a magnificent dissection....have already watched pb and love tommy... But the way u put various things.... It brought them out in a whole new light
5:54 "...The thought has been earned." In other words, the words that you speak to the world should be earned by thinking.
Great video! This series is a masterpiece and Cillian was incredible
Bravo! Excellent dissection and commentary. Brilliant.
Incredible analysis video. I could watch these all day about Peaky Blinders. Such a thrilling show with some many layers to unpack. Miraculous each season was only 6 episodes with how well paced it was & how deeply fleshed out the world and it’s characters were.
What a fantastic analysis. Loved to watch it. Also, the one writing the text did a great job too. Thank you
Man I’m glad I watched this video. You’ve provide me with so many new insights that other videos about Thomas Shelby don’t. Keep it up man!
I honestly never get sick of these vids! One of the best movie movie channels out there, keep up the good work!
Well done video! You answered some indescribable questions/thoughts ive had about the character
You can see a man who died many many times in his past. With no fear of death, he pulls of this emotionless character but contradicts itself because all I feel are emotions out of him, deep deep emotions.
I loved this! Your analysis was great and spot on.
That was an excellent explanation of Murphy’s acting technique; keep these videos comin dude.
Thank you for yet another great video, friend. Your content is, for me, some of the most consistently engaging, moving, fascinating and inspiring that I see on KZhead. Fantastic stuff.
A really good analysis of Cillian's performance this, I really enjoyed watching it. Murphy is pure class, that goes without saying.
Marvelous insites! Thank you so much.
There are so many people in this world with the power of silence and always suppressing the emotions into the core. Cilian is the embodiment of all those grief stricken men. I feel the same way all the times. I love Cilian for that. He's just a mastermind of an actor.
The insights into the characters you analyze is so interesting. Even if I haven't watched the entire series, it makes me want to view it now that I have a deeper insight and understanding of the character
I love these videos because it adds layers that I might have noticed but not consciously. Keep up the great work!