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I have earnestly argued and will continue to do so that Raul Julia deserved a Best Supporting Actor nomination for playing M. Bison in Street Fighter: The Movie https://twitter.com/jesseltaylor/status/1264691306183393280
If it were not for it being a “video game movie” Julia’s entire story behind that role would be textbook Oscar bait.
Let’s talk about the entire story behind that role.
Let’s talk about the entire story behind that role.
So, there's a huge oral history of the movie, and that's worth reading, but here's the condensed version: M. Bison was Raul Julia's final role, and arguably one of his best because he knew it was going to be. https://www.theguardian.com/games/2018/jul/16/inside-street-fighter-movie-jean-claude-van-damme-kylie-minogue
Julia was diagnosed with stomach cancer before production started. His children loved the video game and he decided to do the movie for them. While he wanted the money to secure their future, he also wanted to give a memorable performance.
Thing was, the movie was going to be dogshit. Production disasters, corporate meddling, and the horrific use of the main lead, as Jean-Claude van Damme was cast as the all-American hero and was coked off his gourd for the entire production.
Several actors have been quoted as saying they did the movie because Raul Julia was in it. He was the gravitas name. People wanted to work with Raul Julia. Raul Julia wanted to make a good movie. His body was literally deteriorating during production.
Multiple scenes had to be rescheduled and re-shot because Julia's weight loss from cancer treatment was noticeable during the course of production. He was literally fading away before the crew's eyes. https://www.polygon.com/features/2014/3/10/5451014/street-fighter-the-movie-what-went-wrong
Director Steven de Souza's most notable quote about production was "every day I had to make sure Raul Julia was taking his pills, and that Van Damme wasn't taking his." Julia often had to sit during filming days in a heavy costume, only getting up to shoot his scenes.
And so Julia was in this dogshit movie, an instant disaster, with a co-star on coke and his own mortality facing him. He had every reason to give up, professionally, physically, literally.
Instead, he got up and did THIS.
Instead, he got up and did THIS.
Street Fighter: the Movie is 90 minutes of nearly-unwatchable acting surrounded by two-minute bursts of Raul Julia realizing he is the only person on earth who can do this. And so he did. He fucking did.
As an aside, far too little credit is given to the set design for this movie. The effort made on the faked propaganda posters and Julia's wardrobe to accentuate his character's megalomania is just a masterpiece. (I own an actual Bison Dollar prop. It is a personal treasure)
The "Tuesday" scene is 90 seconds of cinematic perfection. Julia smolders under the insane fake paintings of himself, pouring drinks, taking off his hat to put on his... casual hat. He says exactly 28 words in this scene. He deserved an Oscar for them.
Everyone should watch Street Fighter, even if only once. It is possible to watch a single movie and appreciate how poorly one can make a terrible movie while a single person tries to carry it on his failing legs. Raul Julia was already a legend. This movie made him a hero. Fin.
