"Delta Slim-a talented blues musician and alcoholic whom the leading Smokestack twins hire to play at the grand opening of their juke joint-often operates as the comedic relief. However, the humor in Lindo's performance isn't the hokey kind, but rather the kind of comedy you hone your skills at when you've spent a good amount of time trying to keep yourself from crying."
"Few actors can pull it off as well as Lindo (and in such little screentime to boot), best evidenced by his monologue wherein Slim tells the story of how one of his friends was framed by the Ku Klux Klan for murder and sexual assault and lynched. The scene-which might have been cut if it weren't for Lindo's advocating for it-heartbreakingly shows Slim, in real time, channeling his overwhelming emotions into music."
Delroy Lindo earned his first Oscar nomination at age 73 for his role as Delta Slim in Sinners, a surprise nod given modest prediction odds. The film features standout performances across veteran and new actors and has become the most Oscar-nominated film of all time. Delta Slim is a talented blues musician and alcoholic who provides comic relief while embodying layers of pain and persecution. Lindo's restrained, often improvised musical choices ground the character, especially during a monologue about a friend framed by the Ku Klux Klan and lynched. The scene was kept after Lindo advocated for it.
Read at Slate Magazine
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