This sort of element will help enhance our "keep alives" of characters. They don't stop living & thinking just because they aren't speaking.
As the crooks are plotting around a table, watch Kline's reaction when Michael Palin's Ken struggles with his stuttering. Kline is in the BG, not speaking, but utterly in character, revealing his true nature as he squirms with awkwardness in a very politically-incorrect way. As an actor he doesn't get showy with this, doesn't distract the viewer from the speaker, but his presence is felt - increasingly so - until he can no longer contain himself and seemingly has to speak.
Note also how Kline demonstrates, just before he speaks, how we sometimes need to rest our eyes on a neutral subject as we plan what to say. It's probably natural that people are too "loaded" a subject in critical moments; giving them regard inspires distracting thoughts as we formulate our response to something. Palin's struggles make Kline so uncomfortable that he searches left and right, his eyes darting for a resting place, as he tries to untangle his thoughts from the web of his emotions. He's got adult concerns mixed with schoolyard attitudes. And they all come out through his face and body gestures. Pure genius. Kline's inside Otto completely.
While we're on the topic of eye darts, remember that it's about the darting from one potential resting place to the next. Hold the eye fix on any one location for a beat before transitioning to the next within a frame or two. If it was one smooth scan across space it would appear stunned rather than searching. Pay attention the next time you are in conversation and words fail you for a moment. (Heaven knows that's my usual state) You may well find you break eye contact and scan about, focusing on random objects as your brain attempts to package the next batch of words.
Note also how Kline demonstrates, just before he speaks, how we sometimes need to rest our eyes on a neutral subject as we plan what to say. It's probably natural that people are too "loaded" a subject in critical moments; giving them regard inspires distracting thoughts as we formulate our response to something. Palin's struggles make Kline so uncomfortable that he searches left and right, his eyes darting for a resting place, as he tries to untangle his thoughts from the web of his emotions. He's got adult concerns mixed with schoolyard attitudes. And they all come out through his face and body gestures. Pure genius. Kline's inside Otto completely.
While we're on the topic of eye darts, remember that it's about the darting from one potential resting place to the next. Hold the eye fix on any one location for a beat before transitioning to the next within a frame or two. If it was one smooth scan across space it would appear stunned rather than searching. Pay attention the next time you are in conversation and words fail you for a moment. (Heaven knows that's my usual state) You may well find you break eye contact and scan about, focusing on random objects as your brain attempts to package the next batch of words.
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