Answer
Richard Brody, a critic, called Gena "the most important and original movie actor of the past half century-plus." He noted her "great, raw, unguarded energy" and "her capacity to convey a deep sense of feeling without any trace of sentimentality or melodrama." He also praised her "extraordinary range," noting that she has played characters from all walks of life, from a housewife to a prostitute to a nun.