Small analyses

[Cerys]

Reminded of The Fisher King (by Catalogue Trousers in the Uplifting Films thread), I was also reminded of a something I spotted while I was watching it some years ago.  The Red Knight is a very distinctive figure, for obvious reasons, but something about its overall shape made me realise what it visually represents (if I'm right).  It's red (duh), it has rags of red fabric fluttering around it ...



... it's

Spoiler alert

the view Parry had of his wife's head as she was shot.

[close]

Bullshit ... or not?

[Catalogue Trousers]

I think that you could be bang on there, Cerys! I'd never thought of that before - nice one...

[Smeraldina Rima]

In both The Graduate (1967) and Midnight Cowboy (1969), Dustin Hoffman's character is at the back of a bus at the end of the film and the other passengers turn around to stare at him on both occasions. In the Graduate he's with Elaine Robinson and their expressions become full of uncertainty at what they've done. In Midnight Cowboy he's dying in the arms of Joe Buck. In Rain Man (1988) Charlie Babbit helps him to board a train at the end. His character is afraid of travelling.

Edit: I left this a bit vague. It's evidence of metempsychosis in the cinema. Dustin Hoffman is an everlasting soul and his roles are the reincarnations.

[Famous Mortimer]

The first half of The Breakfast Club features almost no shots of more than one character in the same frame. It's only when their characters start to warm to each other and lower their guard that the camera starts featuring them together. I was dead proud of myself when I noticed that, on about my 20th viewing of the film.

[Cerys]

Ooh, that's one I never spotted!

[Cohaagen]

One of the smartest things I have ever seen in any film was a little bit at the end of Matinee, Joe Dante's homage to the golden age of B-flicks. John Goodman, playing the sleazy movie promoter, says something like "you know, I think these kids are going to be alright" (referring to the teenage characters), and a few moments later a navy helicopter flies overhead - the last shot of the film.  Now, Matinee takes place in the early 60s - the Cuban Missile Crisis serves as a backdrop - and the first time I saw this I was gut-punched by the implication of this. Hearing that helicopter (I think the sound of the rotors even echoes after the screen goes black) instantly brought to mind all the Vietnam movies I'd seen, and then it hit me: all the male teenage characters in Matinee would be draft-age around the time the Vietnam War came along. It was - don't laugh - an affecting and quietly devastating way to punctuate what is ultimately a fairly light 90 minute comedy.

[Cerys]

Dammit, that's just made me think of another film that does a similar thing - but do you think I can remember what it was?  Bah.

[An tSaoi]

Lots of British films set in the 30s do it.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Upon seeing The Shining for the 1,000th time, I remember realising that the final photo shot depicts a July 4th Independence Day Ball in 1921, and how that must relate to the notion of the native american burial ground.

Pretty obvious stuff really, and it is the prize that keeps on giving (more-so than even 2001 in my opinion), but a satisfying little element to conclude.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Erm, isn't it Pet Sematary (book and film) that has the Native American burial ground stuff? I don't remember anything like that in The Shining.

[HAYRDRYAH]

Yep, the Shining

[Johnny Townmouse]

Yep.

[wheatgod]

Yepperz.

[gmoney]

Indeeeeedy doooo.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Uh-huh.

[An tSaoi]

Boy howdy.

[wheatgod]

Sure as eggs is eggs.

[An tSaoi]

Darn tootin'.

[Johnny Townmouse]

I should coco.

[Cerys]

... although it's never mentioned in the book.