Gone With The Wind (1939)/ Casablanca (1942) / The Shining (1980)
Eeegawds, I watched TV from 3pm to 8pm today, it's because first Gone With The Wind was on channel 48 when I was cooking (canned soup...), and then they played Casablanca, with no commercials too!
Gone With The Wind (1939)
I forgot how much I loved the Gone With The Wind movie, it's my mother's favourite too, though I probably like it differently. Remember Willow's annoying Slayer-In-Training girlfriend in Season 7, Kennedy-something? Kennedy said that she had a crush on Scarlett O'Hara, and I was like, 'what?', cause I kinda did too, maybe.
I do remember watching it when I was very young, and mesmerized by how lovely Scarlett looked the morning after she got together with Rhett again. She was stretching on that bed, all rosy and comfortable like the morning.
I also forgot how much I love the other main characters, Rhett is kinda decent in the end, even though he definitely doesn't think of himself this way. Melanie, who despite her gentleness, can be steely as well, I forgot that right after Scarlett had shot that yankie in the face, Melanie had arrived, and she was quietly dragging a sword. I only remembered the part where Melanie said that she was glad that Scarlett killed him and that she helped with the clean-up. I finally got what Scarlett saw in Ashly Wilkes (he's very poetic and gentle hearted), in the end I thought him slightly a jerk, when he reveals that he loved Melanie all along though he showed himself as having feelings for Scarlett, but that could be her death and time. Scarlett didn't realise she loved Rhett until the end too. I really love the parallels between those two couples.
I didn't remember that Belle was crying when after Rhett left, after telling her how she was similar to Scarlett, being both shrewd business women, but that Belle has the heart.
I remember liking for some reason...the scene where Rhett easily lifted up and carried the injured Ashly Wilkes.
Overall, this remains a favourite of mine, there was backwardness and hypocrisy, such as, how men can go to Belle's house, but Scarlett can't even hug Ashly. Also, the portrayals of black people are kinda one-dimensional (they weren't all the same but they didn't have sides)...since this is a story focusing on Scarlett though, I'm going to forgive this. The mega bad guys of the movie is definitely the yankees. Interestingly enough, today's The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, "Southern Comfort pt 1", addressed that as well. How why some yankees did believe in freeing the slaves, most are either there as killers for hire, and the driving force of the war is economy. When the blacks were legally freed, they became slaves of the factory owners, they get shoved to ghettos. It's an interesting Handmaid's Tale dilemma (it was explained to the handmaids that there is 'freedom to and freedom from', nobody mentioned having /fully/, freedom to, would give you the option of freedom from), but, what I believe is, while some times, you do get struck between two choices, two choices isn't all there ever going to be, there is a better third way, fourth and beyond, eventually.
Casablanca (1942)
I remember the song, "As Times Goes By", it is a lovely tune, I remember feeling sorry for Rick at the end. I didn't remember that Ilsa didn't want to leave Rick again in the end. I had also thought that Laszlo was a member of the French Resistance when he was a leader of the Czech Resistance. That was the reason why I had wondered for so long, why there exist American Francophobia, on the grounds that the French didn't resist enough, when one of their great romantic classics had a French hero as the dignified one third of the triangle. It was established that there is a French resistance though.
I forgot how well Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) got on with Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains), they play off each other really well, so 'the beginning of a beautiful friendship'? It was there all a long. Renault really is an interesting gray character, like Rick, he was willing to give visas to this young couple...providing that the girl sleep with him, if she couldn't produce the money he knew they didn't have, but according to Rick, Renault does keep his word. Renault repeatedly accuses Rick of sentimentalism throughout the movie, but I think Renault does admire that, and does show it in the end by saving Rick's life...even though arguably it was to save his own reputation as well.
I forgot how emotional that scene in the club was, when the French countered the Germans' singing of Die Wacht am Rhein with La Marseillaise, or maybe I just didn't get it then. These Frenches are in far from home, in Casablanca, Morocco, but still not save because they haven't made it to America yet, where they were, Nazi officers also are, and their beautiful homeland is beneath what they know to be brutal and culturally suffocating occupation. Ilsa had tears in her eyes. (Casablanca - La Marseillaise Song 01:54)
...and in ways, Casablanca is a very American movie, we have Rick, the noble businessman, holder of financial power, which makes him the American version of a /Prince/, who comes to the rescue, and /choses/ of his own free will, which are unfettered by regulations, to care for those under his employ. When the bar was closed, he asked his accountant how long it can 'remain in business' without bringing in money, and when the reply was two weeks, he said, keep all those on the payroll, paid then. I still admire Rick the character, but I also believe that we should be aware of all those 'other stuff'. In an ideal world, in a better world, we shouldn't need a situation where there are those dependent on the graces of the rich and powerful, there should instead, be equal grounds for beautiful friendships.
I also kinda liked Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), what little part he has, he is a steely resistance leader, but as he explains to Rick later on, he's also a human being who loves Ilsa, and he can't leave Casablanca, he wants Ilsa to have that visa so she'll be save. Laszlo knew that something went on with Ilsa in Paris, during the time he was in the concentration camp and thought to be dead, but he didn't ask because it was nobody's fault. He holds no resentment towards Rick at all, and knows about Rick, that Rick does his fighting for the underdog, and said that both of them kinda do the same thing.
...this I believe, does leave a /possible/ opening for, 'the three of them moved to Paris and lived happily ever after', after the war, eh? Oh I can /dream/.
This is the scene where Ilsa Lund (ngrid Bergman) ask Sam(Dooley Wilson) to play and sing her old favourite: CASABLANCA - As Times Goes By 02:33
Here's a video with the full song, and clips of Rick and Ilsa's time in Paris: As Time Goes By 03:19
The Shining 1980
I didn't see this today, but the song has been in my head ever sing CBC's 'Here's To You' program played Jimmy The Cricket's When You Wish Upon A Star several weeks ago, the beginning bores some similarity in mood, unreal. The song is in actuality, very different though, and I like it much better. Midnight with the stars and You ( The Shining End Titles) - Ray Noble and His New Mayfair Dance Orchestra (Words & Music by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly & Harry Woods* Recorded by The Ray Noble Band, Al Bowly vocal, 1932)
Continuing with the theme of Thinking Too Much about entertainment, please read Amanda Marcotte's take on the theme of the movie at Pandagon: The Shining and absolute corruption October 31st, 2006
More than anything, though, I dislike having the story shoved into the narrow metaphor-for-alcoholism box because I think that undercuts what to me is the real source of the horror, which is the unquestioned authority that Jack has over his little family. If anything in the movie, the alcoholism functions as an excuse for Jack’s sadistic hold on power. We know he’s hurt Danny at the beginning and we know that the hurting was written off by everyone as a result of drinking, with the hope that if he quits drinking he won’t hurt his family anymore. No one questions the concept of the patriarch in any deep way, they just evaluate his personal worthiness for this role. But once inside the house and under the influence of its demons, Jack loses it again and goes after his family again. Yesterday it’s booze, today it’s demons-you get the uneasy feeling that Jack wants to terrorize his family and he’s just looking for an excuse. - Amanda Marcotte, October 31st, 2006 - The Pandagon
Here's a responsibly enjoyed toast to Amanda Marcotte, for eloquently right-on and understandable voice on feminist and social issues of society, dissecting and presenting the patterns and the base of the problem.
Those who like The Shining might also like Stephen King's other work, The Pet Sematary (1989), which through supernatural means, illustrates a tragedy which occurred because of one man's inability to grow up and be mature enough to not play god. After how mean the cat came back, Dr.Louis Creed knew that bringing people back were a bad idea, yet he keeps rationalizing himself into it anyways, and hiding his initial descend into The Bad Idea from both his family and his surrogate father who knows better because he knows they'll talk him out of it. Also, lol, apparently George Clooney was rumoured before the release of the movie, to have got the part of Louis Creed, he didn't though, a Dale Midkiff did. What kinda made my day was that Racheal Creed was played by Denise Crosby, who was Tarsha Yar on Star Trek: TNG, and both of her characters in TNG and in Pet Sematary kinda got killed by their inhuman child.
Gone With The Wind (1939)
I forgot how much I loved the Gone With The Wind movie, it's my mother's favourite too, though I probably like it differently. Remember Willow's annoying Slayer-In-Training girlfriend in Season 7, Kennedy-something? Kennedy said that she had a crush on Scarlett O'Hara, and I was like, 'what?', cause I kinda did too, maybe.
I do remember watching it when I was very young, and mesmerized by how lovely Scarlett looked the morning after she got together with Rhett again. She was stretching on that bed, all rosy and comfortable like the morning.
I also forgot how much I love the other main characters, Rhett is kinda decent in the end, even though he definitely doesn't think of himself this way. Melanie, who despite her gentleness, can be steely as well, I forgot that right after Scarlett had shot that yankie in the face, Melanie had arrived, and she was quietly dragging a sword. I only remembered the part where Melanie said that she was glad that Scarlett killed him and that she helped with the clean-up. I finally got what Scarlett saw in Ashly Wilkes (he's very poetic and gentle hearted), in the end I thought him slightly a jerk, when he reveals that he loved Melanie all along though he showed himself as having feelings for Scarlett, but that could be her death and time. Scarlett didn't realise she loved Rhett until the end too. I really love the parallels between those two couples.
I didn't remember that Belle was crying when after Rhett left, after telling her how she was similar to Scarlett, being both shrewd business women, but that Belle has the heart.
I remember liking for some reason...the scene where Rhett easily lifted up and carried the injured Ashly Wilkes.
Overall, this remains a favourite of mine, there was backwardness and hypocrisy, such as, how men can go to Belle's house, but Scarlett can't even hug Ashly. Also, the portrayals of black people are kinda one-dimensional (they weren't all the same but they didn't have sides)...since this is a story focusing on Scarlett though, I'm going to forgive this. The mega bad guys of the movie is definitely the yankees. Interestingly enough, today's The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, "Southern Comfort pt 1", addressed that as well. How why some yankees did believe in freeing the slaves, most are either there as killers for hire, and the driving force of the war is economy. When the blacks were legally freed, they became slaves of the factory owners, they get shoved to ghettos. It's an interesting Handmaid's Tale dilemma (it was explained to the handmaids that there is 'freedom to and freedom from', nobody mentioned having /fully/, freedom to, would give you the option of freedom from), but, what I believe is, while some times, you do get struck between two choices, two choices isn't all there ever going to be, there is a better third way, fourth and beyond, eventually.
Casablanca (1942)
I remember the song, "As Times Goes By", it is a lovely tune, I remember feeling sorry for Rick at the end. I didn't remember that Ilsa didn't want to leave Rick again in the end. I had also thought that Laszlo was a member of the French Resistance when he was a leader of the Czech Resistance. That was the reason why I had wondered for so long, why there exist American Francophobia, on the grounds that the French didn't resist enough, when one of their great romantic classics had a French hero as the dignified one third of the triangle. It was established that there is a French resistance though.
I forgot how well Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) got on with Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains), they play off each other really well, so 'the beginning of a beautiful friendship'? It was there all a long. Renault really is an interesting gray character, like Rick, he was willing to give visas to this young couple...providing that the girl sleep with him, if she couldn't produce the money he knew they didn't have, but according to Rick, Renault does keep his word. Renault repeatedly accuses Rick of sentimentalism throughout the movie, but I think Renault does admire that, and does show it in the end by saving Rick's life...even though arguably it was to save his own reputation as well.
I forgot how emotional that scene in the club was, when the French countered the Germans' singing of Die Wacht am Rhein with La Marseillaise, or maybe I just didn't get it then. These Frenches are in far from home, in Casablanca, Morocco, but still not save because they haven't made it to America yet, where they were, Nazi officers also are, and their beautiful homeland is beneath what they know to be brutal and culturally suffocating occupation. Ilsa had tears in her eyes. (Casablanca - La Marseillaise Song 01:54)
...and in ways, Casablanca is a very American movie, we have Rick, the noble businessman, holder of financial power, which makes him the American version of a /Prince/, who comes to the rescue, and /choses/ of his own free will, which are unfettered by regulations, to care for those under his employ. When the bar was closed, he asked his accountant how long it can 'remain in business' without bringing in money, and when the reply was two weeks, he said, keep all those on the payroll, paid then. I still admire Rick the character, but I also believe that we should be aware of all those 'other stuff'. In an ideal world, in a better world, we shouldn't need a situation where there are those dependent on the graces of the rich and powerful, there should instead, be equal grounds for beautiful friendships.
I also kinda liked Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), what little part he has, he is a steely resistance leader, but as he explains to Rick later on, he's also a human being who loves Ilsa, and he can't leave Casablanca, he wants Ilsa to have that visa so she'll be save. Laszlo knew that something went on with Ilsa in Paris, during the time he was in the concentration camp and thought to be dead, but he didn't ask because it was nobody's fault. He holds no resentment towards Rick at all, and knows about Rick, that Rick does his fighting for the underdog, and said that both of them kinda do the same thing.
...this I believe, does leave a /possible/ opening for, 'the three of them moved to Paris and lived happily ever after', after the war, eh? Oh I can /dream/.
This is the scene where Ilsa Lund (ngrid Bergman) ask Sam(Dooley Wilson) to play and sing her old favourite: CASABLANCA - As Times Goes By 02:33
Here's a video with the full song, and clips of Rick and Ilsa's time in Paris: As Time Goes By 03:19
The Shining 1980
I didn't see this today, but the song has been in my head ever sing CBC's 'Here's To You' program played Jimmy The Cricket's When You Wish Upon A Star several weeks ago, the beginning bores some similarity in mood, unreal. The song is in actuality, very different though, and I like it much better. Midnight with the stars and You ( The Shining End Titles) - Ray Noble and His New Mayfair Dance Orchestra (Words & Music by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly & Harry Woods* Recorded by The Ray Noble Band, Al Bowly vocal, 1932)
Continuing with the theme of Thinking Too Much about entertainment, please read Amanda Marcotte's take on the theme of the movie at Pandagon: The Shining and absolute corruption October 31st, 2006
More than anything, though, I dislike having the story shoved into the narrow metaphor-for-alcoholism box because I think that undercuts what to me is the real source of the horror, which is the unquestioned authority that Jack has over his little family. If anything in the movie, the alcoholism functions as an excuse for Jack’s sadistic hold on power. We know he’s hurt Danny at the beginning and we know that the hurting was written off by everyone as a result of drinking, with the hope that if he quits drinking he won’t hurt his family anymore. No one questions the concept of the patriarch in any deep way, they just evaluate his personal worthiness for this role. But once inside the house and under the influence of its demons, Jack loses it again and goes after his family again. Yesterday it’s booze, today it’s demons-you get the uneasy feeling that Jack wants to terrorize his family and he’s just looking for an excuse. - Amanda Marcotte, October 31st, 2006 - The Pandagon
Here's a responsibly enjoyed toast to Amanda Marcotte, for eloquently right-on and understandable voice on feminist and social issues of society, dissecting and presenting the patterns and the base of the problem.
Those who like The Shining might also like Stephen King's other work, The Pet Sematary (1989), which through supernatural means, illustrates a tragedy which occurred because of one man's inability to grow up and be mature enough to not play god. After how mean the cat came back, Dr.Louis Creed knew that bringing people back were a bad idea, yet he keeps rationalizing himself into it anyways, and hiding his initial descend into The Bad Idea from both his family and his surrogate father who knows better because he knows they'll talk him out of it. Also, lol, apparently George Clooney was rumoured before the release of the movie, to have got the part of Louis Creed, he didn't though, a Dale Midkiff did. What kinda made my day was that Racheal Creed was played by Denise Crosby, who was Tarsha Yar on Star Trek: TNG, and both of her characters in TNG and in Pet Sematary kinda got killed by their inhuman child.