Monday: Inspiration
Last night's film viewing -- chosen in part to counteract the Evil August-in-June Heat which was oppressing me and the Blonde Dog of the House -- was my new-ish DVD of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara. A few relevant details: 1941, British; starring two of my favorite actors of the period, Wendy Hiller as Major Barbara and Rex Harrison as Professor Adolphus Cusins (who has an adorable drunk scene, btw); nominally directed by Gabriel Pascal, who was (according to the Criterion Collection notes) Shaw's model for Karpathy in Pygmalion; actually directed (although not credited as such) by David Lean.
And it's David Lean, of course, who had the visual style to put together this image, which is my inspiration today --
*Black and white and greys, the light and the shadows and the gleam;
*that gorgeous trenchcoat on Rex Harrison, plus the hat;
*the profile and the dimple, also Rex Harrison;
*the mutual gaze;
*the fabulous self-possession of Wendy Hiller;
*the umbrella, just dipping into the frame at the top, the shaft a thin gleam of separation.
("Gleam" is apparently my word today.)
As I suffer in the hideous subtropical heat, I'll have to keep looking back at this evocation of coolness in all ways, and think of autumn in London, crisp and river-scented, and the world bright and shadowed at the same time.
EDITED TO ADD: A New York Times article on Iman, who is also an evocation of coolness in all ways.
May you find inspiration to get you through your Monday, too!
And it's David Lean, of course, who had the visual style to put together this image, which is my inspiration today --
*Black and white and greys, the light and the shadows and the gleam;
*that gorgeous trenchcoat on Rex Harrison, plus the hat;
*the profile and the dimple, also Rex Harrison;
*the mutual gaze;
*the fabulous self-possession of Wendy Hiller;
*the umbrella, just dipping into the frame at the top, the shaft a thin gleam of separation.
("Gleam" is apparently my word today.)
As I suffer in the hideous subtropical heat, I'll have to keep looking back at this evocation of coolness in all ways, and think of autumn in London, crisp and river-scented, and the world bright and shadowed at the same time.
EDITED TO ADD: A New York Times article on Iman, who is also an evocation of coolness in all ways.
May you find inspiration to get you through your Monday, too!