the money shot...

[nikkiegirl]

every movie has a money shot. that one, sweet second (or minute, as the case may be) where you just sit and stare at the screen in rapture, just drinking it all in. usually it's found at the height of the story; the big climax, or the turning point... anyone who has ever taken a film class knows this... and most people who haven't ever stepped foot inside a lecture on movie making could figure it out too. there's almost always music too. and when there isn't, the silence actually IS the music...

in fight club, it could be argued that it's the burning smiley building. in conspiracy theory, it's probably julia roberts riding the horse at the end. in the usual suspects, it's definitely spacey walking away from the police station, limp and disfiguration fading. all powerful scenes.

but the one that i seem to keep replaying over and over on my dvd player is the one from snatch. the color saturation is stripped from the film and it goes into slow motion, as mickey's mother's caravan burns and mickey (brad), disgustingly dirty and clad only in underwear and a beater, struggles against the rest of the pikeys trying futiley to rescue his mom... "angel" by massive attack rises to a crescendo and i just sit and stare. that scene is probably the closest thing i've ever seen to perfection.

i'm random, i know... build a bridge and get over it.