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The Little Things
Five years ago when I saw The Imitation Game one scene in particular stuck with me. Alan Turing, when he was a young boy, remarks that, “When people talk to each other, they never say what they mean, they say something else. And you're expected to just know what they mean. Only I never do.” Those lines are not essential to the story, but they do give audiences a window into Turing and his problems dealing with people. Many of my favorite films have such moments. They can be a line, an inflection, or just a look. In many cases I didn’t even pay attention to these things the first, or even the first several times I saw the film. Even without them these films would all be certified classics. Still, these moments give added depth, added shading, to a person or a situation. When film lovers say that they get something new out of classic films every time they see them, I think these moments are often the “something new.” Now I look for them when I rewatch these films. While they may not be what made their films great, they definitely made them better: 10. L.A. Confidential: “You saw me with her.” – Officer Bud White (Russell Crowe) thrives on intimidation to make progress on cases. With lowlifes it usually works. Not so when he visits Pierce Patchett (David Strathairn), the wealthy businessman who also happens to be a pimp. White tries to frighten Patchett by moving in close, asking, “Did you know (the recently deceased) Sue Lefferts?” Patchett replies with some amusement, “You know I did. You saw me with her.” To Patchett this is all just business. He’s not the slightest bit intimidated. It’s an early sign to White that this case will be much more challenging than his usual, and that he’s dealing with a different class of criminal. 9. The Sting: “Ain’t Enough” – Early in the film small-timer Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) seeks out the veteran con man Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman). Big-time mobster Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) had Luther, Hooker’s friend and mentor, killed and Hooker wants payback. Hooker and Gondroff size each other up while planning their con. Gondorff informs Hooker that they will need to keep up the con after taking Lonnegan’s money. In doing so, Gondorff does something rare for any film: he lowers the stakes, “Don’t come back and tell me it ain’t enough, because it’s all we’re going to get.” It’s not going to make up for Luther’s murder. Gondorff’s words hang over the rest of the film, and, after they are successful, Hooker acknowledges that it’s not enough (“but it’s close”). Revenge has its limits. 8. Pulp Fiction: Good Coffee – “I’m Winston Wolf. I solve problems.” With that comes the coolest man in a movie full of cool people. Nothing bothers him, not even Vincent’s (John Travolta) ill-advised complaints. You don’t think much of it when the Wolf (Harvey Keitel) gets a cup of coffee, until he tastes the coffee, and then does a little glance and nod of appreciation. Yes, there’s a dead body in the trunk, but why should that stop him from enjoying the finer things? Even though the Wolf does not have much screen time, the fine details such as that gesture tell you exactly who he is. 7. E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial: “But He Hates Mexico.” – When I revisited this film as an adult, I picked up what I missed as a child. E.T. is as much about the effect of divorce as it is about an alien. Like many children of divorced parents, Eliot (Henry Thomas) longs for the parent who isn’t there while lashing out at the parent who is there. When his mother, Mary (Dee Wallace), doubts his story, Eliot says his father would believe him. His mother suggests that he call his father. Eliot explains that he can’t because his dad is in Mexico with Sally (presumably the new wife/girlfriend). Director Steven Spielberg depicts this new information as an emotional bomb exploding, with the only sounds at first being the crickets chirping, and showing every member of the family reacting in their own way. Then he has Mary turn away from both her kids and us in the audience, and into shadow. He leaves it to us for a little bit to imagine the heartbreak Mary is feeling. When Mary finally does turn back around, with her eyes red from tears, she exclaims, “But he hates Mexico!” On some level she still can’t believe this all happened. Spielberg, working off a brilliant script by Melissa Mathison, takes the time to show how the whole family is hurting, not just Eliot. It’s that time and care into his characters, no matter what the circumstances, that mark Spielberg’s best. 6. The Fugitive: “Hinky” – I had no idea what “hinky” meant before I saw The Fugitive. Evidently U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) had no idea either. So I was completely with him when he tells a colleague that hinky “Has no meaning.” Sam is a no bullshit type of guy and that’s one of the reasons why we love him even though he is chasing the hero. He just won’t deal with things that don’t matter, even words. “I don’t want you guys using words around me that have no meaning.” If only we could say that. 5. Citizen Kane: The Girl with the Parasol – Orson Welles initially presents Mr. Bernstein (Everett Sloane), Kane’s loyal assistant, as a small man. Bernstein is dwarfed by the picture above him. Once Bernstein tells his story, the camera gradually moves closer so that he fills more of the frame. He looms a little larger now that we know a little more about him. Bernstein tells of a girl whom he only witnessed briefly many years ago, but whose picture is etched in his memory. By the time Bernstein is done we see his reflection on his desk. Ostensibly he’s talking to the reporter, but he’s really talking to himself. Of course, it’s more than just a girl; it’s a path not taken, a life not led. Citizen Kane has many themes, including regret, which are not confined to Kane alone. 4. Superman II: “I Wish He Were Here.” – Superhero movies don’t have many heartbreaking scenes, but there’s one at the very core of Superman II. Superman (Christopher Reeve) gives up his powers out of love for Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), and is now only Clark Kent. His gets in a fight, and loses badly. He’s stunned to see his blood, the sign of his new mortality. When Lois talks about the man she fell in love with Clark replies, “I wish he were here.” He’s not just beaten, he’s humiliated. Forgoing his powers may have been romantic and noble, but he learns painfully that his actions have consequences. Reeve’s vulnerability in that scene makes us feel for him. His ability to engender empathy was one of many reasons he was such a great Superman. 3. The Godfather: A Glance at Sonny – The Godfather script calls only for Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) to look at Sonny (James Caan) when he enters the room. The Don could just be annoyed that his son is late. Now the reason Sonny was late was him fooling around with a bridesmaid. Sonny has a wife and kids, but that does not stop his extracurricular activity. Does the Don know about this? He sure does. As he’s telling Johnny Fontane that, “A man who doesn’t spend time with his family is not a real man,” he glances at Sonny, who looks away. I don’t know whether Coppola added this or Brando did it on his own, but that little glance speaks volumes. Without saying a word, Don Corleone tells Sonny (and us in the audience) that he disapproves. Coppola frames the shot so that Sonny looks small in the background. A powerful snapshot of Corleone family dynamics. 2. The Empire Strikes Back: “Another Time” – The “I love you” ... “I know” exchange has grown so iconic that it’s easy to overlook what happens right before. Chewie (the late, great Peter Mayhew) angrily fights off the Stormtroopers attempting to put Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in the carbon freezing chamber. Han has to calm his friend down in order to save him from being killed, but there’s more than that. “There’ll be another time. The Princess. You have to take care of her.” Han is entrusting his friend with the woman he loves. Director Irwin Kershner keeps the camera on Chewie, who, thanks to Mayhew’s talents, conveys a mournful sadness. That moment perfectly encapsulates Han and Chewie’s friendship and loyalty to each other. 1. Jaws: “You Knew” – As mentioned, Steven Spielberg, when he’s at the top of his game, never loses sight of the humanity in his stories. Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) celebrates with the town of Amity because some local fishermen caught the shark (or so they thought). Mrs. Kintner (Lee Fierro) crashes the party, having just lost her son to Jaws. She slaps Chief Brody, not a movie slap, but a clumsy one. Evidently Fierro really did slap Scheider hard and it shows. Mrs. Kintner then tears at Brody with her devastating accusation. Each time she tells him, “You knew!” with her voice full of grief and anger, it hurts a little more. Spielberg mostly keeps the camera pretty tight on Kintner’s face, only occasionally cutting back to the now guilt-ridden Brody. When she finishes, Spielberg cuts back to a wide shot, letting us breathe a little. The Mayor weakly tries to console Brody, telling him, “She’s wrong,” but Brody knows better. “No, she’s not,” he replies, then walks off. Spielberg includes an extra shot of Brody going away by himself. He knew, didn’t do what he needed to, and a young boy paid with his life. Now Brody will have to live with that, and he knows it. Adam Spector September 1, 2019 Contact us: |
