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floatingleafHere I go again. I was quite unexpectedly struck by an idea for a meme, which I am going to call Ten Most Poignant Cinematic Moments. And by "most poignant" I mean moments or scenes that made me hold my breath or tear up the first time I saw them, and that still affect me almost as strongly whenever I see them again. I'm sure the list has potential of being expanded in the future - but for now, I'm including the first ten movies that came to mind (obviously, I've seen all of them more than once).
1) Claudia's death in Interview with the Vampire - or, more precisely, the moment when Louis touches the blackened remains of Claudia and Madeleine, and they crumble to the ground.
2) Arwen's vision in LOTR (Two Towers, is it?... gosh, I haven't seen those movies for so long I'm not even sure, but anyway, for the purpose of this meme, I'm treating the whole of LOTR as one movie :P). I know, it may sound weird from such an avid A/L fan as myself, but for some reason seeing the little boy run into Aragorn's arms always makes me sniff. Could be the dreamy aesthetic qualities of the whole scene, the gorgeous music that acompanies it etc... or the pride, happiness and love on the King's face.;)
Though maybe I should have chosen another LOTR moment - a chilling one; Frodo on Mount Doom, smiling the little evil smile as he whispers: "The Ring is mine"...
3) The shirt episode in Brokeback Mountain; and I am wavering here between the moment Ennis finds the shirt, and the look in Jack's mother's eyes as she lets him take it. Talk about speaking volumes with a single glance... *shiver*
4) The scene in the kitchen in Aimee and Jaguar, when Felice tells Lilly she is Jewish (for anyone who hasn't seen the movie, the timeframe is World War II, and Lilly is a typical Nazi housewife - until she falls in love with Felice, that is). The stunned expression on Lilly's face, the words: "How can you love me?..."; Felice saying "I've tried not to", then Lilly crumbling into tears and choking out: "Please don't leave me", whereupon Felice runs into her arms. I cry every time.
5) The final scene of Le Fate Ignoranti, with the glass falling out of Michele's hand, but not breaking. Earlier in the movie it is said that when a glass breaks, a person you love has just left - so the fact that the glass doesn't break is very significant at this point. I am also tempted to choose the expression on Michele's face when Antonia tells him that Massimo didn't even know who Hakim was (whoever has seen the movie, will know what I'm talking about; and for those who haven't, explaining would be a major spoiler, even worse than what I have revealed already...;P).
6) The whole unbearably nostalgic sequence in Indian Runner, when Frankie is setting the car on fire, while Dorothy is getting ready for their date and his father is watching the tape of him and his brother as little boys, playing cowboys. The images and music here speak for themselves, more eloquently than any dialog could, and the whole combination is heartbreaking - to me anyway...
7) The look in Viggo's eyes in the final scene of History of Violence. Speaking volumes with a single glance again... Which is his trademark, btw. A close second choice would be the look he gives Jack after the boy shoots Fogarty...
8) The whole seduction scene in You I Love. Which involves jumping around and overturning furniture. There is really no way to describe it if you haven't seen it. It's hilarious, but also extremely charged emotionally, and simply unforgettable. It's the most inventive way of showing sexual self-discovery on film that I have ever seen...
9) The final scene of The Portrait of a Lady, where Viggo almost gets his turn with the emotionally unstable Nicole Kidman.;) The whole movie is too long, imho, and rather boring, but that one scene makes up for it. It's Viggo's eloquent looks and nearly supernatural powers of persuasion - again...
10) Yes, I realize this is becoming repetitive - but my final choice is Walker's and Pearl's final goodbye from A Walk on the Moon. The close up of his face as she walks away. It's one of those moments that make me fall in love with him all over again...
OK, that's it for now. I have just revealed myself as the profound romantic sap that everyone here knows I am anyway.:) And of course anyone is welcome to make their own list - I would be curious to know other people's favorite movie scenes. Not that I actually expect anyone will - but I like to pretend I have the power to inspire. *snort*
And... goodnight.
1) Claudia's death in Interview with the Vampire - or, more precisely, the moment when Louis touches the blackened remains of Claudia and Madeleine, and they crumble to the ground.
2) Arwen's vision in LOTR (Two Towers, is it?... gosh, I haven't seen those movies for so long I'm not even sure, but anyway, for the purpose of this meme, I'm treating the whole of LOTR as one movie :P). I know, it may sound weird from such an avid A/L fan as myself, but for some reason seeing the little boy run into Aragorn's arms always makes me sniff. Could be the dreamy aesthetic qualities of the whole scene, the gorgeous music that acompanies it etc... or the pride, happiness and love on the King's face.;)
Though maybe I should have chosen another LOTR moment - a chilling one; Frodo on Mount Doom, smiling the little evil smile as he whispers: "The Ring is mine"...
3) The shirt episode in Brokeback Mountain; and I am wavering here between the moment Ennis finds the shirt, and the look in Jack's mother's eyes as she lets him take it. Talk about speaking volumes with a single glance... *shiver*
4) The scene in the kitchen in Aimee and Jaguar, when Felice tells Lilly she is Jewish (for anyone who hasn't seen the movie, the timeframe is World War II, and Lilly is a typical Nazi housewife - until she falls in love with Felice, that is). The stunned expression on Lilly's face, the words: "How can you love me?..."; Felice saying "I've tried not to", then Lilly crumbling into tears and choking out: "Please don't leave me", whereupon Felice runs into her arms. I cry every time.
5) The final scene of Le Fate Ignoranti, with the glass falling out of Michele's hand, but not breaking. Earlier in the movie it is said that when a glass breaks, a person you love has just left - so the fact that the glass doesn't break is very significant at this point. I am also tempted to choose the expression on Michele's face when Antonia tells him that Massimo didn't even know who Hakim was (whoever has seen the movie, will know what I'm talking about; and for those who haven't, explaining would be a major spoiler, even worse than what I have revealed already...;P).
6) The whole unbearably nostalgic sequence in Indian Runner, when Frankie is setting the car on fire, while Dorothy is getting ready for their date and his father is watching the tape of him and his brother as little boys, playing cowboys. The images and music here speak for themselves, more eloquently than any dialog could, and the whole combination is heartbreaking - to me anyway...
7) The look in Viggo's eyes in the final scene of History of Violence. Speaking volumes with a single glance again... Which is his trademark, btw. A close second choice would be the look he gives Jack after the boy shoots Fogarty...
8) The whole seduction scene in You I Love. Which involves jumping around and overturning furniture. There is really no way to describe it if you haven't seen it. It's hilarious, but also extremely charged emotionally, and simply unforgettable. It's the most inventive way of showing sexual self-discovery on film that I have ever seen...
9) The final scene of The Portrait of a Lady, where Viggo almost gets his turn with the emotionally unstable Nicole Kidman.;) The whole movie is too long, imho, and rather boring, but that one scene makes up for it. It's Viggo's eloquent looks and nearly supernatural powers of persuasion - again...
10) Yes, I realize this is becoming repetitive - but my final choice is Walker's and Pearl's final goodbye from A Walk on the Moon. The close up of his face as she walks away. It's one of those moments that make me fall in love with him all over again...
OK, that's it for now. I have just revealed myself as the profound romantic sap that everyone here knows I am anyway.:) And of course anyone is welcome to make their own list - I would be curious to know other people's favorite movie scenes. Not that I actually expect anyone will - but I like to pretend I have the power to inspire. *snort*
And... goodnight.
