Memorable movie moments
No sooner did I post a call for memorable movie moments than my blog crashed, so probably few people saw the posting and responded to it. Therefore I’m repeating it again today ….
As will be apparent from my web site, I’m a massive movie fan. A friend of mine in the United States, Professor Art Shostak – who has already had 31 books published – had this great idea for another book: he would collect recollections of scenes in films that made a real impact on the viewer in terms of how they see their lives.
My contribution concerned my all-time favourite movie “Lawrence Of Arabia” – see my review here which includes reference to the scene I contributed to Art’s exercise.
Now, if you’re willing to contribute to Art’s book – and I hope that you will – here’s the questions he has posed and his contact details:
1) Has a scene in a movie helped you change your life for the better?
Or, somehow bruised your life? If so, HOW? (Please explain in detail)
2) How old were you at the time?
3) Who were the stars in the film?
If you have more than one such scene to report on, please do so.
If you can ask others to cooperate, please do so.
Please send your answers to Professor Art Shostak at shostaka@drexel.edu
If you would like a copy of findings of this research project, please indicate as such.
No names will be used, and your anonymity is guaranteed.
MANY thanks for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Prof. Art Shostak
If you want some more examples of scenes chosen by viewers, continue reading …
Scenes of Consequence
The moment in “Sophie’s Choice” when she is forced to select one of her two children to live, the otherr to die: Many women filmgoers tell me it resolved their opposition to war for all time. If they had been uncertain before, they were not after seeing that scene.
The moment in “The Maltese Falcon” when a winnie Peter Lorrie asks Charles Laughton – “Do you hate me?” The reply – “If I ever thought about you, I might,” was cited to me by a philosophy teacher as the mental defense he employs whenever he feels tempted to hate an offender.
The moment in “Psycho” when the slashing starts to occur (off screen!) – a moment many women cite as the origin of their refusal thereafter to shower behind a curtain through which they cannot see everything.
The moment in “Castaway” when Tom Hanks cries out in great anguish over being forever separated at sea from the volleyball he has come to love – a moment some moviegoers cite as opening their eyes for the first time to our veiled ability to form deep attachments to inanimate, but comforting things.
The moment in “2010” when a crying scientist/creator explains to HAL (his greatest creation) that it must commit suicide to save a human crew, and HAL agrees, but asks first if he (it?) will ever be able to dream, the faculty that still separates HAL from the soulful existence it longs to experience. The scene left me forever after deeply intrigued by how thin is the line between us and THEM, and how much wearing away of it is occuring in real time.