The Quiet Man...

The door slams shut behind the quiet man in profile there on the left, leaning against the white washed walls, the fireplace and the candlelight in background, the walls simple, whitewashed, a bellows hanging there, a black pot, unlit candlesticks on the mantle. He reaches up and strikes a match against the beams in the ceiling, and a trail of wispy smoke follows the arc of the movement of the match, as he moves to light his cigarette. And then, unmistakably, from beyond the door you hear the bolt slide shut; or actually the camera has briefly switched to the view of the bolt, and then back to the quiet man, so that there can be no mistake about the sound of it...

The quiet man sweeps into action. He turns and kicks the door down. He rushes at the woman, his bride, as she retreats and cowers in the corner. There is a look of cold fire in his eyes, and briefly, you think he is about to rape her. And then the words come: There'll be no locks or bolts between us, Mary Kate... He catches his breath... except those in your own mercenary little heart. He kisses her. And then he tosses her on the bed and storms out...

This is just one of many artful little scenes in The Quiet Man Maureen O'Hara gives a very good performance...

Million Dollar Baby

Not very often do I agree with "The" Academy. But 2004 was definitely the year for Clint.

I am one of those movie watchers that love to be swept away. I'm the loud laugher that spills popcorn or the woman sniffling into her shirtsleeve one seat in front of you. But there is swept away and then there is tsunami, rip your ass out to sea, pummel you on the reef and spit your tired broken body onto a scorching shoreline. So when I tell you that Million Dollar Baby put me into a fit of sobbing that lasted 15 minutes past the credits, believe me when I say that this was truly a Great movie.

I think, overall, it is about loyalty. And how loyalty above all else requires sacrifice. Not blind faith. But purposeful, justified, well thought out commitment to people and beliefs. In a time when people are so distracted by the least important aspects of society, it is beautiful to see a movie that exalts humanity's broad range. The depth of courage that honors personal truth, despite the painful path.

Spies telling lies in disguise...

Sunday I finished The Great Impersonation (previously quoted in this here blog). This was a 'spy' novel written in 1920 about a german who impersonates an englishman returning to england after a 10 year hiatus in african lands just prior to WWI, or should I say the Great War? In any event, though a little melodramatic, with a subplot about a crazy man that lives in the crazy woods as a crazy animal, this was, as quoted on the cover, One of the best of all mystery stories. The trick to this story is that it's really the story of the englishman impersonating the german impersonating the englishman (i.e. the englishman impersonating the german...). For some reason, I picked up on this sub-impersonation about 2/3rd's the way through, (though perhaps I suspected it all along?).

This on the heels of 2 other similar books, both by Eric Ambler, somewhat spurred by the recommendation of JG's to read Coffin For Dimitrious. Before I found Coffin I found 2 other Ambler novels, one of which I couldn't read (may I introduce you to Steve Zissou?). The other though, The Dark Frontier, was about as lightweight as The Great Impersonation and equally silly, or actually more so. This book was written in 1936, and I believe was Ambler's first novel (but don't quote me...). First of all it was about the atom bomb, the first one, which was built originally in the country of Ixania (presumably this was some small eastern european country that has since been absorbed by one of it's neighbors...). Ixania's atom bomb isn't quite as powerful the Hiroshima bomb, but never the less ultimately will bring Ixania's neighbors (and presumably the world) to their knees. What was absolutely wonderful about this book was the main character, a british physics professor who thinks he's a super spy impersonating a british physics professor pretending to be a photographer. This all comes about because the professor is overtaxed ("about to suffer a nervous breakdown"), is on his way to take a relaxing vacation, meets a munitions agent who lets him know about Ixania's bomb, then starts reading a super spy novel about the super spy Conway Carruther. Prest-oh-didj-oh-change-oh, the professor wakes up and believes he is in fact super spy Conway Carruthers and hops on the next train to the continent... Ultimately, of course, he ends up saving the world. God bless Conway Carruthers!

Perhaps, I should say I went on to read Coffin for Dimitrious. Perhaps I should say something about that novel? Yes, perhaps I should...