Movie Moment: Orson Welles in "The Third Man"

Lest I be misunderstood, as the to the "type" of intellectual I am, following on from the Henry Vaughan poem...I am now shifting gear to something completely different. (Well almost).

Old movies. Classic movies.

I've gone through stages in my life where I enjoy old movies, and by now I have watched quite a few. Recently I've started watching some old videos that I bought (before my DVD), many of which I have never watched yet. (I confess, I like to buy things, and then store them, I am a hoarder of note).

Over the Easter weekend I watched "There's no Business like Show Business" (1954) with Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor (better known as Gene Kelly's sidekick in Singin' in the Rain), Marilyn Monroe and Mitzi Gaynor (She's gonna wash that may right out of her hair...). Will be handing this movie over to my parents, was not particularly impressed (seemed to have outgrown the cheesy musicals, though I must confess that I've been a huge fan before).

Also watched 'Dial M for Murder' - a Hitchcock classic. Pretty good, though will be watching more of those in the future, so perhaps a future blog on one of those, or his movies in general.

Finally, I watched 'The Third Man'. I've read a few Graham Greene's over the years (not so many, but a few), but not this one. It was pretty kul...except for one particular moment in the movie which was outstanding. Just as the light from the window illumninates Harry Lyme (Orson Welles)'s face, revealing him to his old friend Holly Martins (who up to then believed he was dead) - an outstanding movie moment.

I've seen a few Orson Welles movies before (it turns out) - The Lady from Shanghai, and Othello, but that scene alone made me realise why Orson Welles is so legendary. The expression on his face as the light hit, and he realised that his secret was out was one of pure wryness. Truly a moment whereby the expression said it all, and nothing further needed to be said!

The movie itself is also an interesting play between the moral squalour after the war, and loyalty and friendship. In the end, morality and friendship both win. I may just have to buy the book!

p.s. Picture source: www.biggeststars.com (I tried to contact them to find out whether I had to pay any royalties, but their "contact us" address didn't work!)

Celebrating Easter Sunday

Today is probably the most important day for Christians, the day in which we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. It doesn’t actually matter whether this is the exact day or not (let’s face it, it probably isn’t), it is an opportunity for one day in the year to focus on this, the ultimate cornerstone of the Christian belief system.

I personally find it a bit sad that on the one hand, some churches take this Christian holiday so seriously that there is no life to be found, just ceremony and ritual – the whole point is that due to the Resurrection we have LIFE! On the other hand, some Christians are so “un”-religious, that this is just about the same as any other Sunday in the year (other than perhaps they sing, in the style of a funeral march: He is Lord, He is Lord, He has risen from the dead...). Firstly: He IS risen from the dead (yip, still is). Secondly, you would think that it was worth celebrating, not mourning!

Of course, I also expect that this is also the point at which most self-respecting intellectuals “fall off the wagon” as it were, when it comes to the Christian faith. I will not here try to prove why I (who consider myself an intellectual) find it so easy to believe this – I leave that to the living God Himself, to do that. I have experienced His presence, and His touch on my life so many times, that even in the worst moments, I’ve gone beyond the point of no-return – will believe it to the day I die, and stubbornly so. (On this I concede to be as closed-minded to the fact that God does not exist and Richard Dawkins is to the fact that He doesn’t! It’s a stalemate of note). I also know that Wisdom is found by those who want to find Him.

But I digress, this is a fitting moment to have my first “real” posting on this blog, and so to suitably capture the day, herewith a poem by Henry Vaughan (English poet, 1621/22- 1695)

Easter-Day

Thou, whose sad heart, and weeping head lies low,
Whose cloudy breast cold damps invade,
Who never feel’st the sun, nor smooth’st thy brow,
But sitt’st oppressèd in the shade,
Awake! awake!
And in His resurrection partake,
Who on this day – that thou might’st rise as He –
Rose up, and cancell’d two deaths due to thee.

Awake! awake! and, like the sun, disperse
All mists that would usurp this day;
Where are thy palms, thy branches, and thy verse?
Hosanna! hark! why dost thou stay?
Arise! arise!
And with His healing blood anoint thine eyes,
Thy inward eyes; His blood will cure thy mind,
Whose spittle only could restore the blind.

Watch this space

This amounts at my second try at creating a blog which per chance will capture the interest of someone out there...

Last time around I was going through a tough time, so things got a bit me-focused. This time, I am intending to focus on books that I am reading, movies I've seen and just general events taking place, all knowing that I serve a God who created me as I am, and that he loves we intellectuals too!!

So, see you soon!!