Sunday, January 4, 2015

"Ambiguous Movie Dialogue"

     Watching movies brings me such joy.  There is so much more to them than mere entertainment value.  No matter how many times I've seen a movie (and I believe it's necessary to see a movie multiple times), there is always some new detail to discover and marvel over.  I am now it the habit of deciphering the films I watch, looking for, and often finding, subtle visual effects, obscure details, or the double entendre, which I will touch on now.  I wonder if you can guess what movies these ambiguous lines come from:



1. "Just think how happy your husband will be".

2. "I'm sure his generosity is well represented by his surviving partner".

3.  "You know this city is full of hawks?   That's a fact.  They hang around on top of all the big hotels, and they spot a pigeon in the park...right down on them".

4. "Though you need kissing-badly.    That's what's wrong with you.  You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how".

5. "Just tell them about the end.  It's the part everybody remembers".

6.  "The pleasure does not lie in the end itself.  It's the pleasurable steps to that end".

Answers:

1.  The Painted Veil:  Mother Superior to Kitty Fane on her pregnancy.  Would her husband be happy or not?  It could go either way... I recommend that you see this wonderful film to find out why.

2.  Scrooge:  The humanitarians seeking donations from Scrooge to feed the poor and destitute.  He clearly demonstrated that he was as stingy and uncaring as his deceased partner.

 3. On the Waterfront:  Terry Malloy to Edie Doyle.  Was he talking about actual hawks and pigeons, or the mobsters that hit on stool pigeons?  Consider the opening scene, where Edie's brother was pushed off of a rooftop.

4.  Gone With the Wind:  Rhett Butler to Scarlett O'Hara.  I never thought I was too terribly naive, but I was wrong.  I didn't get the hidden meaning in this line until recently. 

5.  A Summer Place:  Molly Jorgenson to Johnny Hunter on King Kong, or was it ???

6.  Sayonara:  Hana-Ogi to Lloyd Gruver.  She was referring to a Japanese Tea Ceremony-allegedly.

     This is just a sampling, as I am sure there are loads of examples.  If you can provide an example, leave a comment., and I will do the same as I discover more.  Meanwhile, watch a favorite movie for the second or third time, opening yourself up to a world of discovery about the incredible detail involved in its creation.


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