Thursday, 25 October 2007
Quite Contrary? When Movie Characters Change Their Minds...
posted @12:14 p.m. by Richard Kelly
I was fascinated by Hope Dickson Leach's Listmania entry, 'ON THE OTHER HAND - TOP TEN CINEMATIC CHANGES OF MIND', which proposes ten great hinge moments in movie dramas where characters suddenly reverse their intended course of action. Because that's what drama's all about, really. "Let's go home, Debbie..."
Hope Dickson Leach
ON THE OTHER HAND - TOP TEN CINEMATIC CHANGES OF MIND
10. STAR WARS A NEW HOPE – 1977, Dir. George Lucas
Han Solo comes flying back to join the rebellion in their battle against the Empire, helping Luke destroy the Death Star. We all want Han to be more than just a cowboy, and his return to the cause is the beginning of the triumphant ending – which is more than about winning, it’s about everyone coming together to FIGHT EVIL!!
9. CABARET – 1972, Dir. Bob Fosse
Sally Bowles decides not to get married or have her baby, after all she’s really an actress. It’s about the fantasy and the reality. Sally wants to live in the fantasy world, but when the fantasy becomes to real, her reality has to revert to fantasy only. It’s a wonderful character for a movie where people dance and sing.
8. THE DIRTY DOZEN: THE NEXT MISSION - 1985, Dir. Andrew McLaglen
Major Reisman, again played by Lee Marvin, decides, in the end, not to assassinate Hitler, even when his second bunch of criminal soldiers have a clear shot at the dictator. Curious.
7. UMBERTO D – 1955, Dir. Vittorio De Sica
After spending the movie trying to find a home suitable for his beloved dog Flike, when he considers Flike might be killed, Umberto decides not to kill himself because he can’t bear to be parted from his best friend. Unbearably sad. But any animal lover will agree, undoubtably the right decision.
6. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF – 1971, Dir. Norman Jewison
After standing his ground with his third daughter, Hodel, and banishing her from the family for marrying a Gentile, as they family depart their village, Tevye says goodbye to her – accepting that she is his daughter after all. Tevye’s a softie, and tries to be strong in a family of women, but it’s his soft heart we love so much.
5. ROSEMARY’S BABY – 1968, Dir. Roman Polanski
Rosemary finally joins the Satanists and embraces her devil child. Motherly love at its finest. A horrifying moment, but what else can she do?
4. NIGHTS OF CABIRIA – 1957, Dir. Federico Fellini.
After endless betrayals, and exploitation of our blonde naïve heroine, she wants to die, until she hears the music again, and chooses to smile, and trust again. The reason we love Cabiria is her foolish optimism and although we know she’s just going to be duped again, that is far better than her giving up on looking for the good in people.
3. HEAT – 1995, Dir. Michael Mann
McCauley (De Niro) is driving to his "out" waiting at LAX with his new sweetheart Edie, leaving a life of crime behind. But he cannot resist turning back to kill the last member of his gang, the psychopathic Waingro (Kevin Gage). De Niro's fatal decision, made in silence as the car travels through a glittering road tunnel, is an acting masterclass.
2. THE PIANO – 1993, Dir. Jane Campion
Pulled into the sea by her piano, Ada finally chooses to live, and let go of the piano. An immaculate visual metaphor. Perfect.
1. THE SEARCHERS – 1956, Dir. John Ford
Racist, renegade Ethan (John Wayne) searches for five vengeful years to find his niece, Debbie (Natalie Wood) and kill her for becoming a "squaw" to Chief Scar, the war chief who wiped out her family. But when he finds her, instead of killing Debbie, he lifts her in his arms, and takes her home. Thus the Wild West is over.
Comments
Great list. And another good, recent example is Mike Hodges' I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, in which Clive Owen spends the whole film tracking down the brute (Malcolm McDowell) who raped his brother, only to - SPOILER ALERT! - change his mind about killing him when he finally has him in his sights. Off goes Clive, after giving the wretch quite a fright - but then changes his mind again and returns to kill him anyway.
A great, thought provoking list.
What about Dennis Hopper's Tom Ripley, in Wenders' The American Friend? Having secretly set up Bruno Ganz's Jonathan as a patsy who, after he is misinformed that an illness he is suffering from is terminal, is co-erced into becoming a very poor hitman, (all this purely as revenge for a social snub), an incredibly manic Tom turns up on a train journey to aid his victim and prevent( although he is rather spectacularly unsuccessful in doing so) a second killing, having befriended the very man he has effectively set on a course toward death.
Sadly a change of mind is often a bad thing for the character - see Marion Crane,in Psycho and Timothy Treadwell, in Grizzly Man.
Your thoughts