Awkward. Erratic. Memorable.

Dear reader,




I'm supposed to be in class. I'm not...I played hookey. Obviously. It was just graphic design anyway, lots of principles and theories and terminology like composition, line weight, unity, negative space and saturation. I'll just read up on the material myself later. No harm done. But that's not what I wanted to share with you today. I just wanted to get that nagging feeling of guilt off my chest. I know, I'm a total square. Today's real topic is: old movies, and why I love watching them. So, let's commence, shall we? Commencing...


I just love old movies. There's something so unassuming and endearing about them. For example, the fist fights are always so awkward and unchoreographed. Fists flying everywhere, limbs grappling, the hero decking the bad guy and making him sprawl back on the ground, his arms flailing. Other than the silly sound effects--BAM! DUSH! UFF!--it's actually more realistic and believable that way. Not everyone is a ninja assassin/shaolin warrior superhero...or Matt Damon's stuntman in the Bourne movies. Which is pretty much the same thing. Anyway, I think when two ordinary guys get in a testosterone-fueled fight, that's probably what it would look like: fists flying everywhere, limbs grappling, the hero decking the bad guy and making him sprawl back on the ground, his arms flailing.


Another thing I love about old movies is their lack of plot build up. The plots were so erratic, full of so many tiny little things happening all at once, that it's hard to remember the exact sequence of events. Just like in real life. The stories tended to focus on the characters rather than the events happening around them. I like that, it makes the characters feel more human.


Oh, another thing I love, the conversations between the characters. Why can't people talk more like that these days? It's like they weren't just talking, they were...building. One person would speak, then the other would reply, picking up where the first had left off. And they would continue like that, their replies building and growing and becoming something. Something substantial. Something memorable. Something real.


I know I'm not exactly an old movie buff or anything, but to emphasise my point, I'd like to show you some examples of what I mean. Read on, dear reader.

Why I Like Old Movies (with accompanying examples)
1. Awkward fight scenes: watch an old Western, any old Western. The hero will inevitably duke it out with the bad guy at some point in the film, sometimes more than once, if the bad guy was particularly vindictive. Or particularly stupid. Old Westerns have the best awkward scuffles. Not to mention bar fights.










2. Erratic plotline: 'Rebel Without a Cause'. If you haven't watched this yet, dear reader, you should. It's so sad and moving and funny. And the plot is indeed erratic. It never seems to climax, at least not until the very end. You know, now that I think about it, it has at least one awkward fight scene in it as well, involving a high school bully, something about cars, a concealed knife and a planetarium. If I recall correctly.

3. Memorable conversations: 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. Well. Enough said, I suppose.

Incidentally, have you ever read the original story? I saw it at a book store and skimmed through a few pages. The movie was much more innocent compared to the story. The on-screen version left more things to the imagination. Well, what do you expect with a story written by Truman Capote? 


Oh, another movie with memorable conversations: 'Casablanca'. I loved the interaction between Captain Renault and Rick. Their sarcasm and dry humour is lovely to watch.

Captain Renault: I've often speculated why you don't return to America. Did you abscond with the church funds? Run off with a senator's wife? I like to think you killed a man. It's the Romantic in me.

Rick: It was a combination of all three.

I suppose the reason why I like old movies so much is because they feel real. The characters are real people, not just Hollywood actors. I also love how the actors weren't even all that good-looking. They weren't ugly or anything, they were just average. Take Humphrey Bogart, for example. Not exactly Brad Pitt, at least in the looks department. But then again, there's just something about him that grabs your attention, that makes you follow him with your eyes as he walks across the screen, waiting to see what he'll do or say next. Or is it just me? Ah, charisma. That's the word I was looking for. And presence. Another word I was looking for. Humphrey Bogart had both, in generous amounts.


Anyway. I suppose I should just stop here. I have homework to do. I'm an official design student now :)
So, til next time, I remain...








Yours






Figgy the Awkward, Erratic and Memorable