Subtle

I love movies. And I have a pretty darn good memory of the movies I have watched. I wish I had that memory with other things – would have helped me as a student. But I think the memory is because of the interest. Few scenes from a movie stay in my mind for….uhh…ever I think. Over the years I realized that those scenes are my favorite scenes because of their subtlety in telling that piece of the story. And the reason I probably like them is because I feel I am some movie critic for having noticed that subtlety. Hey, we all need something to boost our mojo right? This is one of mine…

So here are my top 3. It should also be of no surprise that they are from my favorite movies. Again, these are subtleties in my opinion and I am no movie critic.

Godfather II – Fredo betrayed Michael. Michael found out, confronted Fredo and said he is out of the family. He doesn’t want to see him anymore and he can visit his mother when Michael is out of the house. He walks out of the room and once he is out he tells Al that nothing should happen to Fredo while his mother is alive. Forward few scenes from here...their mother died and it is her _wake_. Fredo and Michael see each other and they hug. Michael gives this tight big hug and with this really intense face glances at Al. Enough said. Wow! I still get Goosebumps when I watch that scene. Subtlety here is the tight hug saying how hard it is for him to order his brother’s hit. And the glance at Al with the intense look tells all that Al needs to know. Depending on how you look at it, it could be a cold order or a very emotional one but Al gets the order with no ambiguity. With just a glance…wow!!!


Gladiator – Maximus pictures himself walking through his fields. He opens his eyes, picks up some dirt, rubs it between his hands and smells it. He gets up and as he turns notices a bird sitting on this thin branch. There is dew on the branch and the bird is shown in the backdrop of just mist. Maximus smiles for a second. He turns, the smile vanishes and he has this really intense war face. He turns and walks away as couple of soldiers rides their horses and the battle-worn place is shown. Subtle! Maximus is picturing his house and sees this bird. The smile shows the other side of this warrior. Shows what he is fighting for. Changes immediately to show his men he means business. That he is the general!


Nayagan – Velu Naickar is mad. He is really mad at this new DSP who has arrested his dearest friend Selva. Filled with rage he goes to the house of this SP. Knocks on the door and almost pushes the maid to go bring the DSP. As the maid goes in he walks around the room looking at the pictures. He notices his daughter in the pictures just as she calls out asking who it is. He is shocked. Not much dialogue here at all. Few moments into this a kid calls out for his mother from inside. His daughter says she will be right there. Naickar is overcome by emotion here. No dialogue again. He looks for something he can give his grandson. He finds no money in his pocket and is ready to remove his ring when the daughter says no. Says she doesn’t want him in her life...There is subtlety in the way the powerful underworld Don is completely helpless in front his daughter but at the same time exercising restraint is not using his power and just walking out of her life. WOW! What a great scene! Manirathnam is a genius…even if this is based on Godfather, the movie has enough originality in it!