Linda graciously offered to cede her prize to Clark who knew that last week's quote was from Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 masterpiece, The Godfather. Since I already knew what Clark would want, I special-ordered his fabulous prize from Peking Chinese Restaurant in Twin Falls. Here, Clark is literally up to his neck in General Tso's chicken. Heavenly, eh Clark?
The Godfather is notable for a lot of things -- the cinematography by Gordon Willis, for one. Willis is sometimes called "The Prince of Darkness" for his ability to expressively use shadows and blackness on screen. If you watch the whole initial sequence that takes place in Don Corleone's office during the wedding, it's as though they started with a pitch-black room and then carefully laid in a light here, some light there, making the whole thing rich, complex, and sculptural. His work is absolutely wonderful especially in that it's incredibly effective while always being in the service of the story. He's expressive but subtle and that's a pretty rare combination.
Of course, there's Brando as this weary but powerful old lion and Pacino with his positively glacial performance as the Don's second son. (When did a guy with this kind of control become the bug-eyed hoo-hah we have today?) James Caan, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, Abe Freaking Vigoda - there's not a weak performance in the entire thing. Incidentally, Sterling Hayden from last week's movie plays the corrupt Captain McCluskey who ends up gunned down by Pacino's Michael Corleone.
While it is not something I would have watched with my mother, it remains one of my favorite films and one of the best films made in the 20th century.
This week's quote:
"You want to know how I did it? This is how I did it, Anton: I never saved anything for the swim back."
Think 90's science fiction. Good luck.
8 comments:
Which is good advice as well as a good movie !
Loved Clark's prize - not quite as wonderful as the captain's but pretty good! I think I'll just comment on the great prizes since I never have a clue. Loved Parkers quote. Hopes she gets whatever she wants for the rest of her life - us "Fays" deserve it!
Wild guess, based on the quote an the hint: Waterworld?
Ah, the swimming the in the quote might lead you that way but no. This movie was more visually and intellectually sophisticated and had a much smaller budget.
Another hint: The male and female leads met on this film and became an item and eventually married, had two kids, and then divorced.
Ah ha! Gattaca?
Ding! Angela H. wins her first FFQ. Do tell, O fellow midwesterner, what would you like for your fabulous virtual prize?
Anything Uma-related. There's got to be a whole Uma-abilia industry, right? Mugs, commemorative spoons, fridge magnets, big foam fingers?
Clark loves his prize too. I had something similar (though not quite as good) in the Atlanta airport a couple of days ago (in the middle of one terribly long day of travel).
Thanks again, Mark (and Linda).
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