24-02-2013, 09:46 PM
(This post was last modified: 24-02-2013, 10:06 PM by Jim DiEugenio.)
I beg to kind of disagree, but doves escaping into the night sky is not really a very subtle artistic concept. Its kind of antique and cliched. But that is Ridley Scott. And that is why I say listen to his comments on Gladiator.
With Polanski, take a look at the whole long last scene of Chinatown. Which is now an agreed upon high point in post war American film. Not just the film, but that particular scene. Watch how beautifully directed it is, shot by shot, composition by composition. Not by production design, a la Ridley Scott, but by the director's vision of what is happening. All culminating in that lonely horn honking in the night as the car comes to a halt and the other participants run up to see what has happened. And then, Nicholson has that memorable line, "As little as possible." As he realizes the tough guy detective has been both duped and victimized by forces beyond his control. He then tries to turn back to straighten it out. But his partner says, forget it Jake, its Chinatown. One of the great last lines in contemporary American film.
Here is just a part of this great and memorable scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uSz0mEtEsQ
And now, after all that, consider this: NONE OF THIS WAS IN TOWNE"S FINAL SCRIPT!
Polanski wrote and directed it all himself. Because he and Towne had a disagreement about that last scene. Towne actually left the project and Polanski did the writing of the last scene alone. Towne later admitted that he was wrong and Polanski was right. But yet it was Towne who got sole screen credit. Which is kind of too generous since if it was not for that last scene, I doubt if Towne gets the award.
That is talent. Not production design.
With Polanski, take a look at the whole long last scene of Chinatown. Which is now an agreed upon high point in post war American film. Not just the film, but that particular scene. Watch how beautifully directed it is, shot by shot, composition by composition. Not by production design, a la Ridley Scott, but by the director's vision of what is happening. All culminating in that lonely horn honking in the night as the car comes to a halt and the other participants run up to see what has happened. And then, Nicholson has that memorable line, "As little as possible." As he realizes the tough guy detective has been both duped and victimized by forces beyond his control. He then tries to turn back to straighten it out. But his partner says, forget it Jake, its Chinatown. One of the great last lines in contemporary American film.
Here is just a part of this great and memorable scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uSz0mEtEsQ
And now, after all that, consider this: NONE OF THIS WAS IN TOWNE"S FINAL SCRIPT!
Polanski wrote and directed it all himself. Because he and Towne had a disagreement about that last scene. Towne actually left the project and Polanski did the writing of the last scene alone. Towne later admitted that he was wrong and Polanski was right. But yet it was Towne who got sole screen credit. Which is kind of too generous since if it was not for that last scene, I doubt if Towne gets the award.
That is talent. Not production design.