One perfect moment Seventy-five years of incredible, haunting, thrilling, shocking shots and sequences from 1946 to 2021 BY TIM POSADA
A
t an imperfect moment in the 1980s, one film inspired and slayed me in equal measure: Wolfgang Petersen’s “The NeverEnding Story,” adapted from Michael Ende’s novel. I could talk forever about the many sequences that work so well, but as a child, the most lingering occurred in the Swamp of Sadness, when young Atreyu loses Artax, pleading with his horse to resist despair lest being drawn into the black mud below. Powerful, yes. Traumatic, certainly. And definitely unforgettable. So what’s your favorite film scene? Not necessarily the whole film. Rocky’s motivational run, George Bailey’s angelic friend earning his wings, “The Godfather’s” baptism scene, Indiana Jones’ quickest take down of a foe or the shower scene in “Psycho.” How about Dottie catching a fastball barehanded or Darth Vader declaring, “I am your father.” 1 0 8 B E V E R LY P R E S S . C O M
FILM CRITIC
Frankly, I can’t pick just one (how can I possibly choose between “Goonies never say die” and “Pulp Fiction’s” dance scene), so I’ve decided to include 75 moments from 75 years, commemorating all the movies that impacted us. Some you’ll know without need for the name; others, perhaps, are more obscure, embarking on all the various emotions of a perfect moment. Try to see how many you can name. To start, let’s consider the power of melodrama, a particularly disarming tactic. During Col. Jessup’s heated cross examination, he declares, “You can’t handle the truth,” before admitting complicity in a soldier’s hazing. Here, the colonel abuses his power, deeming his actions necessary, despite collateral damage, to ensure soldiers stay sharp and ready to serve. That’s a different approach than “The Dark Knight,” that heroic final mono-
logue by Commissioner Gordon educating his son on the complexities of heroism, justifying a big lie to the public to preserve the peace. But melodrama – the score, pacing, intensity of line delivery – co-opt our reasoning, forcing the film’s will upon us. Then consider iconic filmmakers mastery of the camera itself. A rather compelling weapon of the oldest audiovisual medium: something technically incredible. From “Lawrence of Arabia's” first landscape shot and an astronaut jogging without concern for gravity in “2001: A Space Odyssey” to an amazing long take in “Children of Men,” the masters employ the camera with untouched mastery. Practical effects like the monster’s design in “Predator” or the fiery tire tracks passing Marty and Doc as that DeLorean reaches 88 miles per hour just in time. A
PHOTO BY TODD WAWRYCHUK/©ACADEMY MUSEUM FOUNDATION
“Bruce the Shark” installation at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles .