Five Great ‘Little Moments’ of Film
A common quality shared by many great movies is a wealth of secondary material going on behind the main plotline and action. These added touches and little moments are the hallmarks of a fleshed-out movie and reflect a storyline so thoroughly thought out that these secondary happenings flow naturally. Some of these details leap out at us immediately while others are more nuanced and require repeat viewings before revealing themselves. Films’ little moments add facets to characters, relationships and settings, expanding our understanding of our hero’s place within their universe. Below I have listed five of my favourite ‘Little Moments.’
No Country For Old Men – Anton treats his gunshot wound
While this is a seemingly unimportant moment nestled amongst so many standout action scenes, anyone who has spent a serious amount of time experiencing agony on the floor of a bathroom (think Sunday morning), should immediately empathise with Anton’s perfunctory silencing of the television set as he exits from the bathroom. In a pain-filled and powerless situation like Anton’s an unwelcome auditory annoyance can quickly amplify to the chittering of a thousand dentist’s drills. What makes this moment so special is that it allows the viewer to empathise with the utterly emotionless killer Cigurgh and shows the cold, robotic character to be human, with weaknesses. Indeed it could be argued that this brief admission of humanity on Cigurgh’s part is one of the most unique/important scenes of the movie. (09m 08s)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtu20YjK52w&start=09m08s&feature=player_embedded
Pulp Fiction – Vincent rolls his eyes at Lance’s Exaggerations
This is another great moment that shows another side to a complex character. What I love about this scene, and about many of these moments, is that the scene is still totally complete without Vincent’s little ‘Oh brother’ moment, but that little gesture makes the thing so much more real. It expands upon his world-worn traveller/junkie/hitman mystique and says to the viewer ‘I have dealt with drug dealers before, and I’m sick of their shit.’ A fantastic little moment from probably my ultimate favourite film. Unfortunately the clip below is of poor resolution, so keep your eye out next time you’re watching Pulp Fiction. (01m 10s)
Blade Runner – Deckard’s backwash has blood in it
Another fantastic film chock-full of wonderful set design and little details (to this day the striped shadows of streetlights projected into darkened rooms stir all sorts of romantic SF sentiments in my heart.) In a movie concerned with what makes one human comes this lovely little moment as our down-on-his-luck post-noir detective Deckard retires from one his many on-camera beatings to down a shot. Throughout the movie we see his very human reliance on alcohol, and in this scene as he lowers the glass the liquid inside stains with his bloody backwash. Deckard doesn’t seem to react to any pain – evidence of alcoholism, or something more sinister…? (00m 20s)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKAH0VoSchQ
The Godfather – Henchman unnecessarily kicks camera
There are a few things I like about this scene, but to be honest my favourite thing about it is the random, unnecessary violence. Nothing pleases me more than seeing something already broken kicked just for the fuck of it. In terms of setting the scene it sets up the relationship between Sonny (the imposing head-cracker) and his sycophantic henchmen. My other favourite thing is how the guys seems to pull out of the kick a little at the last minute as if he realised ‘hey, this is going to hurt.’ I bet those old-time cameras weighed a tonne.
The Big Lebowski – Walter’s beef with Donny
Recieving an honourable mention is the undercurrent of aggression and bully/victim dynamic that runs as an ‘out the side of the mouth’ comedy routine throughout the movie. My favourite scene is the one instance where Walter bites his tongue rather than aggressively chide Donny for his interjection, although you can see it pains him to do so. Great acting from John Goodman. Unfortunately I couldn’t find that exact scene (at 09 minutes 30 seconds of the movie), so here’s another that is just as satisfying. If you have any favourite ‘Little Moments,’ don’t hestitate to leave a comment for no one to read. Peace!
Run and Stumble 