I started in chronological order... how else was I to decide? I was really dreading Gone with the Wind, clocking in at 3.5 hours. And then the opening credits lost me with the screen intro that reads:
There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South... Here in this pretty world Gallantry took its last bow.. Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair, of Master and of Slave. Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered. A civilization gone with the wind...My first thought: oh boy, I'm about to watch something that's glorifying slavery. Wow.
Needless to say, I was really turned off. But it was a bucket list item, so I forged ahead. Fortunately we meet Rhett Butler pretty early on. Oh my goodness I cracked up when Rhett is hiding behind the sofa and overhears Scarlett profess her love to Ashley, who is to marry Scarlett's cousin. And then I was hooked.
The film is beautiful. The panoramic views of Georgia's countryside are stunning. And the story really is beautiful - if you can look past the awful bit of America's history with slavery.
In short, I highly, highly recommend this film. Because of its length, I wouldn't be able to sit down and watch it every year, but it's definitely a film I'll want to watch again a few years down the road. Oh. And the 3 hours & ten minute-ish wait to hear Clark Gable *finally* say, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" - totally worth it! :-)
The second classic film? Casablanca. This one seems to pop up on Jeopardy fairly regularly, and while I knew some of the key points, I felt I was really missing something by never having seen the film. I mentioned this a few times at work and found a handful of coworkers who were interested in watching the film. Christi & Gene graciously hosted us in their shipping container (yes, they really do have a shipping container in their yard that has been decorated to contain bench seating and a projection screen) for a wonderful evening of food, film, and conversation.
This was the film I was really looking forward to: "Here's looking at you, kid;" "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine;" "Round up the usual suspects;" "We'll always have Paris;" and of course, Humphrey Bogart.
Maybe it was because I went in with high expectations, but this film fell short for me. I was not blown away half as much as I was with Gone with the Wind. Still, it's a film that everyone should see.
I'm a little disappointed that I waited so long to watch these films, but am excited that I can now recommend them to others.
And on an unrelated note... I am still plugging along with the 30 best-selling albums. Next on the list is Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Obviously, we all know the title track. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was shocked to find that this made the cut though. You could have given me 500 guesses to name the top 30 albums and this would never have even crossed my mind. After listening to it a handful of times, I still believe that it's not top 30 amazing, but there's more to it than I expected. The psychedelic pop sounds of the first few tracks put a smile on my face.
For a little fun, this is one of my favorite clips from The Simpsons: http://youtu.be/fZoRyFUsyYU
