There’s nothing more to say about this movie that hasn’t been said a million times – it’s a classic, it was the first summer blockbuster, Shaw improvised that amazing USS Indianapolis monologue, blah blah blah. Yes, the opening is an all-timer and the whole movie works so well at being scary because of how *little* you see the shark (which was a happy accident and not really intentional). And is there a greater BROT3 than Brody, Hooper and Quint? It’s even become cliche to compare the mayor’s infuriating decisions to current events. But here’s a small thing that stuck out to me this time, speaking of the Worst Mayor. After they find Ben Gardner’s boat and Hooper loses the tooth, they’re pleading with the mayor again, and he keeps pointing out “but you don’t have the tooth.” As if it would make a difference if they did! He *waited* until they said they’d lost it and then pretended that oh, if only they had the tooth they might have persuaded him. Because he knows he's safe and won't have to do anything about it. This guy is the real villain of the movie.
Trailers: Hooper, Cannonball Run
Another classic about which nothing new can really be said. Burt Reynolds was near his absolute peak of sexiness (he’d hit it the next year with Hooper, in my opinion). And his chemistry with Sally Field is off the charts, even though their characters have very little in common (I mean, he doesn't even know who Sondheim is, for crying out loud!). Jackie Gleason is incredible as Buford T. Justice – so effective a villain that I feel a strong, almost physical reaction to him and his ignorance, hypocrisy, and racism. Not to mention his insistence that everyone ignore the laws of jurisdiction and let him have the satisfaction of catching Bandit. He’s fun to laugh at but it often feels too easy. His reaction to the Black sheriff would seem over the top if I didn't know for a fact there are still people (including law enforcement officers) who are exactly this bigoted 45 dang years later. This movie is pure joy, though, and makes me want to make that run myself, though obviously not with the time constraints. I do have to wonder at the end of the movie how on earth they're going to get from Atlanta to Boston and back in 18 hours without adding a TARDIS to their team of vehicles.
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