And the countdown continues in my quest to watch Yahoo’s 100 Movies to See Before You Die. Mission: to find something inspiring in each and every one.
We sat on the edge of our seats, riveted for an hour and 14 minutes. Then I noticed the counter start over again. “Good god, how long is this movie, anyway?” I exclaimed. Turns out it’s two hours and 41 minutes long. Normally this would annoy me because most movies that pass the two-hour mark are in need of some serious editing. Take the scissors and hack away, I say! But this movie was actually worth every minute. Alec Guinness, stubborn as hell and a man of his principles, commands respect even as a prisoner of war. When the commander of the camp tries to break the rules of the Geneva Convention and force officers to work on a bridge, Guinness stands his ground and says “no way,” only in gentleman words thick with a British accent. If only we could all have such dignity.
Never mind that Katharine Hepburn is a goddess. In this film she’s a whackjob through and through, and an unapologetic one at that. She paws at this magnificent leopard like it’s a kitty cat without worry that it could rip her face off. Most people think Cary Grant’s use of the word “gay” to mean homosexual is the pinnacle moment (watch the video here), but I think the coolest thing about this movie is how easily these actors hang out with a wild animal. I mean, really. Watch it.
