And the countdown continues in my quest to watch and find something inspiring in every single one of Yahoo’s 100 Movies to See Before You Die.
Martins arrives in post-WWII Vienna to take a job from his friend Harry Lime, only to find out that Lime was killed in a traffic accident. Or was he? I’ll be honest, I gave up on this slow-going film noir (I know, and it’s my favorite kind of film, too!). It was just far too slow. I almost fell asleep in the first 30 minutes, and after that I had more interest in watching the shadows on the wall than the shadowy characters on screen. Inspiration? To not waste my time watching boring films, no matter what list they’re on.
Atticus Finch: If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.
I was given this book by one of my favorite teachers in junior high, and soon after I delved into the adventures of Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem. This Southern story of injustice and the end of innocence made a deep impression on me. I just now got around to watching the film, which intrigued me all over again. Gregory Peck’s performance as the post-Depression widower lawyer who defends a black man in a rape case is riveting. And Robert Duvall as the mysterious neighbor Boo Radley … has Robert Duvall been old forever or what! Inspiration? To go back and read this novel again.
