A scene from a movie
With no background in cinema, other than as a consumer, I can only wonder at the process involved in directing a film. But with the right elements and a bit of time to waste, I can pretend. After all, no harm in imagining the scene that captures the soul of moment. This afternoon provided such a moment.
We’re in the middle of a quick thaw, and the sky is hidden by layers of fog and cloud. The light at the end of the afternoon was a mother-of-pearl grey, and my bus trip home went something like this. Cue the soundtrack: my personal music player was loaded with the composition of Morricone as performed by Ma. The cello is a suitable replacement for the euphonium, but only because the protagonist can’t be expected to play, and act, and direct and run the virtual camera all at the same time.
We’re on a city bus on the freeway to nowhere. Traffic is heavy, so the bus never gets up to speed. People are bundled against the winter cold, and conversation is muted. The haunting melody from Gabriel’s Oboe serves as the opening theme. As the bus continues across a city masked by fog, the music continues with other less familiar themes.
As the light starts to fade, the protagonist disembarks from the transit bus and begins the short walk through a middle-class suburb. The street is icy, but there’s a certain anticipation in both the pace and the music. Suddenly, a turn into the last stretch before reaching home, and the music shifts to another melody. Triumphant, almost a march. Cue Ecstasy of Gold (from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly). As our hero reaches the communal mailbox, there is a sense of anticipation. But, no package today. Cue Death Theme (from the Untouchables). Here, the director yells Cut! That’s A Wrap!
