Casino Royale

It should be possible to evaluate a feature film
by careful examination of one shot (or even
one frame). The contributions of many in the
credits (from director to accountants) can be
seen in each frame.

Like taking a blood sample.
____________________________________

One of the most striking images in this film is
of the actress Ivana Milicevic, just after her
character has poisoned Bond's drink at the
bar. As she turns to look over her left shoul-
der we cannot help but notice how beautifully
this shot has been planned. The lighting, the
hair and makeup. The actress herself who
manages to communicate menace without
a single word. The casting director who hired
her. The set builders and decorators. All
made their contributions.

There's nothing quite like a blond in blue
light...

Erratum: In the previous post, I believe
that I incorrectly spelled Ro-
bert's last name. The correct
form is Dziekanski...
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[Continuation of previous post]

If Robert Dziekanski had been a 19th
century man travelling from Poland
to Canada, he probably would've ar-
rived in Vancouver by rail. And if he
caused a scene he probably would've
been restrained by an officer and per-
haps some bystanders. The only elec-
tric current involved would have been
in the contracting muscles of those
who were holding him down. And
maybe decades later, Robert's grand-
children would marvel at the story of
Grandpa's meltdown when he first
came to Canada.

It would've been better if an ambulance
was sent to the Vancouver Airport. One
with someone from the local mental hos-
pital... someone familiar with emotional
distress in all of its manifestations.
Someone who's seen it all before, and
won't be spooked (or all that impressed)
by flying furniture. Or at the very
least, paramedics should do a rotation
or two in a mental institution. Emotion-
al distress is like art. You can learn to
understand it.

And you know it when you see it.
_______________________

It's possible to cut a piece of lumber in
two with a hammer. But you'll find
that when you're done, the wood is
very heavily damaged. In other words,
the wrong tool for the wrong job.

This analogy came to mind after viewing
the Vancouver Airport video. I'm sure
that the officers are highly skilled in
many situations, but encounters with
the emotionally distressed is just not
their forte.

Both sides acted inappropriately. Even
Mr. Dziekansky. But of course, he did
not deserve what happened to him. But
it was very curious behaviour. I know
that he did not speak English, he was
exhausted, he could not locate his pa-
rent... but still.

And of course, we've become a 911 cul-
ture. As soon as we become a bit alarmed,
we call the police. If we see a wild ani-
mal in our neighborhood, the law is
brought in. Unless the bear or cougar
has committed a felony, I don't under-
stand why this is. Better to call in animal
experts from the zoo, or perhaps animal
wranglers from the local film industry.

__________________


Continued next posting...

To you, the reader. The title for this blog
is actually a phrase spoken by the mission
director for an Apollo mission. This blog,
however, is not one devoted to space
flight. (But I will write occasionally on this
topic, I'm sure.)
I just liked the sound of these words...
thought it would make an interesting, and
eccentric blog name.