http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070903/

Mem’ries,
Like the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures,
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? could we?
Mem’ries, may be beautiful and yet
What’s too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it’s the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember…
The way we were…
The way we were…

——————————————————————————————-

Some weekends are for sitting and having a glorious film fest at home in your slippers,
the type where the sofa is the centre of the house and you can just about put everything
you’re going to need for 5 hours within arms reach on the sitting room table.

I also finally got around to watching all of Hero and the house of flying daggers.
The art of cinemaphotograhpy I feel is rarely used but the use of gels and colours in Hero was a visual joy.
Really the art of light and colours are often not used to thier full advantage.

Gérard Depardieu’s Cyrano ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099334/)
made wonderful use of light, shade, contrast and colours, while not in the same dramatic way as used in Hero
but it is a glorious subtext to the film.

A similar subtext was used in an age of innocence ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106226/) and maybe watching that
dangerous Liaisons (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094947/) after it wasn’t a great idea for contrast, but Dangerous liaisons use varying grades of shadows and startling sunlight instead of washes of colours or glowing lighting but that is fitting to the nature of the film.

All of the films that I have been watching contrasted sharply with ‘The way we were’ the tale being told in that
being more modern with in a modern setting and a lot more American but while Katie and Hubbell are not living
in a society that seems as honour and tradition bound with class and culture and there is a lot less going on in many
of the senses in the way they were in comparison to the structures in China, France and even New York society at the times of the film; they are still restricted despite their freedoms of movement and speech and brashness and daring.

I have often toughts that the loss and lack of use of certain things and traditions have made for life to be a lot more dull.
There were many many ways to accomplish intrigue and the playing of the game and some many of them have been lost
From the language of flowers, to the speaking with fans.

Have things evolved to were the freedom to express ourselves as we see fit of in many cases like children,
robbed us of deeper meanings behind many expressions ?

Many things do not make sense unless you know the context and history to them,
but having watched all that I have over the weekend, even given the difference in time and honour and culture that
one line said from Katie to Hubbell is as full of honour and an expression of true caring and understanding and love
as Cyrano visiting cousin and love in the coven vent, as Ellen Olenska insisting she can endure a life with out Newland,
as Valmont in his cruelly breaking with Tourvel and redeeming her honour after her death with the letters
and as Snow and Broken sword when they reach such an impasses over matter political that they confront each other and die.

While Katie and Hubbell are not warriors as Snow and Broken sword they do have thier differences politically and in what advantages they were born into the world with. Indeed if the King of Quin had not have destroyed thier homeland there would have been no way for a ruffian boy and a generals daughter to have meet and while college/post college was the leveler for Katie and Hubbell; the final parting of them if not to the death which well is not acceptable in modern cultures the parting is still as honorable in the way it is conducted and the amount of understanding and face saved.

ah and now as I look at my book shelf and see the perfect example of living and doing the honorable thing and what is needed not what is easiest but what is required for the good off all. The divorce of Mara and Hohanu for the continuation of thier houses, lines and the empire in Mistress of the Empire ( by Janny wurts and Raymond E. Feist).

Really in light of all of these Romeo and Juliet were a pair of spoilt emo brats.
Still Westside Story takes that theme and when the cultural and historical context and subtext of that time period with
The Jets and The Sharks and newyork at that given time makes it vastly better film/play/musical even with out the
lavish intrigue.

But are matters of love and honour diminished where in a society we have no consequences and can not kill those who
offend and block us ?
Have to say it was nice to see the honour duel in Firefly as a way to settle certain matters.
Duels with guns are really not the thing over such matters, the dance of the blade and indeed the lack in the skills and art of dancing have utterly diminished as well.

There are many skills that a so called modern education does not teach a young person growing up.
Are people less well mannered and aware and quick minded and physically fit and un aware of honour as they have not been taught what was once considered courtly skills ?

The only time I have to say that the movement with guns impressed upon me the art and grace like blades or any martial art was in Equilibrium. Which I think I shall bugger off and watch now and rest my pondering brain.