THE SEX FILES: Book Review of “Moments That Made The Movies” by David Thompson
A thick hardcover tome covering films from 1887 to 2008, David Thompsonâs Moments That Made The Movies is filled with pictures (the âmomentsâ from the title) as well as some good facts and synopsis. Interestingly enough (and why I include a book review in this particular column this week) is that from the first piece of celluloid Mr. Thompson reveals to many more through-out the book, we get a decidedly erotic âviewâ (if you will pardon my use of the word) of the history of movies.
Sure he includes studies of films like Casablanca, Heat, The Right Stuff, The Big Sleep, The King Of Marvin Gardens and a bunch of other stuff that wouldnât ever fall into the realm of erotic celluloid. But for the most part Thompson is a grand voyeur in the very best sense of the word, picking out many films-and their moments-of decidedly naughty nature. Certainly early on in the making of film there was a lot of consideration of that which occurs between man and woman (gay themes snuck in too, but were never mainstream) and Thompson is a man well versed in what was happening.
I love the opening piece on Eadweard Muybridgeâs study Animal Locomotion. For those unfamiliar with early attempts at visual recording, Muybridge was famous for filming a horse in mid gallop, helping to prove the challenge of a bet that at one time all four of a horseâs hoofs were actually off the ground. In the series of âsequential still photosâ shown here (yes, not technically a film but as Thompson points out âone way of defining the process of movieâ) we see two naked âwork studyâ female students from Muybrideâs own University of Pennsylvania engaged in the simple act of sitting, smoking and moving around a chair out in the open air.
The interesting thing about the skinny ladies is that they are naked. There are loving shots (the book boasts 250 illustrations) of bisexual beauty Marlene Dietrich from her startling and starring role in Josef Von Sternbergâs Morocco but the just as sexy Louise Brooks nearly losing her top in Pandoraâs Box; all that dangerous leg from Barbara Stanwyck lounging round Henry Fonda in The Lady Eve; the obvious gay undercurrent of 1957âs Sweet Smell Of Success (a point I feel not made enough about this film); a very detailed study of the love and eroticism in a film I had never heard of, Hiroshima Mon Amour and a strip sequence of Meg Ryanâs fake orgasm face from When Harry Met Sally.
Is Thompson saying that those moments that make the movies are mainly the sexy ones? Well, Iâd have no real quarrel with that assessment but to be fair heâs not actually saying this since he gives great big color stills from Gone With The Wind, iconic shots from Taxi Driver and Jack Nicholsonâs big smile from The Shining (as well as Joe Turkelâs even scarier one from the same film). Running up to modern times, Thompson as much studies a war epic as he does a screwball comedy, it just seems we, as a society, are indeed concerned with the heat that exists between two people to a very grand degreeâŠwhich I believe is one of Thompsonâs points actually.
Whether he is talking about Pandoraâs Box or The Godfather, Thompson catches the movie from all angles with his each chapter synopsis hitting all the pertinent points of the history when the film was made as well as giving us details of who the players were who made these films (the man does do his research, thatâs for sure.) And of course one of the best results to come from reading a big book on film like this is that the reader gets turned-on to a whole bunch of films he or she might never have heard of and because of the authorâs passion for them, might just go and seek them outâŠas I certainly will with a good many here.
Moments That Made The Movies is a lush hardcover of 300 pages. It tells of many an incredible filmed moment to be sure (sexy and otherwise), revealing some great pictures and is well researched through-out.Â
