By ClassicBecky
All of us remember particular scenes in movies that touched, surprised, made us laugh or made us cry. Here are three of my favorites. What are some of yours?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, starring Charles Laughton as the tragic Quasimodo, has two scenes that I have never forgotten. In the first scene, Quasimodo has been unjustly accused of wrongdoing, lashed to a whipping post and cruelly beaten. Laughton's portrayal of his angry humiliation and anguish is tour
de force. When the beating is over and he must stay bound in the hot sun, he begs for water and is only laughed at by the crowd. Then the lovely gypsy girl Esmeralda (Maureen O'Hara) steps up to the whipping post and brings him drink. The crowd falls silent, and there is only the sound of haunting music. At first Quasimodo is ashamed and will not look her in the eye. Then, in a moment of absolute trust and gratitude, he turns up his head to accept the water. If you don't have a tear in your eye at that one, check your brain waves for a possible disorder.
The second scene is Esmeralda's hanging. Also accused unjustly, the beautiful girl stands at the scaffold in front of the cathedral. The crowd shouts its disapproval at first, but then falls silent. In a moment of absolute silence, Quasimodo swings down from the top of the Cathedral on a rope, grabs Esmeralda in his arm and swings her back up to the top, shouting "Sanctuary, sanctuary!" He holds her up for the crowd to see, the roar is deafening, and a magnificent choir sings Alleluia. It is a moment never to be forgotten.
The Phantom of the Opera, Lon Chaney's silent version, was one of the first classic films I was ever lucky enough to see in a real movie theatre. A very old lady played music throughout the film on a very old organ, and it was wonderful. The scene that took my breath away was, of course, the unmasking of the phantom. On a big screen, it drew gasps from the whole audience of modern moviegoers who have seen a lot, but who were just as terrified as the original audiences must have been. After the initial horror, the phantom then reveals his shame and humiliation at having the girl he loves see his hideous face. What a movie moment!
If you have something you would like to share that you have never forgotten, tell us in the comment format. It's fun to discuss what memorable scenes other movie-lovers share.
