“We’ll always have Paris”. Humphrey Bogarts way of saying, “See you later love” to the beautiful Ingrid Bergman in the 1942 classic, Casablanca. That was also his subtle way of letting us know exactly what they got up to in the French capital. The only way of knowing if the leading characters in the movies of the 40’s and 50’s got it on, was when the camera moved away from them to film fireworks in the sky bang bang! Or if you have ever seen ‘From Here To Eternity’, the waves smashing against the shore…my particular favourite.
Sex, skin, smut; these were rarely shown back in the day and the shock when they were! I started to notice a change in my teens and how movie makers became braver. I wasn’t ready for these changes and if a slightly naughty scene was shown on TV I would shoot up and say, “Who wants a cup of tea?” Watching these scenes with my mum and dad in the living room was excruciatingly painful. All I could hear whilst waiting for the kettle to boil was my mum saying to my dad in Greek, “Turn it over Michael”. My dad came home with a VCR one day, it was so exciting and videos to watch too; ‘Ninja’ 1, 2 and 3? Violence was ok but sex wasn’t hmmm….
Coming of age films where the best at the time and we could all relate to their content of sex, relationships, mistakes and lessons. The one that stands out for humour alone is ‘National Lampoons Animal House’; The original ‘American Pie’. No uncool dad giving his son tips on women and leaving him ‘reading material’ by his bedside table. No, these guys had to go it alone. Hand jobs, rubber gloves and climbing up a ladder just to peak though a window to watch girls undressing…the outcome is hysterical; James Belushi at his best.
Movie genres are many from imaginative, fiction, non- fiction, fantasy the list goes on. The ones that leave a lasting impression are those that express what we go through as human beings; in particular, between two people. What used to go on behind closed doors is now more in the open than ever and whether you agree with it or not, it’s there and we are proof that it’s happening; how else would movie makers get their ideas?
So, if you feel like ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ and need ‘Romance and Cigarettes’ or maybe, you just want to ‘Eat Pray Love’ (all great movies) remember:
‘Boys will be boys and girls are there to help them turn into men; make a girl feel like a woman and you’ve been watching the right movies’.
© Michelle Sotiriou 2012
She Be Fierce 