Finite Focus: Travelers (The Sheltering Sky)
In honor of Debra Winger’s small (but critical) role in the fabulous Rachel Getting Married here is an early scene from Bernardo Bertolucci’s tactile masterpiece The Sheltering Sky.
Landing in North Africa for some aimless ambling about the continent after World War II, three Americans are consumed by the land to the degree in which they throw themselves at it. Played in stark contrast to one another are three fine actors: John Malkovich, Campbell Scott and of course Debra Winger. She gives this fine little speech which foreshadows the events (pay careful attention to what is said and was is left hanging with her words) that will come under the sun drenched days and spicy nights. The scene goes on to have Malkovich’s character consumed by a mob of children which he calls out (they boil up out of the nooks and crannies in the shipyard) to help him with his baggage.
At at mere 63 seconds there is a lot going on this scene - economic and subtle storytelling at its finest with some of the best cinematography ever committed to celluloid.
Comment by rot — November 11, 2008 @ 8:29 am
Scott is definitely underrated and is as good as his much more famous Dad. He’s around, but in lower-profile ‘festival-y’ type films: Roger Doger, Saint Ralph, The Dying Gaul.
I wish he could get work with The Coens, P.T. Anderson or David Mamet (Campbell absolutely rocks in the 1990s “Spanish Prisoner”)
Comment by Kurt Halfyard — November 11, 2008 @ 9:37 am
More to the festival circuit films, Campbell Scott did the narration for One Week, a Canadian film at TIFF this year.
Comment by Shannon the Movie Moxie — November 11, 2008 @ 9:43 am