Monday, February 22, 2010

Prescription for a Rainy Afternoon




The post here and the ensuing comments got me thinking of the pleasure of classic movies. My daughter has watched over and over again "A Streetcar Name Desire", "The Third Man", and "Night of the Hunter". Soon, very soon, I hope to introduce her to La Dolce Vita, with its marvelous echo of "Marcello, Marcello, Marcello," and its bouyant, bubbling music as it heads towards a somber climax.

Menu recommendations:

For Marlon and Tennessee, the movie set in New Orleans, you must must must whip up Edna Lewis's gumbo.

Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten grapple with moral terpitude and a gorgeous woman. Wait, set in Vienna? Wienerschnitzel. I promise to post a recipe soon.

Game, of course for the only film Charles Laughton directed. Robert Mitchum stalks, and those kids run like a couple of startled rabbits. Lapin a la chausseur.

Ah, La Dolce Vita. Start on your veranda with a small aperitivo. Follow with anything Italian.
Anything at all.

Let me know how your rainy afternoon goes--

8 comments:

  1. Your daughter's a lucky girl. Now I feel compelled to add to the list -- I can't help myself: Rules of the Game, Les Enfants du Paradis, Jules et Jim, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands.

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  2. Les Enfant du Paradis--what a dream! Believe it or not, I haven't seen the others you list, I guess they're now on my must see!

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  3. I love La Doce Vita - saw it for the first time last summer at the free Italian movie screenings at Bulgarini. Come to think of it, I finally saw Les Enfants du Paradis for the first time last year too. My education is coming late.

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  4. I spent way too much time in film classes. But to entice you to find Jules et Jim, here's a snippet with Jeanne Moreau:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqwLx0DG7qQ&feature=related

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  5. Jules et Jim and La Dolce Vita--the only two mentioned here that I've seen, and so long ago that I barely remember them. They're just glimpses in my consciousness. I need to get out more. Even my film classes are too long ago to remember.

    But I love this post, just the idea of it and how you constructed it.

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  6. AH: Bien beau, tres jolie. I've attempted Jules et Jim a couple of times, but given up before that clip you sent. S: Means there are great movies out there to see! And not at Paseo, either. Thanks, Petrea--
    And some day ladies we will have to talk about film classes. My sister and I grew up on old movies on tv...

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  7. I love y'all just tossing the French, Italiano, et al, like de dough of Pizza. You women must be...,well you know.
    I was viewing & snapping some old French film posters while eating over the weekend. Don't ask me why but I had a camera with me.

    Now, with Gumbo...,well, i can't say i've ever met a Gumbo i ever loved.

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