From Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963). The unrequited gazes of three homely, helpful men.
From Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil (1958). “He’s [Menzies] looking out the window, as these two characters [Quinlan and Grandi] walk away, we get four images super imposed over each other, we have Menzies, lonely, in a sense, because Quinlan is walking away from him and then we have Susie, lonely, back in that motel and [we see] those two join together…The reflection gives us two images and [we get] a desert landscape over [the image of Menzies] and then [we get] another reflection as the blind raises.” –James Naremore, from the DVD commentary with Jonathan Rosenbaum
From Johnnie To’s Election (2005). In his film about the traditions of Hong Kong’s Triad society, in which a new chairman is elected democratically, To’s opening shot (following the opening credits) is that of Mahjong being played, itself a tradition, but more importantly: a game.
Of the two rival candidates, Big D (Tony Leung Ka Fai) isn’t willing to play by the rules and despite losing the election, he will not give up the leadership position without a fight. The rightful winner, Lam Lok (Simon Yam), seems straight up and honourable throughout, and eventually offers Big D a deal that temporarily satisfies him. At the end of the film, both men are fishing and Big D suggests they split the power in half. Then the calm, seemingly fair Lok murders him by way of boulder to the head.
He also murders Big D’s wife, who witnessed this happen.
The tradition is only a tidy cover-up of man’s far less democratic tendencies. Framed by the nature of the forest, To exposes the truth behind the charade of democracy.
From Claire Denis’ I Can’t Sleep (1994). Denis’ film, in which the elderly are being murdered by a serial killer, seems to line up rather nicely in this image, in which the aging hotel manager forces the drunk, young, beautiful Lithuanian girl (who can hardly stand up) to dance as an elderly woman can only look on alone.
