A delightfully astute and specific essay about Only Angels Have Wings – one of my favorite movies ever made. I love this bit, it is just so right on the money, so so true:
There’s a great scene where Grant has to ground his buddy Thomas Mitchell, because his eyesight’s gone bad. As Mitchell walks out of the room, Grant kicks a chair in frustration. Let me tell you: It is the greatest chair-kicking scene in the history of movies. In that one moment, all of Grant’s boulevardier-Walter Burns mannerisms are gone and you feel his deep, deep pain, the love he has for this man and the crushing disappointment of hurting him. It’s masterful.
I got goose bumps when I read that. It’s so true. When you see the movie, watch for that moment. A modern actor might tear up the room, roaring like an injured chimp … kicking chairs left and right … and that might be appropriate for the scene, whatever. I just know that all that macho bluster, all that easily expressed rage, all that sturm und drang – all of that isn’t half as effective as what Grant does in that moment.
Definitely go read the whole thing.
