Today is Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord. The account of the Presentation includes some of the most moving words in Scripture, (in my view) when Simeon holds the baby Jesus and says: "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." Why these words should be so moving, I'm not quite sure.
It's also Groundhog Day, which inevitably makes me think of my favourite movie of all time.
Here's a blog post I wrote back in 2012, soon after I started this blog, in which I explain why it's my favourite film of all time. I haven't changed my mind on any of it. (Although it's a while since I've watched the whole film through. I watch scenes from it on YouTube every now and again, like this morning. I almost know the dialogue by heart by now.)
I also watched this interesting YouTube video about the film's production, which taught me some stuff I hadn't known already. I was especially interested that Danny Rubin, the scriptwriter who came up with the original idea (and later wrote the screenplay with Harold Ramis), chose Groundhog Day as the day for the loop specifically because it was a more obscure occasion. I like that lot. I've always disliked the fact that Christmas and a few other days in the year get all the attention.
Recently I made a note for a blog post entitled "the miracle of familiarity". Occasionally it srikes me as truly miraculous that we can ever find anything familiar, as life is simultaneous so strange and so fleeting.
All art is an island of permanence-- or the illusion of permanence-- in an ocean of flux. But this film especially, since it's about a timeloop. I'm always sad when Phil escapes the loop at the end. But not too sad, because he only exists inside the film anyway, and you can always just play it again.
No comments:
Post a Comment