Malevolent Movie Montages

Frankly,I've discovered the downfall of western civilization. Oh, western civilization hasn't fallen? I must be mistaken, you say? Just wait. 

The "Love" Montage

Eventually society will crumble at the relentless inundation of the inescapable movie montage. They're everywhere, like ladybugs in June.  Only, to expand the metaphor, they actually turn out to be those Asian Beetles that only look like cute lovable ladybugs, until they bite you. And so is the stealthy deception of the movie montage. 

Montages did not always have a plot to brainwash and control the multi-media watching public. Originally it was just a clever cinematography tool to mark the passing of time within a story. But like so many a science fiction innocent experiment gone wrong, it's taken on a life of its own. 

There are whole genres of montage. The love montage was the pioneer. It's now the backbone of romantic comedy. The artfully pasted together string of interactions that illustrate a couple falling in love accompanied by a befitting song. Not to be out done, the memory montage came on the scene as an intriguing way to character build. After that it was really a free-for-all. 

You can't escape the montage, it's in all major motion pictures, the history channel, crime show dramas, sit-coms, TLC was basically created on the principle (enter the "work" montage, and the "make over" montage), even the news. I'm beginning to believe it's effecting my subconscious and influencing my brain patterns.

I knew it'd gone too far when I discovered yet another sub genre of montage. The thinking montage; which consists of a cloud of ideas, numbers and translucent images being connected while swirling around a characters head. I fell in love with this montage, I would put out a bulletin to others to notify me if one came up. I found myself wishing I had thinking montages. 

Then it hit me. The montage will ruin us all. Montages tell us lies. They shrink things like character building, remodeling, history, dating, and now even complex thought into the space of 45 seconds with soundtrack. And where I know the montage is just a construct, it doesn't stop me from wanting my own love montage to the song "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" by Cake.

The "Thinking" Montage Photo Credit: http://theoriginalspy.blogspot.com

Montages have become our society's waking dreams. The bits and pieces of what we wish could be, actualized. And like dreams, they can only retain malevolence if you aren't aware you're in the thrall of one. Oh great movie montage, whisper more sweet nothing in our ears. 

Frankly, my dear . . .

. . . I don't give a damn. 

The immortal words of Clark Gable were never "Gone with the Wind" and are, quite frankly, a personal mantra I'd like to adopt. It is such an awful story, really. 

Scarlett blinded by her own unrequited love until it is too late. It should be abhorrent, as an ending, as a viewer I should be devastated or at the very least a bit cheated. As far as love stories go, romance films end with a kiss. Right? Oddly, I was satisfied. There was something about the succinctness. There was nothing else left to say. It was so . . . honest.

That is what "frankly" means. To be honest, to in truth say something. I believe honesty is quite underrated. It is rare and slightly terrifying to not only say what you are thinking or by god feeling, because we are rarely truly honest with ourselves. That is perhaps why honesty and truth aren't mutually exclusive principals. 

Seeing such unbridled honesty I believe is like bearing witness to a live birth; a riveting, awkward, slightly horrifying, and strangely beautiful experience. 

I don't know how frank became an adverb and then a modifier; the english major part of my psyche loves it for that alone, but I'm intrigued. While using the word "frankly" infers the following words are part of some truth or at least honest, it doesn't ensure it. 

Quite frankly, I think Rhett was lying. He gave a damn, all right.