All posts by Clean Slate Films

Weird montage Palace. Boy(s) swinging over large pool. King walking around.

My prof showed us a short clip in film school as an extreme example of formalism. He couldn’t stand to watch very much of it, so he only showed about 30 seconds of this movie, and I’d like to share it with my own students.

It is probably from a feature film. It was in color, but a little aged. I would guess it was from the 80s. I don’t remember if the film was in English, but it looked European. It reminded me of an Eliabethan period costume drama, like Barry Lyndon, but more warm color tones.

The clip was very short, so I don’t have too much to go on. It was very formalistic, almost like a montage with a lot of dissolves from scene to scene, and then back again.

It took place in a palace. Everything was extremely ornate. I remember a king-like fellow walking around talking. There was one or two young boys swinging from very high swings over a gigantic indoor pool. I remember statues. I seem to remember, (or just suspect?) that one of the boys was urinating in the pool while swinging. The scene seemed to have a slightly homoerotic vibe to it.

That’s all I got! I know it’s not much, but I’m sure someone here can get it! Thanks in advance!

(British?) comedy with subtle physical comedy. Man’s umbrella takes woman’s purse

My parents were watching a movie on television when I was a kid, so this was probably in the mid-70s. The movie was probably 1960s. (It might have been a TV show, but I don’t think so.)

I only remember one scene. I vaguely remember a very polite (British?) gentleman tipping his hat and bowing to a lady. As he did his umbrella snatched a purse from (another?) lady.  It’s possible that it wasn’t even an umbrella that caused it. He might have just done something with his hands. (It was an accident, I think. He wasn’t trying to steal her purse.)

I think what appealed to me was the talent and practice it must have taken for the actor to accomplish the shot.

That is the only scene I saw, but my parents explained to me that his character was always doing things like that. (Maybe even in other movies.)

In my mind I’m thinking of either Peter Sellers, (the subtle Peter Sellers, not the “over-the-top” “Pink Panther” Peter Sellers,) or Alec Guinness from the Ealing Studios era. The comedy reminds me a lot of Monsieur Hulot, but I’m almost certain it was in English.

I think it was in color, but the colors were very muted, again like the Ealing Studios look.