ALWAYS COUNT ON YOU, CHARLIE













“There was a time I could see.
And I have seen. Boys like these, younger than these,
their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. 

But, there is nothing like the sight... of an amputated spirit.
There is no prosthetic for that. You think you're merely sending
this splendid foot soldier...back home to Oregon with his
tail between his legs, but I say you are... executing his soul!”

- From Frank Slade’s monologue in ‘Scent of a Woman’


In the movie, ‘Scent of a Woman’ (1992), Al Pacino plays the role of a retired Army officer – Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade. He has lost his vision while juggling with the grenades in one of the eccentric drunken-bouts while still serving in Army Barracks. On the other side, the 17-year-old Charlie Simms (played by Chris O’Donnell) is a student of Baird, an exclusive New England prep school. Most of his peers hail from affluent families while Charlie hails from a lower-middle class family and has made it to Baird purely on scholarship. He has imbibed in him some fine values… hard-work, commitment, honesty and, above all, courage and integrity.  He has an ambition to pursue his studies in Harvard once schooling in Baird is over. What brings Slade and Charlie together is Charlie’s up-coming home visit for Christmas. In order to pay for the flight cost, he accepts a temporary job during Thanksgiving week-end looking after Slade, who is blind…

It is a beautiful story!

Of all the scenes in ‘Scent of a Woman’ – which won for Al Pacino the Oscar as the Best Actor – I am blown away by the high-voltage speech – a monologue – by Frank Slade…

Slade has accompanied Charlie to appear before a Disciplinary Committee in the school…

What is Charlie accused of?

Charlie and George Jr., another student, have witnessed a prank set up by a group of their classmates on the school headmaster, Trask, who presses Charlie and George to disclose the names of the culprits. Trask offers a bribe to Charlie, a letter of recommendation that would virtually guarantee his acceptance to Harvard. However, Charlie continues to remain silent but appears conflicted!

Finally, Charlie tells Slade about his complications at school. Slade, initially, advises Charlie to disclose the names of his classmates and go to Harvard, warning him that George will probably get away because of his wealthy father’s influence. However, as the Disciplinary Committee has summoned Charlie, Mr. Slade decides to accompany him as his guardian and counsel…

Despite Slade’s advice, Charlie has chosen to remain silent, thereby invited the risk of being expelled from the school… Slade’s speech is in Charlie’s defence…

It is blunt, crude and fierce… Yet, it leaves us all inspired for a better life... 

Yes, I play this speech in our summer P.D. programme… knowing very well, that crudeness is part of life!






GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Internet
Video: YouTube

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi...
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How ...
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or pain...
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...