Weekend Ramblings

I often have these sudden realizations.  Most of the time it has to do with a word that I've used or written hundreds of time, never thinking about the etymology of it.  It's often a compound word that has it's  meaning within it.  One day it will jump out at me and I'll think Huh, I've never thought of that before, neat!  It's just a matter of changing perspective I guess.  The way you've been looking at something shifts just a bit and you see it from a different angle.  Sometimes it's so obvious it can be embarrassing.

This week I experienced it when I met someone named Sandra whose full name is Alexandra.  My mom's name was Sandra and by pure coincidence our daughter's middle name is Alexandra.  Now that I know I really wish I could tell her.  Perhaps she figured it out, she was a pretty smart cookie.  It's only taken me twenty two years to realize the connection.  I can tell my daughter though.  I think she'll be pleased, she does embody many of the best attributes of my mom.

Over recent months I've found it  happen with regards to movies.  Being an avid reader and writer it was always about dialogue and plot for me, but as the number of saved images on my computer hits 19,131 and I learn more about the art of photography I've discovered the obvious.  A movie is simply one beautiful photograph followed by another, followed by another.  This may not be news to you, especially if you're a cinephile or have a budding filmmaker in your household, but it's been a wondrous discovery for me. Lately, when I watch a film I am in awe of the talent and creativity of cinematographers and directors.  Movies like Life of Pi and The Hobbit are excellent examples of the perfect combination of plot, dialogue and exquisite images. 

I came across the movie Tree of Life while channel flipping the other night and sat mesmerized by extraordinarily composed and beautifully lit shots passing before me on the screen. It was almost like watching a slide show and the dialogue and plot were secondary.  I'm wondering if anyone else had this experience with this movie or if that was just where my interest led me on that particular evening.  I think there is a skill to balancing all aspects of movie making and for me it didn't work with this film, but watching it was still a lovely experience.  

I thought I'd share the video that made me want to share these thoughts with you today.  It's a supercut of "back to the camera shots" with a composition by Moby called God Moving Over the Face of the Waters (sounding very much like Phillip Glass).

Go to the youtube link to get a better view.