The Candle: Its Big Role in Films (1)

The lowly candle has played a significant role in many films. It has been used for the scary effect, the dramatic scene, romantic scenes, in comedies, and as symbols of goodness.

In The Abyss (1989) the character Lindsey Bergman has a long section of dialogue in which she symbolizes faithfulness or sticking together with someone no matter what by reminding Bud what she had said before about everyone being alone. She goes on to remind him of what he said and did in response.

“I know how alone you feel... alone in all that cold blackness... but I'm there in the dark with you. Oh Bud you're not alone... Oh, God. You remember that time - you were pretty drunk, you probably don't remember - but the power went out in that little apartment we had on Orange Street? We were staring at that one little candle, and I, I said something really dumb like, that candle was me, and like every one of us is out there alone in the dark in this life... and you just, you just lit up another candle and you put it beside mine and said "No! See, that's me. That's me"... and we stared at the two candles, and then... well, if you remember any of this, I'm sure you remember the next part. But there are two candles in the dark. I'm with you. I'll always be with you Bud, I promise that.”

Bell, book, and candle have been a phrase in western culture since the 9th century. The Roman Catholic Church started a form of excommunication from the church at that time that involved these objects. Someone that had committed a very horrendous sin could be excommunicated in this manner. Twelve priests and a bishop perform the ceremony. They would recite an oath that separated the sinner from the church and say, "So be it!"

Then the bishop rang the bell. This signified spiritual death. He shut a holy book, which depicted the ex-communicant's being separated from the church, and snuffed out one or more candles and slapped them to fall on the floor. This action signified that the sinner’s soul had been extinguished and was distanced from God.

How does that scenario relate to movies? It definitely relates to one: Bell, Book, and Candle, which was adapted from a play by John Van Druten. Daniel Taradash wrote the screenplay. It is a fun comedy from 1958 about modern witch (Gillian) that falls in love with a neighbor (Shep). He is engaged to a college rival (Merle) and she decides to charm her rival’s fiancee into falling in love with her, but her scheme backfires as she finds herself in love with him.

Thus, Gillian loses her supernatural powers; she has to make a choice between love and the powers and the powers lose. When Shep finds out that she is a witch and what she has done he is mad. Gillian tries to cause Merle to fall in love with the first man she sees and other schemes to get rid of her. But Merle finds out that because of romantic love she is now powerless. Meanwhile, Shep gets another witch to break the hold that Gillian has on him and he goes away, but comes back after several months have passed. When he sees that she doesn’t have her magical powers anymore he reconciles with her.

Though it isn’t explained outright in the movie, the relationship to the Catholic ceremony and use of candles is implied in the name of the film. Being a witch is the grievous sin, which the name is pointing at in the film. This movie and the play take place in Greenwich Village. The original play of 1950 evokes a gay element in the village.

The phrase, book, bell, and candle became infused in our culture and it is used in songs, computer games, poems, and board games. It is part and fabric of ours lives and candles are too. There are many candle films to explore. Until next time, don’t snuff out your candle.

Vincent Van Gogh 's Art (1853–1890)

Van Gogh worked with color to produce the effects of light in night and day scenes. He was a very expressive painter—a post impressionist. He painted landscapes, still lifes, city scenes, portraits, and interiors.

His early paintings and drawings were of peasants and their daily lives. He used dark colors and created a melancholy atmosphere. The Potato Eaters is an example of this period. When he moved to Paris in 1886 his style changed. He met Gaugan, Monet, Pissaro, Renoir, Seurat, and Degas. He lightened his palette and painted more like the Impressionists. He used light against dark to express night scenes as in The Starry Night.

He also tried the Pointllist style and then used curved brush strokes suggesting spirals. He absorbed some of the style of the Japanese prints that he collected. His style became a painted lyricism full of surface tension, vibrant color, rhythm, and emotion.

Most art critics think of Vincent van Gogh as the best Dutch painter beyond Rembrandt. His volume of work produced in ten years included 1,100 drawings and 900 paintings. After this he committed suicide, as he suffered from mental illness.

His painting and drawing influenced the movements of expressionism and fauvism. His work still influences artist today.




Galleria Van Gogh Sunflower Folding Umbrella

Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh Porcelain Night Light

Van Gogh Cafe Terrace At Night 1500 Piece Puzzle

The Scarlet Pimpernel and Orczy

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a vintage adventure novel written by Baroness Emmuska Orczy and originally published in 1905. It is set in the beginning of the French Revolution during the Reign of Terror. The Scarlet Pimpernel is an Englishman that goes undercover to rescue French aristocracy from the heads off approach of the guillotine.

The novel is a forerunner of disguised heroes like Zorro and of spy novels. Sir Percy Blakeney is the leader of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. He and his accomplices risk their lives during their rescue missions.

Sir Percey Blakeney's wife, Marguerite Blakeney, is blackmailed by Citizen Chauvelin causing her to impart information that helps to reveal the Scarlet Pimpernel's real identity. Chauvelin's agents obtain a letter that implicates Marguerite's brother; it shows that he is in sodality with the elusive Pimpernel. She tells Chauvelin what she knows to save her brother from execution. After her husband has gone to France again, she apprehends that he is the Scarlet Pimpernel. She is a French actress and Chauvelin is the French Ambassador to England..

Blakeney has concealed his role as the Scarlet Pimpernel by acting like a dullard and as an uncaring husband, which produced disdain for him in Marguerite. It is because of this picture of him that she doesn't ask for his help when Chauvelin blackmails her. Even so, she does love him and fears for his life once she understands he is the Scarlet Pimpernel. She rushes to France to find him and tell him that Chauvelin knows he is the Pimpernel. They are both captured, but Chauvelin doesn't perceive it is Blakeney because he is convincingly disguised as a Jewish man. Later, the prisoners escape and flee to England.

The theme of the novel is that the common man can be a hero because Blakeney disguises himself as different commoners in order to make his rescues. Her central theme has been used countless times since she invented it.

Her play actually debuted unsuccessfully in 1903 at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal. The last act was rewritten and it ran for one hundred and twenty-two performances at the New Theatre beginning January 5, 1905. The novel was published shortly after the play begin at the New Theatre and enjoyed great success. The novel has been adapted into several movies, a TV series, and a Broadway musical.

Scarlet Pimpernel Audio Book
Scarley Pimpernel Paperback
Scarlet Pimpernel DVD
The Scarlet Pimpernel: The New Musical Adventure - Original Broadway Cast Recording

Blogging About the Emerald Coast Arts Forum

If you are into discussing different arts, then you'll like visiting the Emerald Coast Arts forum. It is easy to join and begin discussing on your favorite topics.

The section for the Arts includes discussions/posts on art shows, galleries mediums, which is one discussion section. Beadaholics is another art section for those into making jewelry. The Culinary Arts section has tips and favorite recipes of the members of the forum. Metalsmithing is another part of the forum at Emerald Coast Arts. It includes tips and you can post pictures of your metalworking pieces.

The Museums and Galleries section is where you can tell about your experiences at galleries and museums. People discuss how much they liked a show, what the admission is, and where the gallery or museum is located.

The Performing Arts and Photography area discuses these two subjects including where a good show is going on and other related information. The In the Garden part is for discussing your garden , garden festivals, and other things related to gardening.

The Music section is for discussion of concerts, instruments, festivals, and shows. Discussions are about what group is coming to someone's city, what instrument you play, music education sites, and your favorite musicians.

There are some off topic sections too for geeks and other miscellaneous topics. Check it out. Have fun!

Note: Image from free-graphics.com

Nicolae Grigorescu and Modern Romanian Painting

Nicolae Grigorescu started an apprenticeship in Bucharest in 1848 with Anton Chladek, a Czech painter, which lasted three years. He was ten year sold , when he started the apprenticeship. Grigorescu painted religious icons and murals for Orthodox churches in Băicoi ( SS Constantin/ Elena ) and Căldărusani from 1853 to1856. From 1857 to 1861 he painted murals for the Zamfra and Agapia monasteries. His work during this period was influenced by Viennese classicism and Italian academicism. This early work depicts refined figures and drapery and lustrous tones.

He met Mihail Kogalnice, who helped him get a study subsidy, while he worked in Agapia. This enabled Grigorescu to go to the École des Beaux Art and apprentice in Paris with Sebastian Cornu, whom Renoir studied under too. He was totally intrigued with the “plen air” painters, thus he painted in the surrounding areas of Paris including Barbizon in the summertime until 1869. While in Barbizon he became friends with Corot, Millet, Rousseau, and Courbet.

Grigorescu exhibited seven pieces in the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1867. He showed his painting Gypsy Girl at the Paris Salon in 1868. He showed his work at the Bucharest Exhibitions of Living Artists beginning in 1870 and he continued to exhibit in their exhibitions.

He was a front-line painter for the Romanian Army during the Romanian War of Independence (1877-1888. He sketched scenes that he later utilized to paint bigger works. His work was highlighted at the Universal Exhibition in Paris 1889. Grigorescu had one man shows at Romanian Athenaeum six times from 1891 to 1904.

He built a home in Campina, which is now the Nicolae Grigorescu Museum. He settled there during 1890 and began painting the peasants and scenes of the countryside. In 1899 he was awarded an honorary membership in the Romanian Academy. True to his art, Grigorescu was in the process of painting The Return From the Fair, when he died in 1907.

Below is a slide show of some of Grigorescu's Paintings.






Nicolae Grigorescu (Forest clearing) Art Poster

Grigorescu (Great Painters)