Without
question the most poignant and emotionally devastating scene I connected with
in A Single Man was the dance sequence between George and Charley. As he pours
their drinks, Charley queues up a record, a brief scratch is heard, but then
the loveliest song cascades throughout the room. She walks up to him and slowly
caresses his back; George smirks with affectionate approval as Charley gives
the briefest yet saddest of giggles. He turns to her and they smile at one
another, Charley rubs his chest, as George slowly grasps the back of her neck
and leans her in upon his chest. It is this moment which truly tests the
emotional capacity of one’s soul, as Charley’s expression just makes you
believe everything she had ever hoped for or wanted from George was finally
coming true. It is as if she is exhaling emotionally as she falls into his
arms, but his expression is still lifeless and stoic. She leans her head back
and takes in his form, slowly moving her hand to the back of his neck as well.
She quivers oh so subtly and quickly falls back into the safety of his arms.
George just continues and embraces her all the same. She looks into his eyes
again, as he gently caresses the side of her face, she clearly wants to kiss
him, but something in her compels her not to. George then begins to pull back,
but Charley desperately holds on and asks him to wait. She races to the record
player, he pours another drink. A faster tune blasts through the room, and so she
begins to twist, he takes another sip and refuses to partake. Charley bates him
more and more, and sure enough the good professor begins to unwind. A moment of
pure bliss and happiness as two kindred spirits dance the night away and they
collapse to the floor lying next to one another as laughter drowns out the
music. They look into each other’s eyes again and look as if they are about to
kiss, until suddenly George jumps up and tells Charley not to move. End of
scene and the end of one of the most tense, joyful, sad, heartbreaking, fun
scenes all rolled up into one that I have ever had the privilege of viewing. It
is not to say that I did not enjoy or did not understand the film thus far, but
when that scene came and went I had finally connected with A Single Man on a
level I truly did not understand yet. Inside me boiled this emotional and
passionate response and I was confused. I didn’t know whether I wanted to cry,
laugh, or scream in rage at what I had just witnessed, and all in all it was a
pretty low key scene. It was just two people in a living room really dancing
and having a few drinks, but honestly it was so much more than that. So many of
us understand how Charley must feel wanting someone so badly who they just can
never be with, and poor George of course so distraught and ruined by the memory
of dead partner. So many emotional levels are explored in that one scene which
lasts just a little over three minutes, but essentially captures the emotional
essence of the entire film. It is without question that I experienced a
cinephilic moment and damn Sontag’s incessant chastising of my need to express how
I felt. I can certainly agree with her to some extent that the overanalyzing of
film can compromise the essence of what it attempts to evoke to and from its
audience, but how else are we supposed to find other kindred spirits out there
that we can possibly relate to without putting into words what we experienced.
Are we supposed to be these isolated creatures alone in dark despondent rooms
watching one film after the other and internalizing our every emotional
response? I don’t think so and quite honestly I refuse to do so.
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