Saturday, February 25, 2012

40 Days of Lent: Day Four

I've written before of my affection for the movie version of Godspell though I know it's certainly not great art or even good religion. Part of my affection is because of the setting which combines two things of interest: an empty modern city and New York in the early 1970's. It's hard not to play "I know where they are" while watching Christ and His disciples cavort around certain landmarks. Sometimes, I'd rather not know.

One of the songs, "All For The Best," starts out with a message of "don't worry about your troubles no matter how big they seem, you'll get your reward in Heaven." Fine. The second verse goes on to detail those who seem to have everything, "richer than the bees are in honey." But don't worry about them, cause it's all for the best. The staging for the song moves from a fountain in a plaza to the roofs of Manhattan's skyscrapers, landing for the big finale on one of the Twin Towers.


While it's nice to see this view, a view we can't ever see again...



there's something ironic and chilling about hearing people sing, as the camera pulls away...





"Yes, it's all for the best!"

2 comments:

Bob Fingerman said...

This one actually made my stomach hurt a little. I can never look at those pictures and no knot up. Not even after a decade +. Good post, nonetheless.

the hanged man said...

Sorry about that. Usually when I see the Twin Towers in a movie, it just gives me a moment of "oh!" Had it been any other song I wouldn't have bothered posting but the heartrending irony was too much to pass without mentioning.