As a true bibliophile, it annoyed me no end that the characters handled those incredibly rare books so casually and smoked around them! Unbelievable for anyone to do that in reality with any good book, let alone one purportedly worth "a million dollars."
Why was there so much cigarette smoking going on anyway? Unnecessary to the plot, I think. Probably just because Johnny really smokes!
Corso is a smoker in the novel, too. HIs smoking is almost a mark of his character.
share... and no gloves! I agree Dhira, the handling of rare books in this film is cringeworthy.
-- Ew lover, you gonna make me clutch my pearls --
I support this thread completely! I collect rare books, and even my run of the mill store bought paperbacks I buy just to read I don't handle so roughly, I never crease the spine on even those! Lol I cringed every time he smoked and when the twin brother dropped ashes on the cover I was thinking wtf? Lol I admit I have OCD and like for things to remain as perfect as possible, but no way would a collector treat rare books like that.
shareLol I admit I have OCD and like for things to remain as perfect as possible, but no way would a collector treat rare books like that.
you are not alone, worst scene was the Spanish brothers: ashes on the book?!
It's another one of Polanski's clever tricks. The worth of the books is properly explained, so when people handle the books like that, the audience will feel protective of the books, and want to come to their defense. The scene with the twins is especially clear in how the audience is being teased by this. It elicits a certain shock and results in emotional involvement.
My guess is Polanski abused the books deliberately so we would all start
screaming !!!
I wore white cotton gloves as I watched the movie and didn't smoke at all as
I watched.
When Corso is drinking wine, I was shocked that he didn't spill it all
over the book..... lol
By the way, in one scene Corso is going to Spain - later he's in Portugal.
Nobody is perfect - as Hitchcock said once to an actor who made a mistake
and apologized, "It's only a movie".
Exceptional post.
shareThe movie itself had a lack of respect for books so far as depicting them as fetish objects and commodities to change hands. Entire libraries are burned (except Balkan's). I thought it symbolized that the path to the Devil meant being free of men's knowledge.
shareIt's unacceptable in real life. In a movie? No problem whatsoever.
Anyway, all that smoking (the novel aside) fit nicely with the film noir/detective feel of the movie.
You want something corny? You got it!