With almost all of the characters smoking in this film, I could almost see and
smell the smokey haze coming at me when I first watched this film in the
theatre.
I have not watched a large number of films in my 57 years, so I suppose there
could be other, more "smokier" films.
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Bette Davis! One of my all time favorite actresses. But you're right about the smoking. It was to show what a modern woman she was in her various roles. Watch Now, Voyager. When she transforms from a lonely, insecure spinster to a self assured woman, she starts to smoke like a chimney.
“It’s not what a movie is about, it’s how it is about it.” RIP Roger Ebert
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Early movies from the 1930s to the 1960s prominently featured characters smoking. EVERYone smoked except the mother and sometimes father roles. Think of a film from that era where you don't remember anyone smoking, besides the films made for children and/or families like the Wizard of Oz and they will stand out in your memory. It's a Wonderful Life comes to mind.
And the places they smoked. Hospitals. With children. All over their houses. And closed up spaces like newsrooms and office spaces especially make you cough as you watch it.
By the way, the conclusion of Now, Voyager is one of the most famous scenes. It makes me laugh because smoking is one of the most unromantic things I can think to do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-KGiwGn1d8
“It’s not what a movie is about, it’s how it is about it.” RIP Roger Ebert
I recently saw À bout de souffle from 1960, and Jean-Paul Belmondo is so completely hilarious with his constant smoking. Chain-smoking indoors and out doors, lighting new ones with the butts of the old ones, then tossing the butt over his shoulders, indoors and outdoors. flipping a butt from inside a room in a four story aparatment laying in bed to the street below. Tossing butts in a restaurant, casually talking to a waiter. Ashing on carpets, ashing on the floor besides a bar, ashing everywhere. And he looks so completely oblivious and casual at the same time, like he doesn't even reflect on what he's doing. It was just how things went down in those days. If you name was Jean-Paul Belmondo, and you played a criminal in 60's Paris, France.
But of course, the villain always smokes. (You'd think that would give him away.)
“It’s not what a movie is about, it’s how it is about it.” RIP Roger Ebert
In a book detailing the history of the film "The Wizard of Oz," I read that a
line that would have been spoken be the Scarecrow that went something like
"I liked to smoke in bed, but my wife was afraid."
Hahahahaha, that would have been a good one, except where is the wife?
“It’s not what a movie is about, it’s how it is about it.” RIP Roger Ebert
The smoke-filled gatherings and the lethargic pace actually work well together.
shareClearly you haven't seen Downfall. All of the characters have either a cigarette or food/drink in their mouths at all times. Quite the oral fixation!
shareNot a film, but Mad Men is very smokey.
shareYou're past 57 and you've never seen a movie from the 1930ies?
Cigarette brands paid for movies back then, basically. In Now Voyager, they even made the smoking a part of the script, with Paul Henreid's character lighting two cigarettes at once, and offering one to Bette Davis, as a gesture of intimacy as their love affair progresses.
For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco