I’ve been accruing a Pinterest Board of Favourites Scenes from TV series, TV trailers, and YouTube TV homages, so I thought I’d share some. Almost all of them (not quite all!) are accompanied by a meaningful song, which, I guess, shows the power of music in storytelling.

Years ago, when I was fresh out of high school, I dreamed of directing music videos for a living. At that point in time, it seemed the most creative, wonderful job anyone could have. I’m sure the reality is quite different but to this day, I retain a fascination with music vids; hence some of my sporadic blogging on the topic.

Anyway, as my current storytelling obsession is watching TV series, occasionally I encounter a scene that taps strong emotions in me. Below I share some of them with you. Please let me know your own experiences.

Marianne x

 

Person of Interest S2 Episode 10 Gimmeee Shelter

John is captured and his wooden expression is surprisingly evocative to those who know his character. ‘It’s been fun, Harold.’

The music is a stirring counterpart, and I’m not even a Rolling Stones fan. This scene has given me much greater love for this song.

 

 

The Blacklist

Spine tingling juxtaposition of song and scene: psychopathic Reddington and Gordon Lighfoot’s Sundown. Perfection!

Unfortunately this is only a snip of the whole thing. I’m waiting for someone to put the entire scene up on YT.

Saving Grace

This is not a scene for an episode, but a mix of images that encapsulate a wonderful, ground-breaking series that I found life changing. Grace Hannadarko in all her quixotic moods.

Veronica Mars

Only a Veronica and Logan love scene could play out like this. Dialogue at it’s most realistic. No music for this one.

Orphan Black

The Clone Dance is creepy, sexy, funny, and a testament to Tatiana’s acting ability. I’ve watched this hundreds of times.

The Bridge

The Bridge theme song is haunting, sinister, bleak. I mean seriously BLEAK.

Bleak. Bleak. Bleak. I feel lonely every time I hear it.

 

 

It’s hard to believe a movie that is essentially a two hour car chase could be so complex, but Mad Max: Fury Road is riddled with interesting storytelling choices that will change the way I view action movies from this point onwards.

For anybody who spends as much time online as I do, it was impossible to avoid seeing the controversy surrounding the release of Fury Road. One article described the movie as ‘Trojan horse feminism’, hiding messages empowering women behind cars, guns, and explosions to sneak them into cinemas. But I don’t think George Miller and the stellar cast of Fury Road are trying to be secretive at all.

Now might be a good time to remind the internet about the definition of feminism: the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of equality. Fury Road isn’t trying to kick men out of action movies, but rather to show that women are just as capable of surviving the apocalypse, car chases, gun fights, dust storms, hand-to-hand combat, and mortal wounds as men are. A woman can be more than the ‘prize’ waiting for the action hero at the end of the movie; a woman can be the action hero.

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Here’s a recent interview I did with Marisa on behalf of Australian Women Writers. Apologies for the sound quality!