Jack Lemmon tossing spaghetti he strained with a tennis racket while Shirley Maclaine looks on creates one of my favorite scenes in one of my top five classic movies THE APARTMENT.
In less than one minute of film time, we know so much about the character and how he feels about the girl. In large part this is done nonverbally by the nonverbal "artifact" the tennis racket, associated with sports and enjoyment and open spaces and the character's use for something entirely mundane and domestic, straining the water for the spaghetti.
Before this scene in the film, we see the character as a passive yes man, small and constrained with no joy. In this scene, we see him playfully lift, turn and serve the pasta arching his body and moving up into happiness as he makes dinner for his love interest. Whether you are a screenwriter, actor, director or film buff this scene is a masterclass in comedy, introducing a new aspect of a character and showing love in a unique way. Love it. Toss some spaghetti for your love tonight and watch the Oscar-winning film The Apartment.
Body Language and Classic Film to improve your screenwriting and enjoyment of films.
Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.
