When you have lost sight and lost to life, when you dont see any reason for your own existence and that of the world's and when you are on your last false splurge before you plan to end it all! What could happen then? Possibly, a sad and predictable end. But not if you had Charlie Simms as your companion and you were Col. Frank Slade. It could end starkly different. Hope would never be lost. Power of one capable individual and how he could bare the nakedness of an entire ignorant society, would never cease to exist. Scent of a Woman is a classic story told - of this hope and strong will winning over depression and gloom that pervades our mortal beings.
Al Pacino in his class act as blind colonel Slade and Chris O Donnell as his fateful companion and disciple take you through a journey of lifetime. Only the school is school of life and lessons are from unwritten books of integrity and values. Colonel is a retired, deeply hurt and blind man who has no reasons to live his life. He knows it but he wont confess to it. Too much to swallow for his big ego. In comes Charlie simms. A school going teenager, who needs a few extra bucks to meet his ends. He is appointed babysitter for the blind colonel on his journey to NY. A journey which he has planned to be his last. On the way, Colonel takes to mentoring this "kid" into a man. Trying to teach him about life. And how? By making him understand the essence of Scent of a Woman. How each woman has a different fragrance from other, how each one of them is a fantastic creation of God and how each one of them is an elixir for so many human pains. And not only does he tell him this. He makes him feel it. By dancing tango with a beautiful woman who is very sad and making her smile. By blind driving Ferrari in busy streets and yet not scratching it. By asking hotel manager to fill up stacks of John Daniell's in his room.
Each of these acts - a standing reinforcement to belief called 'life'. But underneath this spirit of him lies a dead soul. Having lost to everything and ready to die. But this is where director Martin Brest paints his masterstroke. The disciple turns into a teacher. Not letting the master die. Very convincingly, Charlie makes Colonel realise how important his life is to him and for everyone around him. He rips through tall walls of his ego and touches the human within. And Colonel's dead soul is reborn. Charlie saves a man from his impending death. He saves his dying soul - enriching it with fulfillment and infusing it with a purpose to live. They come back. The journey is about to end but for an incident. Simms' career is in jeopardy because he wont rat on misdeeds of his classmates. He is about to be thrown out of his school because he is a misfit. Not a Baird Man. A committe meets to decide on the fate of this young boy. But it is almost predecided that he will be expelled. And then Al pacino delivers performance of a lietime. The way he talks about hollowness of the whole process, exposes the meaninglessness of an entire insititution called education and authenticates simple yet most important human value - integrity is an act of a master. An act that still lives fresh in your memory. An act that has immortalised Pacino forever. An act that made a whole generation sit back, stop in their tracks and think about the whole meaning of a gift called human life and purpose of it.
Watch this movie for sheer brilliance of its script, simplicity of execution and force of characters it portrays. Telling, in very powerful yet simple words, the essence of a meaningful life and leaving an imprint forever. Watch it to believe that an individual's values are stronger than a society's crumbling beliefs. And telling all this so effortlessly. While trying to explain how each of the women has a very distinct fragrance and how you could tell one from the other by their smell. How Scent of a Woman tells her character! Only a master could enact it. And a master did it flawlessly.
Al Pacino in his class act as blind colonel Slade and Chris O Donnell as his fateful companion and disciple take you through a journey of lifetime. Only the school is school of life and lessons are from unwritten books of integrity and values. Colonel is a retired, deeply hurt and blind man who has no reasons to live his life. He knows it but he wont confess to it. Too much to swallow for his big ego. In comes Charlie simms. A school going teenager, who needs a few extra bucks to meet his ends. He is appointed babysitter for the blind colonel on his journey to NY. A journey which he has planned to be his last. On the way, Colonel takes to mentoring this "kid" into a man. Trying to teach him about life. And how? By making him understand the essence of Scent of a Woman. How each woman has a different fragrance from other, how each one of them is a fantastic creation of God and how each one of them is an elixir for so many human pains. And not only does he tell him this. He makes him feel it. By dancing tango with a beautiful woman who is very sad and making her smile. By blind driving Ferrari in busy streets and yet not scratching it. By asking hotel manager to fill up stacks of John Daniell's in his room.
Each of these acts - a standing reinforcement to belief called 'life'. But underneath this spirit of him lies a dead soul. Having lost to everything and ready to die. But this is where director Martin Brest paints his masterstroke. The disciple turns into a teacher. Not letting the master die. Very convincingly, Charlie makes Colonel realise how important his life is to him and for everyone around him. He rips through tall walls of his ego and touches the human within. And Colonel's dead soul is reborn. Charlie saves a man from his impending death. He saves his dying soul - enriching it with fulfillment and infusing it with a purpose to live. They come back. The journey is about to end but for an incident. Simms' career is in jeopardy because he wont rat on misdeeds of his classmates. He is about to be thrown out of his school because he is a misfit. Not a Baird Man. A committe meets to decide on the fate of this young boy. But it is almost predecided that he will be expelled. And then Al pacino delivers performance of a lietime. The way he talks about hollowness of the whole process, exposes the meaninglessness of an entire insititution called education and authenticates simple yet most important human value - integrity is an act of a master. An act that still lives fresh in your memory. An act that has immortalised Pacino forever. An act that made a whole generation sit back, stop in their tracks and think about the whole meaning of a gift called human life and purpose of it.
Watch this movie for sheer brilliance of its script, simplicity of execution and force of characters it portrays. Telling, in very powerful yet simple words, the essence of a meaningful life and leaving an imprint forever. Watch it to believe that an individual's values are stronger than a society's crumbling beliefs. And telling all this so effortlessly. While trying to explain how each of the women has a very distinct fragrance and how you could tell one from the other by their smell. How Scent of a Woman tells her character! Only a master could enact it. And a master did it flawlessly.
10 comments:
If I was a crusader for optimism, you will be commander of that army. Read your Dance of spring and then this one about Scent of a woman. Hooo Haaaa. you have just done it again master. I told u last time also. Publish all that you write. Let everyone read it. You touch chords. Without even letting them know that you are trying to. Go long bud.
Mate! Looks like I will have to watch this movie!! Good and intriguing post!!
well written thakura!
but i still dont understand the title of this movie. The whole movie revolves around how Col. and Charlie. Both of them learn from each other. Col learns something from Charlie and vice versa. However, scent of a woman is not necessarily the central them of the movie, is it? The whole movie is about being a man and showing some balls to stand up for what you truly believe in.
oh and btw, you shud become a professional writer.
be warned: writergiri wont pay u more than bankergiri..
Coming out of HBS, You will be there to take care of my sundry expenses.
Nice post....havent seen the movie though.. Am doing good ya...how about u?been a while..Amit was telling me that he will be calling you sometime soon.
Answer to the question as to why "scent of a woman" is an apt title. This is not from me but from my friend Prashant and shared by my brother.I am just posting it verbatim.
"i do not think the title is meaningless or without reason. consider it once again. "SCENT". why?, because Slade does not have sight; and sight is the basic and the principal symbol of the movie. And whose "scent"; it is not the scent of " the woman"---in which case it would be referable to the heroine only. it is scent of "a" woman; and woman i would believe represents the synchronizing factor of life, all that is beautiful and pleasant on the earth. the "master" "sees" life differently by dint of the "scent". the "disciple" is shown another life, or let's say another way of looking at life, by the "scent" of the master. i think u may add layers and layers of interpretation to the imagery that is inherent in the basic thought behind the title depending upon what particular scene is in your mind. "
very well written post and the reply!
Well, as pleased to hear someone's opinion, very well written, but there are some small details, as Trask, tries to teach the boy about life, seeing in him a weak link, and as the charlie real strength, which relies in not selling yourself. Even maybe being wrong, he doesn't bend himself through threats or brides. He just never changed his mind, because there were no better arguments than his. He denies this first teacher, in order to get a better one.
And this 'immortal' speech, as it grows from simplicity. The character knows that he has to buy time until he has a valid argument to defend charlie. the way that Al Pacino does that is very real, and of course it grows from threats to the real intention that was showing the flaws of such trial and the strength of charlie.
Finally saw the film, liked it tremendously. Don't know why but missed you, hated it entirely. If you can fathom who this is try getting across. Would mean a lot.
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