The Band's Visit

The movie, "The Band's Visit" we watched at the "signs and wonders" event Sunday i thought was really interesting. Although nothing really exciting happened in the sense of action or adventure; the story itself and the characters were enough to keep my attention for the entire film. It had such a genuine undertone throughout and was simple yet enticing with its cinematography. My favorite scene in the whole movie is the one depicted in the picture below; when the woman and the general converse on the bench in the "park" and the general finally opens up a little bit. I am a sucker for deep quotes in movies, i try to pick them out and even if they don't necessarily have a deeper meaning i paint one on them anyways. The general says this quote during their conversation that i think is a profound statement about his life; "When my wife was alive i used to catch the fish and bring them back and she'd cook them, but now i just put them back." Maybe i'm wrong, but i really love that quote; it encapsulates the generals calloused personality. This grieving man has to continue living with the pain and with a burden of meaninglessness hovering over is life. After he says this concrete yet symbolic statement we begin to see an improvement in his openness and overall happiness. Perhaps the general has embarked on a journey to a softened, more loving version of himself.