Today we'll be looking at Shane and Oliver's walk home after drinks at The Ephlat Lounge, through Steve's rude interruption. Here are those scenes spliced together:
Notice that it isn't until the pair are slowly making their way down Yellow Bird Lane that "Clair de lune" (the score) can be heard, but their moonlit "Promenade sentimentale" begins much earlier. Specifically it begins the moment Shane trips in the alley outside the lounge.
The right hand Oliver manages to catch is the same hand he missed at Montaldo's in One In A Million. Because Shane takes an emotional risk and keeps his hand, Oliver suggests, "Shall we walk?" Anything that takes place from this point on becomes part of their "walk."
Although the hand switches from the right to the left hand walking up the steps for the benefit of the camera angle, it's significant that, in spirit, it's meant to be the right hand Shane uses to slowly draw Oliver back towards her on the steps to share their first kiss. Keeping with the theme of sentimentality, Shane expresses her affection towards Oliver with this hand throughout the canon as a whole. As for her other hand, the one she uses to steady herself on the railing before it slips off as she surrenders to the moment---notice how the moonlight seems to catch it perfectly for the few brief seconds it rests there. A tender, and particularly significant, moment is unfolding before our eyes. It's a nostalgic one, too, if we remember that this scene harkens back to the classic film, An Affair To Remember, as well. |
A tender and nostalgic moment suddenly becomes marked by sadness as Shane and Oliver are forced to part under what can only be described as heart-wrenching circumstances. Even as they come to grips with the abrupt end of their evening, Shane says, "I really enjoyed our walk" to which Oliver replies, "So did I." It's clear their referring to their kiss more than anything, in that covert language they so seamlessly share. At the same time, it brings everything from that kiss afterwards under the umbrella of "Promenade Sentimentale," or "Clair de lune," so that it can be once more referenced as a whole simply through the score when Shane returns at the end of the film. |
Questions You're Probably Asking Right Now...
What about the re-introduction of the porch music in From Paris With Love when Shane pulls Oliver aside on her porch? This piece of score re-occurs because it signals that Shane and Oliver are about to assume a vocabulary which only they understand, filtered through their discussion of Hattie and Gabe. Read Between The Lines: Oliver, Shane & The Porch and this should make some more sense---also keep in mind that Steve is standing within earshot, making candid communication unlikely. There's also another interesting convergence taking place on this porch that we'll take up in the coming weeks.
By pairing "Clair de lune" with Shane and Oliver's "walk," a connection is made between their evening together and the score, which adds a significant amount of depth to their eventual reunion. Tomorrow, we'll unpack that depth and its role in Shane's homecoming.
Decidedly Sentimental,
~C
More From This Series:
Part I: A Stroll Through The Score | Part II: The Places We Must Go | Part III: Homecoming