this is practically the opening shot of 'tommy.' i've seen it hundreds of times... but looking at it just now, i realize that ken must've stood around and waited for the perfect sunset. its not a mat. its not any kind of special effects. (at least none that i've ever heard of.) just robert powell and the sky. and i can even tell its really robert powell. i could pick his shoulders out of a police line up. i don't even think i need to point out the genius of the plain composition. and i've always said that ken russell would've made a great director of silent films. i timed it tonight, and for the first 7:00 full minutes of 'tommy,' there is actually no spoken (or even sung) dialogue. everything is communicated by facial expressions and the lulls and swells in the music. and all of it so artfully done, you almost don't notice the lack of words. honestly, ken proves that sometimes words are entirely unneccsessary. amen.
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