It’s not until you watch Lawrence of Arabia that you realise just how pathetic every other movie looks in its shadow.
It pains me to say this, but as a movie buff, the term ‘epic’ can no longer apply to the Lord of the Rings as it does to Peter O’Toole and company as they conveniently pause in 40+ degree heat for silhouetted moments of majesty at perfect angles (and to denounce the Lord of the Rings in such a fashion is close to blasphemy for yours truly).
You’ve probably realised one of two things by this point:
1. How on earth did this writer end up with a girlfriend when he:
a) Is a Lord of the Rings disciple?
b) Has enough time to watch Lawrence of Arabia in an afternoon (over three hours of people walking through desert – sandwiched in between the occasional steam train coming into view – requires investment)?
c) Has enough time to mention both of these things on a blog?
or alternatively, that
2. The opening two paragraphs of this literary masterpiece has more to do with football than I care to realise?
Currently, the Socceroos’ second ever World Cup adventure has the same standing among seasoned and newly-christened Australia fans as the Lord of the Rings does among its followers.
Quite simply, there is nothing that can top the emotional rush brought about by that eight minutes of madness in Kaiserslauten or that...ermmm... 93 minutes of madness against Croatia, followed by the script-writing brilliance of an injury-time exit to the eventual world champions.
Or is there?
Upon reflection, if we were to take out the emotion from the group stage in particular, Australia faced largely unspectacular opponents (with the exception of Brazil); Japan and Croatia were ordinary sides.
But those three matches no doubt remain the highlight for a generation of Socceroos fans – the ‘Helm’s Deep’ of Australia’s football history, for those familiar with the iconic battle scene in The Two Towers (and for those who aren’t and are probably much, much, much more popular and cool than the rest of us: we don’t account for your kind here).
It is for that reason that I itch for Australia to be drawn in a Group of Death come the end of the week in Cape Town.
Imagine how unspectacular the 2006 World Cup were to look if Australia were to face off against Italy, Holland and Chile within the space of two weeks; regardless of the success of the side, that 280-or-so minutes of football would be the source material for endless myth, debate and story-telling in the years to come.
Those sorts of scenarios are what football culture, identity and history are built on; the 1974 World Cup for many a fan and player will remain infinitely more memorable for 2006 for the sheer fact that a team of semi-professionals faced up to Franz Beckenbauer’s West Germany.
I hope for a crack at Leo Messi’s Argentina so that my generation can experience the same sense of awe and grandeur...
My question of the week: Which Lord of the Rings/Geek trilogy/Sci-Fi Fantasy/Lawrence of Arabia character are you and why?
It pains me to say this, but as a movie buff, the term ‘epic’ can no longer apply to the Lord of the Rings as it does to Peter O’Toole and company as they conveniently pause in 40+ degree heat for silhouetted moments of majesty at perfect angles (and to denounce the Lord of the Rings in such a fashion is close to blasphemy for yours truly).
You’ve probably realised one of two things by this point:
1. How on earth did this writer end up with a girlfriend when he:
a) Is a Lord of the Rings disciple?
b) Has enough time to watch Lawrence of Arabia in an afternoon (over three hours of people walking through desert – sandwiched in between the occasional steam train coming into view – requires investment)?
c) Has enough time to mention both of these things on a blog?
or alternatively, that
2. The opening two paragraphs of this literary masterpiece has more to do with football than I care to realise?
Currently, the Socceroos’ second ever World Cup adventure has the same standing among seasoned and newly-christened Australia fans as the Lord of the Rings does among its followers.
Quite simply, there is nothing that can top the emotional rush brought about by that eight minutes of madness in Kaiserslauten or that...ermmm... 93 minutes of madness against Croatia, followed by the script-writing brilliance of an injury-time exit to the eventual world champions.
Or is there?
Upon reflection, if we were to take out the emotion from the group stage in particular, Australia faced largely unspectacular opponents (with the exception of Brazil); Japan and Croatia were ordinary sides.
But those three matches no doubt remain the highlight for a generation of Socceroos fans – the ‘Helm’s Deep’ of Australia’s football history, for those familiar with the iconic battle scene in The Two Towers (and for those who aren’t and are probably much, much, much more popular and cool than the rest of us: we don’t account for your kind here).
It is for that reason that I itch for Australia to be drawn in a Group of Death come the end of the week in Cape Town.
Imagine how unspectacular the 2006 World Cup were to look if Australia were to face off against Italy, Holland and Chile within the space of two weeks; regardless of the success of the side, that 280-or-so minutes of football would be the source material for endless myth, debate and story-telling in the years to come.
Those sorts of scenarios are what football culture, identity and history are built on; the 1974 World Cup for many a fan and player will remain infinitely more memorable for 2006 for the sheer fact that a team of semi-professionals faced up to Franz Beckenbauer’s West Germany.
I hope for a crack at Leo Messi’s Argentina so that my generation can experience the same sense of awe and grandeur...
My question of the week: Which Lord of the Rings/Geek trilogy/Sci-Fi Fantasy/Lawrence of Arabia character are you and why?
