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by Jackie Roe, TW Social Director
Hiya, TWibe. How is everyone doing? Who else besides me is celebrating the warmer weather and the upcoming 3-day weekend?
Indian Wells is nearing, so I thought I’d start putting plans in motion for our annual TW get-together there. I’ll be in attendance from the 10th until the 16th. Who else is going and for what days? And where are you staying? I assume we’ll keep the Beer Hunter as our meeting spot, but I’m open to suggestions. Go ahead and respond in the Comments or you can e-mail me here so I know to look out for you!
Now on to today’s topic. Remember our YouTube series? This next installment, long overdue, is brought to you by my dear friend and DC regular Tan. She’s a film buff and wanted to share some of her musings on the relationship between tennis and film. It’s a brilliant piece, and I know you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did.
Tennis has never really had its film moment; unlike other sports, it's merely been in the background. (Pat and Mike starring Hepburn and Tracy could arguably be an exception. It's not exclusively about tennis, but about Pat's prowess in sports, tennis being one them. There is a hilarious tennis scene that tries to show what a tennis player, who's having a bad day and who can’t see the ball, sees subjectively during a match—sadly not online.) But tennis does weave itself into the tapestry of many films I love.
In Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday we get to see Tati simply enjoy the sport of tennis. He uses tennis to satirize the belief that there’s one right way to do anything. The point is just to have fun and play. The person who posted the clip equates it with Rafa’s homemade tennis . . . why not? It’s so much fun to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fV77roE7mU
Mostly I’ve noticed in film that tennis serves as a visual reminder that love and romance require two players to engage in fair play. The tennis court is a much nicer visual metaphor for fairness than a court of law. So at tennis’ heart, we find an egalitarian space where we can watch people engage in the game of courtship and from this perhaps nourish a deep love.
Woody Allen uses tennis perfectly in Annie Hall. Alvy and Annie meet at a tennis court—best use of la-di-da ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFCe1wQeXA0
And in A Room with a View—a sentimental favorite of mine—true love is finally recognized on a home tennis court in the backyard. Scroll to 6:40 in the clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB34PEki38U&feature=related
And then there is tennis in Godard. He probably shows a tennis match, a tennis racquet and/or ball, mentions tennis or uses the sound of a tennis ball being hit in maybe 30 of his gazillion films. He uses tennis as a vehicle for many arguments.
Just because it’s online, I chose the very first shot of Godard’s Pierrot le fou. Tennis here is a pure aesthetic experience. Tennis as something beautiful in itself (Federer, anyone?). There is a voice-over speaking about Velasquez’ art. We watch tennis being played at the public tennis courts of Les Jardins du Luxembourg which are nestled in the lovely garden near works of art by Delacroix and Rubens. The light of late winter/ early spring. Just magical. Demeter in contemporary times might not have been portrayed with a bow and arrow—she might have had a tennis racquet!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uksEgP_1RmU
Thank you for sharing that, Tan! And how timely, what with the Oscars coming up.
Now it's your turn, TWibe. I was thinking you could take this in one of two directions (or both?):
1) Let's have a film discussion. What are your favorite films and what do you enjoy about them? Do you care to see tennis in film?
2) If you’re not a film person, consider this bent, one that was originally proposed by whitelinefever way back when (I think it was you, wilfy?). He proposed that we explore tennis in entertainment media in general—i.e. film (already covered), TV, books, songs, etc. Can you share some examples of where you’ve found tennis in arts or media? Have you seen tennis players on TV shows? Do you read tennis books? Is there a song or a lyric that makes you think of tennis? (whitelinefever’s contribution: Bjork/The Sugarcubes’ “Deus does not exist” line makes me think, “Does this mean Bjork lives in a world of no-ad scoring?”) Now Lil’ Wayne and Vampire Weekend are coming to mind . . .
Obviously, as this is part of our YouTube series, go ahead and share YT links as you see fit! (No need for TinyURL.)
Have a great weekend, TWibe!