Dialogues From The Golden Era That Have Stayed With Us

While cinematography and screenplay are some of the major markers that classify a movie according to the era it belongs to, dialogues share an equal importance in giving classics the stature they deserve.

An impactful quote from a movie is what the audience takes along with themselves after screening a marvelous classic production. There’s a lot that can be and is said in a few words that have an immense impact when delivered on screen.

Here are a few powerful quotes from some of the most-cherished classics of all time.

12 Angry Men (1957)

This movie was an exemplary production that illustrated the complexities involved in reaching a judgment about a particular case. It highlights how far from black-and-white are matters concern legality, morality, and justice.

During the movie, the 8^th Juror said something which culminated the entire theme of the movie:

“It’s always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth..

The gravity of this quote is hard to measure in precise terms because the meaning goes so far deep. This quote sheds light not only on the context it was said in, but also enlightens the audience about the inherent hypocrisy of human nature.

The African Queen (1951)

The African Queen is a romance between a sailor and a spinster who journey on the African river together during World War I. it is at one of these instances when their on-screen chemistry is punctured by an insertion of philosophy that this dialogue was born:

“Charlie Allnut: A man takes a drop too much once in a while, it’s only human nature.”

“Rose Sayer: Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.”

While the Sailor enlightens the lady about the raw truth of nature and explicitly shares what the nature of man boils down to, the spinster responds by sharing her two cents on the issue. She declares that even though man is tied to the compulsions of nature, he must rise above those limitations to be truly called a man.

The Apartment (1960)

This classic till date remains timeless and unparalleled by any modern production. A sweet romance between Baxter and Kubelik, this movie is a complex series of events that unfold in a seemingly perplexing manner.

During the time Fran Kubelik stays in Baxter’s apartment, there occur several instances that become noteworthy for attention. This is one of those few:

“C.C. Baxter: The mirror…it’s broken.”

“Fran Kubelik: Yes, I know. I like it that way. Makes me look the way I feel.”

This scene holds immense symbolic significance in the way it uses things to mirror the inner state of a man’s emotional condition. The broken mirror is highlighted as a symbol which suggests how a fractured reflection of the self is actually a truer portrayal of Fran’s emotional state. She looks as broken as she feels and this is why the broken mirror is more than just a faulty reflection.

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