A slow close reading of Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls (1995). One shot per day.
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0098
The loop refuses to settle on one answer: Donât you have a better one? The fringe one is a bit inappropriate for the occasion. Donât you ever blink? Not the fringe one, please. Whatever, wear what you want, I donât care. Take a coat with you.
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0097
The film is not making the easy choices here. Instead of a hard cut, we go deeper into the girl talk, into intimacy. We understand how quickly their friendship has become a support system: one needs somewhere to belong, the other someone to care for.
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0096
Burning questions that haunt my daily life: What am I going to wear? All that separates us from our best potential is the right outfit. Surely this revelation can only lead to Nomi in a beautiful dress.
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0095
A piercing insight into the mysteries of female friendship. âOh yeah, they do their nails.â Joe Eszterhas lights up and retypes the scene. But nobody would be jealous of those nails. Is she a bad friend or has she just misjudged Vegas?
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0094
I canât decide if this is meant as a return to childhood for the female leads or simply the male view of women. Is there a pillow fight incoming? Psychotically trapped in a tickle loop is the feeling today.
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0093
The camera moves in to join the fun, fully aware of the Andrew Carver poster in the background. The production design department is setting us up. Nothing is innocent.
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0092
Observe the contrast of their hairstyles, practical lights on a bright day, the glint in the eye. This is by-the-book teen-movie language: friendship, snacks and a safe place before the adult world intrudes.
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0091
Oh no! We enter a shot/reverse shot discussion about chips! Surely there is a purpose: establish friendship and the placeholder girly chat so it contrasts the adult nights to follow. This could well be for mood but it's hard to watch in this looping format.
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0090
This is our first dance. Her body stretches to pick up the remote and turn off the music. This is a playground, and the camera is happy to roll around with the same enthusiasm. Verhoevenâs instruction must be: move like a child.
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0089
Sometimes in films you are confronted with your own subjectivity. Although most Hollywood mechanics help you abandon yourself, a form of escapism, sometimes you are pulled back by the clarity of taste. I donât like her nails. She can do better.
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0088
Like a witch conjuring a spell that demands attention, and it succeeds. Through her nails, the caster can read inner thoughts and memories. We get her reaction before seeing the nail design, or the witch would read us too. We are next.
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0087
Instant intimacy, half undressed before she enters, the film is asking us to guess what has changed. The production design and acting instantly convey an old friendship, a calm space where they can be themselves, almost like a sitcom.
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0086
Effective production design and location choices counter the red lights blasting their faces. If they became friends that quickly, imagine them now. Six weeks later for Nomi is 8 minutes into the film, but 12.5 weeks for us. Time is relative.
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0085
Three Noâs for every time she was asked. Peter denied Jesus three times, and this is how many times we have to confirm to ourselves who we are. One for impulse, one for doubt and one with certainty. The three-act structure of the film, all in one closeup!
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0084
This is the third time in 84 days Nomi was asked this, directly or indirectly, only this time there is no sexual interest from the other party but a need to reassure and protect. The key question about the heroineâs journey is established.
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0083
Today is the anniversary of the theatrical release, and we celebrate with a chuckle on repeat, watching it 31 times in its honour. I feel impatient for this scene to end. I want to move away from the table. I want to dance.
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0082
What an honest response! I initially project myself onto her, a Kuleshov effect of the self, but with every loop I lose more of myself and wonder: maybe she is lying, hiding, condescending. I get lost in the repetition, hoping the next shot will anchor me.
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0081
Every new encounter begins with assumptions, but we rarely get the chance to test them. There isnât much space for actors to explore while sitting down, and Berkley here uses the full depth. If someone did that to me, I would be intimidated.
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0080
A job? So you mean indefinitely? Only at the lowest of the low will an artist pursue a job. They would rather comment on one looped shot per day from an iconic 90s film than get a job. For purpose. Unless, maybe, their mum asks them nicely?
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0079
It took us almost three weeks and finally we have her full attention. The small head tilt and steady gaze, designed acting work, work great in the edit but in this loop they lose to the rib-eating lady in the background. Vicious performance.
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0078
Cutting on every line, this is not real Hollywood cinema, this is television. But somehow Verhoeven is adopting pulp tropes, assimilating a visual language that allows for the B-movie acting. sprinkled with moments of awesome. But Iâm not sure yet.
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0077
And what if you are angry? The lights of Vegas will still flicker behind you, and the extras in the background will keep sharing food. You are possibly an extra in their story. Big gulps of sugary soda donât help in this state. But what does?
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0076
âLookâ is a fair request. She gives the recognisable parental sigh of âIâve had enough of you, but youâre still my child.â Looking is the one thing we can ask of children: point to the world, observe and understand. Urging the audience to do the same. In loops.
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0075
The idea of the drifter, but this time drenched in the American dream of soda and fries. She tries to shake it off but cannot resist a sip from the bucket of a drink, admitting to being an outsider. And suddenly her tantrum has a cause.
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0074
For a moment she had her, she could almost open up, but now the camera pulls back. She missed her chance. I mean, what kind of question is that? of course she comes from the East, from where the sun rises. Get it? Nomi, the rising star?
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0073
Upset because the information doesnât matter, the question is unimportant, or because the camera has veered too close, looking for answers in her eyes. But we are not listening. She stated it clearly: she wants to dance. Stop wasting her time.
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0072
In contrast, we get normal film eating: tiny mouthfuls that allow the performer to act. We still do not know her name. Like us in the audience, she is a simple peasant under the radiance of Nomi.
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0071
Shot by shot, the camera is getting closer to Nomi. This is not just the aim of every character in the story, but of the film itself. The balance is delicate, and any wrong move could blow our chances. Nomi is eating like there is no tomorrow.
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0070
The repetition of shots of the same size creates equality between characters, but is it really equality we seek in relationships? Is Nomi looking for a friend, a mother or an opportunity? The distance between what we want and what we deserve can be vast.
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0069
The glowing red light is bright on her face and seems to be between them now, the warmth of a new connection as Nomiâs defences break. She denies us her eyes, proof she is vulnerable. Hoping for an extreme closeup soon to compensate us.
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0068
A friendly face is always beaming, and the brave ones will approach you in the playground and ask for true friendship. Despite her face obscured by her hair and hands holding the straw, the lack of blinking shows honesty in her gaze.
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0067
Nomi has the look of a child realising what it means to be an adult, but remains determined to hold on to the innocence of dreams. âBut.. but.. what about dancing?â The red light acts like a distress siren, her colourful pattern lost beneath it
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0066
First static close-up of the adult in the room. We do not know her name yet, but we are desperate for her wisdom and calmness in the chaos of colour. You haven't truly been to a place until it disappoints you. Welcome to Vegas indeed.
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0065
The directing instructions are clear: you might not have a car to hit anymore, but treat the condiments the same way. And please do it faster. Another take for performance, please. RESET THE KETCHUP and letâs go again.
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0064
A proper date setup this time: sit down and talk. After the emotional tantrum, we get the meal that follows, all drenched in red, like every awful childrenâs play area. The giant drinks complete the regression. This must be a pretend tea party.
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0063
From the two-shot to her low-angle closeup, almost kissing in vulnerability. Classic Hollywood: she gambled, her bag was stolen, banged a car in anger, fought a random black lady, vomited, ran away in agony, made a friend. It makes sense!
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0062
The car threat was actually multiple. The fixed frame allows what I assume is a composite shot, but the change of angle and the cars acting as reflections of the lights from the buildings are what make it. Nomi is saved today, again and again and again.
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0061
That is such a great near miss. There it is! Without hitting the brakes or stopping to curse at them, as if they are dancing ghosts on the side of the road, the white limo drives past. So many possible Hollywood choices, but Verhoeven makes the right one again.
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0060
Isnât this a move from Swan Lake? Tiny loops create their own beats, especially without sound, and movement is heightened when out of continuity. Are we trying to dance? Nomi is drenched in light at the edge of the frame, only for a moment.
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0059
It has been a week of action shots, and this one is the best loop. Nomi stands in the middle of danger, not only among the cars but in the middle of the Vegas lights. Both of them wearing jeans makes it feel like part of a staged choreography.
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0058
The road is empty and wet, as it often is in films because it looks great, but also points to the unseen danger: the missing cars. Is everyone else equally unaware, casually crossing the road? Only our new friend cares enough to offer a warning.
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0057
Excellent change of angle here makes me not even question the vomit. She hasnât eaten anything, so what she is expelling is the Vegas tour: you gamble, you lose, you sell your body. I want to believe the vomit was there from the script.
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0056
A graceful swirl by the stranger puts her between Nomi and the car. We can only wonder about Nomiâs fate as she is pushed aside. Her brute-force tantrum has failed her. What other survival techniques does she have in store?
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0055
Even in repetition it is hard to discern clarity, a cog in the editing machine working within larger shapes, invisible in our fragments. I appreciate the passer-by staring for a second, as the fighters become an amorphous movement. She offers stability today.
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0054
Two girls and a car. Nomi aims her punches towards the lights, fighting against Vegas, made evident by the strangerâs jacket matching the background. There are no accidents in filmmaking.
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0053
I feel like Iâm only beginning to understand the reasoning here. Nomiâs bag is in a car. That car is gone, so she attacks the next car available. Not a dance yet, but this is the first choreography. Performer and filmmakers are beginning to show their language.
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0052
How do you introduce new characters in your films? âHey, thatâs my car!â This is an incredible idea. At the peak of anguish, the protagonistâs uncontrollable tantrum is beginning to erupt. What could the world possibly offer in return?
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0051
Repetition in dialogue and shots hides that we are now looking through glass, leaving us and Nomi disoriented and frustrated. How do you get a heroine out of this predicament? Nothing in the story or image sets us up for where this leads.
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0050
Lost among the colours of advertisements, none offering what she needs, even if she had the money to buy it. Jeff, you thieving bastard! Hope everyone is still emotionally invested in the slowly unravelling plot. The stakes are high.
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0049
Same setup as the first crane shot, but Jeffâs car is gone. So is her suitcase, which I assume is later found in a Tarantino film. Her careless crossing of the road, emerging unharmed and unaware, is what really matters to us.
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0048
Hitting marks, camera moves, pause, not looking away from the inevitable crash. You see why her performance has a reputation for camp. Adore how she puts her jacket on to return to her previous self. Not snakeskin, but a symbol of individuality.
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0047
A jarring cut as if we are already in a dream. The camera moves, the light hits her eyes just right, and the exaggerated win gives the performance something to sink its teeth into. No win goes unnoticed; all gifts shall be exploited.
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0046
We are on the move, crossing space of vibrant lights. I so prefer this type of storytelling to the stasis of the car, actions as interactions. These eternal lines have been used by all parents in a children's funfair. But we are adults here.
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0045
This is really well staged by Lord Verhoeven. He does that in his sleep. The luggage never leaves the space of safety, but she bravely steps out. She still has her knife, I guess, and her striking eye makeup. That should be enough.
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0044
He re-enters the established safe space of the car to deliver his line, luring Nomi outside. Films have always depended on the kindness of strangers. Dreams depend more on recognition than trust.
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0043
Every family conversation I ever had is trapped in this loop. They want to help, but their suggestions... my reaction has been Nomi since I was fifteen. Though physically out of the car, the conversation is still in it. We are ready to move on.
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0042
Nearly out of the truck. Descending from the previous shot, the camera lowers to below eye level. The billboard offering sausage and hash browns grounds her introduction to the real Vegas. It has been 42 days. Text STOP for this madness to end.
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0041
The crane shot, evocative of Touch of Evil, is an oasis after the intercutting. Alas, it is only the truck parking. Who parks with such confidence there will be a spot? They did it once slowly, then had to repeat it at double speed. He knows.
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0040
Finally, we land on the two-shot to conclude (I assume) the scene in the traditional way. The driver, the wanderer and us, passengers in this dream entrance. I bet they chose this part of the shot for the Vegas lights coming closer and closer.
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0039
Rewarding to find a pause where we expect a response. After the editor has repeated shots to match dialogue, her silence breaks the pattern. The loop validates it further, as she eternally chooses not to respond, leading towards closure.
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0038
I can only assume the dialogue was longer, or needed trimming for performance, to justify the form of this scene. The same two shots, repeated. I do appreciate Vegas outside the windows, but for Godâs sake, please glance at the road.
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0037
We have settled into the back seat through the repetition of shots, like children caught between arguing parents, following a back-and-forth we only half understand. Although Iâm not sure what that might say about my family.
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0036
Passing on the ways of the land with an instant meme. The old wise men once said that in Vegas you have to gamble. Will she play by the rules? Delivered with a glow of red light on his face, we are going deeper into the night.
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0035
Speaking without thinking, not looking at the camera or at Jeff. Could we possibly believe her? I adore the looping "no". Every repetition chips away at her credibility. The passing car make me feel as though we are travelling backwards.
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0034
He never has to glance at the road. His gamble is a dare he has performed before as the vehicle is being pulled in by Vegas. Myself, I enjoy looking at the road while driving, but the film prefers Jeffâs eyes. Someone else occupies the driverâs seat.
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0033
She finally blinks at him as she accepts his lie. This is the real welcome to Vegas: accept the lies and follow your dreams. Nomi seems more than ready to do just that, with a smile.
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0032
As the night settles, the editing returns to back-and-forth talking heads. Is it about pace or performance, or a bit of both? I expect a double shot of them at the end of the sequence, a sense of satisfaction.
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0031
The complementary shot of Nomi, still from the back seat. Her face reflecting the warmth of Vegas reveals this is her first visit. She is looking for a fellow adventurer to experience the city with. A wonderful sparkle in her unblinking eyes.
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0030
A jarring cut from the mountain horizon to the city, but Vegas exists at night, so it's only fitting. A new camera position: we are cosying up in the back seat. The journey was long, as though we fell asleep and have just woken upon arrival. Or still dreaming.
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0029
A transition shot if I have ever seen one. What did they talk about as time passed? I want to believe they sat in silence, pondering their dreams, knife at hand. Maybe Jeff sneaked in a Garth Brooks song as the blue car became part of the icy landscape.
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0028
From a knife threat to a near crash to friendly hitting, within seconds, because she shared her dream. I still do not trust Jeff, but I appreciate him saying what we were all thinking about dancing in Vegas. His gaze and smile carry this shot.
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0027
I thought Japanese but a friend wisely said: Nomi, Italian for names, in that she has many or none: No me, there is no self but she is secretly desperate for an identity: Know me. What, her? No. Me! Esterhaz is bringing layers. I got chills.
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0026
Alas, we are still in this car. Nearly a month in, an equilibrium is established and we are finally ready for introductions. Echoes of the title: showgirl is a role, not a name. Will she make a name for herself? Jeff spells out her motivation.
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0025
Concluding the car manoeuvre, the camera is left behind as the car regains the road. What comes next? Could this be a deliberate passing of time? The truck following close behind tells us this is not a conclusion. The tension remains unresolved.
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0024
Not the expected complementary cut to his face. Instead, the editor responds with the car swerving. Actions matter, and often movement carries the meaning. Fitting for what will eventually become a film filled with dancing bodies.
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0023
Like the laws of the wild. She showed him she was dangerous, and he matched her offer. Now they can talk. Admittedly, she did put away the knife in the most awkward way possible.
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0022
The story owes everything to this lone truck driver avoiding the crash. The film glimpses all those secondary characters on the fringes who allow us to dream of Vegas. Add to this the contrast of this blue shot with the warmth of the interior of the car.
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0021
And we are back inside the car. With a light shake, she falls deeper into his lap, the knife barely missing his throat. Every shot contains the idea of danger, like toddlers playing with matches.
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0020
Finally, we are outside the car. A small swerve lets the audience breathe with the promised action and the impending danger: a truck we did not even know was there. The editing cuts just before a possible impact. Will there be a crash?
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0019
For a second, she falls into his lap. We have been captive in this car for weeks now (surely Nomi feels the same), and the only human touch has been a forced one. The brief duration prepares us for an action sequence. Brace yourself.
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0018
Dare I say the editing is going through the motions? Perhaps repetition creates space for Elvis to take over the pacing while our heroine remains passive. Filmmakers are always trying to say something, but I am not quite sure what it is here.
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0017
Back and forth editing here for no apparent reason, unless if it is for performance or even more preferably if it is to emulate the rhythm of a sexy dance that will follow. A hidden promise.
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0016
Back-and-forth editing here for no apparent reason, unless it is there for the performance, or, even better, to emulate the rhythm of a sexy dance that will follow, like a hidden promise.
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0015
Although the camera angle on her is the same as before, the frame is blown up to bring us closer to her. This moment of vulnerability is essential to the heroine's journey. She is searching for someone she can trust.
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0014
Elvis is finally on our side, finding the courage to look at her and denounce his former self. A change of heart in a pickup truck, sealed with a wonderfully warm smile. No blinking means he isnât lying.
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0013
The frame opens up to reveal her hatred of Garth Brooks, easily convincing us that we dislike him too, whether we know who he is or not. All we can do is hide behind our steering wheels, hoping she doesnât dislike us.
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0012
Why would she take her eyes of him so quickly? He is terrified to glance at her and he doesn't deserve her gaze. An absolute queen who does not really know how to hold a knife properly, but why would she?
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0011
The knife reveal is synchronised with the turn of the head. The weapon is only there to point out her eyes as a threat. His face massive in the frame to validate her with his reaction.
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0010
One small beat and straight to the point for our Elvis impersonator. She is ready for it, her answer waiting to be triggered. I love the contrast between the washed-out exterior and their warm, carefully made-up faces.
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0009
Skipping axis consistently until they agree towards the same idea. The editor patiently waiting for her to hop over the line and give us a sense of security once again. To the mountains!
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0008
This is all about the shadow over her eyes, as she makes a choice. A power play in full effect. It naturally carries a stylistic reference to noir cinematography, but doesn't that work well?
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0007
Nomi's makeup matches the Elvis outfit of our driver, undoubtedly his first line would be "Vegas". Camera setup is destroying the axis here, officially creating a sense of unease and adventure. Great smirk, this is not her lucky day, is it?
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0006
Pard for partner? Or for Leopard? Her makeup is so much, it is all I can look at. Will the driver be in equally impressive makeup?
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0005
That was quick! She barely did any waiting. Not my experience of hitchhiking. But Nomi gets quick results: She wants something? She will get it fast. The heroin fully established in the first seconds.
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0004
Beautiful shot to begin with. Even better leather jacket. We follow her, the truck wiping the frame offers a reveal of the landscape and then the face of Nomi. Effective blocking that tells the story quickly. She is a woman on the move.
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0003
Here we go. This is going to be an analysis of possibilities, of choices, and this is the first creative choice right here: Showgirls, the title in plural. In a beautiful font. I wonder if that is about the different aspects contained in Nomi, the multiverse within.
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0002
As is the business, Showgirls announces itself first as an industrial object: MGM's spectacle, United Artists' authorship. Studios above characters, money over dream.
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0001
Before Las Vegas, before Nomi, before the stage, there is the lion. Every spectacle needs an entrance. Showgirls: A Shot per Day begins with a roar.
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