I’ve loved Michael Caine ever since I saw him in the film Deathtrap when I was a kid. He is known not only as a wonderful actor, but also as a very compassiontate teacher, especially for the young artist. This quote, while about editing as it relates to filmmaking and acting, illistrates very clearly a problem many people seem to have in their spiritual pursuits:
There’s a story about George Cukor (a director) who was relentless about getting it right, and Jack Lemmon. Jack had come to Hollywood from the Broadway theater and George was directing him in his first film role.
Jack kept doing a scene, and George kept saying, “Cut. Less, Jack, Less.” And Jack would do it again.
George: ”Cut. Less, Jack, Less.”
And Jack would do it again.
George: ”Cut. Less, Jack, Less.”
Jack finally said, “If I do any less, I’ll be doing nothing.”
George: “Now you’ve got it!”
We must remember in this journey that WE are not so necessary.
************
Bonus Quote
The film Deathtrap has a now famous scene where Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve kiss one another. It amazed me because the kiss was very real; the kiss of lovers, with nothing fake about it. At the time when I first saw it, I wondered how they pulled it off so incredibly well. Here, Michael answers this question:
When I did Deathtrap, there was a scene in which I had to kiss Christopher Reeve. He’s bigger than I am and, quite honestly, I’d never kissed another man, other than my Dad. Cranking myself up for the task was murderously hard. To an extent, joking still helped: I said to Chris, “If you open your mouth, I’ll kill you.”
I’m afraid Chris and I overcame this problem not with technique or any emotion, but with a bottle of brandy between us.
This quote has nothing to do with Awakening, necessarily; I just love old show-biz talk.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
(laughs) It’s curious how the message shows up everywhere. But then not so much if you realize that which is infuses all things…
That is right, and it is everywhere if we stop to take a look. The greatest of artists completely lose themselves in the act of creation…their lives in general, might be a train wreck, but when they are creating, all of that is absent.
Yes, the artistic process mirrors awakening in some ways. If one can fully allow the process, the me is absent.
One cannot tell from life circumstances how well they can loose themselves. Being together or a train wreck does not determine seeing or letting go.
That is right.
People talk about flow, grace, the zone, played by the music and so on, and this is where an artist, athlete, musician, scientist or anyone, has been able to absent the me for a particular activity. When we can absent the me for just being–that is awakening. It’s flow. As you point out it shows up, not surprisingly, everywhere.
Yes. Even the smallest river is still wet.
(laughs) perfect.