(c) Photofest / Getty Images
“Sideways” A masterpiece road movie that continues to be loved, gaining depth like aged wine.
2021.03.12
Why do we love wine? Famous lines that have become legends
Speaking of ``Sideways,'' it is impossible not to mention this line uttered by Virginia Madsen, who plays the heroine. This is a scene in which she talks about why she is attracted to wine, with a serious look and full of passion.
“Wine is a living thing. I think about the year along with the growth of the grapes. Did the sun shine? How was the rain? I think about the people who picked the grapes. If the wine is old, those people are no longer around. No. I always hope for wine to grow. The wine you open today will taste different from the one you opened on another day. Every wine is alive. It ages and becomes more complex with each passing day. Until the day it reaches its peak, just like your 61-year-old wine.Then, after the peak, the wine slowly begins to go downhill.That kind of taste is also hard to throw away.''(*1)
With this line, the main character, Miles, becomes captivated by her, and we are also immediately captivated by her. It can be said that this is the highlight of this work. This crucial line is actually not in the original story, but is an original only for the movie version, in which Director Payne, who wrote the screenplay, frankly wrote about his feelings about wine.
“Sideways” (c) Photofest / Getty Images
What makes this line so great is that it applies not only to wine, but to a wide range of things in the world. People and things are constantly changing. As for Miles and Jack, by the end of the two-hour film journey, their personalities have matured somewhat, giving them more flavor and flavor as people. Even if they are past their peak physically and mentally, they will never lose their charm. There must be a ``special flavor'' that can only be developed through such time.
In turn, I also thought about the movie ``Sideways'' itself.
The first time I watched it was in my 20s. At the time, I was hoping that someday, when I was in my mid-40s like Miles, I would be old enough to drink wine like them. Nearly 20 years have passed since then, and while I'm shocked that my condition hasn't changed much, I also now feel that all movies are just like wine. In other words, the taste changes depending on the time.
When you think about it, the DVD shelves at home, the display shelves at rental stores, and the list of movies on movie distribution sites are like a wine cellar. Isn't it a treasure trove of aged wine?
Perhaps ``Sideways'' is fun to watch in your 20s, but if you watch it in your 40s, it's more haunting and mellow. It seems that for me, this movie is now at the perfect time to enjoy it.
*1: Excerpt from the “Sideways” DVD. Subtitle translation: Yukiko Furuta
<Reference article URL>
http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/01/14/alexander_payne_sideways_interview.shtml
http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/interview-with-author-rex-pickett-up-down-and-sideways.html
https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/interview-alexander-payne-44298/
Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU
Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.
(c) Photofest / Getty Images
Follow official SNS
