A couple days ago I mentioned using a line from A Knight's Tale for the title of my thesis. On Friday, I had dinner with the gang and ran the line past them. The consensus: they approve, but Jenny's still holding out for "Pieces of Birds" instead. Tough, Jenny. You didn't name the baby Gertrude, so I owe you nothing :)
Today I watched the movie again, because I wanted to make sure and get the line right before making any kind of announcement about it. So, here we go:
One scene in the movie involves the characters all circled around, writing a love letter to Heath Ledger's love interest. Mark Addy's character contributes, "The pieces of my broken heart are so small they could pass through the eye of a needle."
Later, this line pays off beautifully when Paul Bettany (a.k.a Chaucer), says "With all the pieces of my heart" which is what caught in my head the other day and wouldn't let go, except when it caught in my head the line was, "With all the pieces of my broken heart." That's why that first line is important, see?
In any event, the line is about an idea we talked about a lot in poetry classes with David - the idea of "adult grief." The short explanation of the idea is embracing the sorrow of life and holding it close because that's where real art/emotion comes from. We celebrate life because it's going to end, get it?
When Paul Bettany says the line in the movie it alludes to the love letter, expresses sorrow that things have turned out the way they have, and it's said as a wish for salvaging what can be salvaged.
In short, that line is love, sorrow, and a wish all rolled into a handful of words. Who could wish for a better title?
5 comments:
ME! Yegawds, I knew you'd pick that one. Could you be more cliche, even a little? Probably freaking not!
Sheeshers...
No, I disagree with myself. It's a good line and you make a good point.
I still knew it. Either I'm smart, or you're predictable. Or maybe I'm just smart and there's no or.
Have you ever listened to the soundtrack to the movie? There are a couple songs on it that aren't actually in the movie, and one if them is inspired by that line.
Some days it's better just to nod and grin...
Hope the title fits the thesis.
Awww, how about a compromise?
All the Pieces of Birds that Fit Through the Eye of a Needle.
It's a weird mosaic kinda thing. =)
But I need a clarification:
Are you calling it "All the Pieces" or "With All the Pieces of My Broken Heart" or some other variation of which I'm not reading your blog entry clear enough?
Whit: The fact that you guessed which line I was thinking of disturbs me. Nothing good can come of you being able to guess what I'm thinking. Nothing good at all... No, I haven't listened to the soundtrack, though I may look it up now.
John: Yeah, well, you've had a lot of practice with that, haven't you? :)
Jenny: I'm not sure on the exact permutation of the title yet - I go back and forth between versions. Currently I'm thinking "With All the Pieces," but there's a good chance it'll change by the time I'm done with the thesis. That it'll be some version of the movie line, though, is something that feels really solid.
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