You can’t handle the truth

Here's an article I wrote for The Hans India - a reputed daily in Telangana.

Some one-liners are so popular we tend to use almost everyday in our lives. But ever wondered how they originated and gained prominence. Here are a few from a source you would have thought not possible. Yes, Hollywood! A number of aphorisms we use are taken from these movies. Take for instance, “There’s no place like home” how often have you used this phrase. Thousand times?! Million, perhaps?! Then you’ll be surprised to know that this is actually a dialogue from a renowned movie ‘Wizard of Oz’, a children’s flick which was greatly popular in the late nineteen thirties. The expression was so renowned; it became an essential part of English usage later on. Similarly, “Go ahead, make my day” – where did that come from? Every now and then these words ricochet in boardrooms of power, bounce off on parents at homes, or randomly thrown at people – in fact, this too has its beginnings in a movie called “Sudden Impact”. Owing to the movie’s immense fame - which Clint Eastwood not only directed but also acted in, the phrase assumed an unexpected popularity. Today, its usage is almost a part of our everyday lives.

Another equally engrossing line from the cinema fiefdom is: “I am going to make you an offer you can’t refuse”. This comes straight from the flick, “The God Father”, which is based on the renowned writer Mario Puzo’s book. In the movie, Don Corleone, the mafia don, uses this phrase often to settle disputes. Although there is always an underlying threat when he utters it, in the real usage, there’s no intimidation but a handsome offer.

Gaining significance in its usage is the phrase “You can’t handle the truth”. This line comes from ‘A Few Good Men’ in which Tom Cruise stars as an astute advocate. In the movie, Jack Nicholson, a high-ranking military official, when cornered in the court about a suspicious death in the barracks, angrily screams “You can’t Handle the Truth”. Its relevance being simple: Truth sometimes is hard to accept. The dialogue since then has become a rage, many authors have unabashedly added this phrase in their books and so have directors in their movies.

Frankly, I don’t give a damn” is another expression that has been long in usage and many of us have used it countless times. This comes from the classic cinema of yesteryears; ‘Gone with the Wind’. Clark Gable, who is the protagonist in the movie, uses it often. Initially, there was a lot of hue and cry against the dialogue since it was very uncommon then to use the word “Damn”.  But later, everyone came around to accepting it. Today, you find many frequently use the phrase: “I don’t give a damn”.

On parting let’s not forget the dialogue that has done its fair share of rounds - “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.". This is actually taken from the movie ‘Casablanca’, where Humphrey Bogart, who plays the role of Rick Blaine, utters this phrase. The line since them has become so popular that it stands as one of top dialogues from Hollywood movies.

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http://epaper.thehansindia.com/468461/SUNDAY-HANS/29-Mar-2015#page/8/2