Pietà

Does anyone else just love, love, love this movie for the Pietà scene? I was taking an Art Appreciation class when I first saw Topaz, and one of my "identifications" for the class was Michelangelo's Pietà sculpture, Italian for pity, and when I saw the torture scene it somehow made it much more relevant and moving for me. Of course I also love the gorgeous purple dress scene, and the love scenes between Andre and Juanita, and the opening shot is great too, but I love the Pietà, especially the zoom in as the poor woman painfully whispers in the ear of her torturer. I went into this movie expecting not to like it, which usually makes the movie even worse, but in spite of the negative reviews, I really enjoyed it. Yes it was long and the plot was not very succinct, but I found it deliciously indulgent! This really is a highly under-appreciated Hitchcock gem!

How could I have known that murder can sometimes smell like honeysuckle?