MovieChat Forums > Absolute Power (1997) Discussion > President dances with Head Secretary sce...

President dances with Head Secretary scene.

posted 17 years ago by giynn
12 replies | jump to latest

God, the director must've been feeling experimental. What a surreal scene. The awkwardness and everyone watching them dance. Why not just talk with her privately? Suuuurreal.

[–] c-huddleston 17 years ago

WELL DONE!

You've actually seen the point of the scene. It was meant to be surreal. And it gave the President a real buzz - the ability to threaten someone without appearing to, knowing that she has to "behave appropriately" whilst (ultimately) trying to save her skin.

[–] moosefeathers 15 years ago

loved how he was squeezing her hand and forcibly spinning and dipping her. and she is a good actress too, both pulled that scene off good.

[–] kennellygerard 11 years ago

Hackman murders a woman
and tries to let somebody else take the blame

sounds like,, NO WAY OUT

[–] goleafsgo27 10 years ago

FWIW, in this film, Hackman did not kill the woman, his Secret Service agents shot her.

I have seen enough to know I have seen too much. -- ALOTO

[–] Stratego (30510) 5 months ago

Surreal doesn't work if the rest of tge movie has a different tone. It was comical and ridiculous.

[–] AnotherSchmoe 15 years ago

I think that was the whole point. The president and her are sitting there discussing a murder in plain sight of everyone while they dance, while the room just sits and smiles at them. It's meant to be surreal and to show how screwed up these people are and how they think they can get away with, quite literally, murder.

[–] montrossboc-1 9 years ago

Politicians planning murders and having people carry them out. Who could believe anything like that?

Short Cut, Draw Blood

[–] dawnmuse79 10 years ago

Gloria was not the HEAD SECRETARY ........ she was his CHIEF OF STAFF! Did you miss that dialogue? Big difference!

[–] lynnrnsd 10 years ago

ThAnk you! I was waiting for someone to point that out.Is it just because she was a woman, she had to be a secretary? Get with the program, people!

[–] Stratego 9 years ago

OP, it doesn't seem the other posters understand what you're saying, but I think I do. Yes, it was surreal and not in a good way. That scene almost seemed to be from a comedy. The way the actors acted and their expressions were too comedic and over-the-top. They just looked ridiculous talking that loudly with those weird smiles on their faces while Hackman kept dipping and twirling Davis. Eeverybody would notice something was up. Way too absurd.

[–] Boromir (10009) 13 days ago

Spot on Stratego. As you mentioned, the scene doesn't match the general atmosphere of the film. The scene being over-the-top and the lack of caution from both of them are the most ridicules parts in the scene.

The entire scene is steeped in absurdity and, to some extent, is chilling for an outsider observing it. Anyone watching them—which is practically everyone—can easily sense that something is off. It's not just the surreal image of the President of the United States dancing with the Chief of Staff; someone could have overheard their conversation. Dozens of people were near both of them.

Adding to the implausibility is the fact that someone at the event might have taken a photo or video of them. From such footage, their words could be deciphered through lip-reading, potentially using their conversation as evidence to implicate both in the murder

[–] 9 years ago

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