Movie title?

[tbb113]

When I was in HS, we saw a short film about a condemned man that was going to be hung at a river. It appears that the man escapes when his body is dropped into the river (you see him removing the noose, swimming away, etc) but at the very end you discover it was his imagination and he really does die. I think it was a foreign film and I don't remember any dialogue other than subtitles.

Anybody know what this movie is called?

[elnant]

It's called "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."

[funniegrrl]

AND ... it was a book before it was a movie.

AND ... if you are a LOST fan, it was referenced in a recent episode, Locke was seen looking at a copy of the book. In LOST, everything means something, no reference is gratuitious.

[tbb113]

Thank you. I'll have to see if it is available somewhere for rent. I think my son would like it :)

[mbrogier]

The book was by Ambrose Bierce, a late 19th century American writer.

[tbb113]

The library has the book...netflix has the movie and my friend is a netflix member. Might need to see if she will get me the movie :)

[Canice]

Oh, I remember seeing that in what, freshman year? Funny these little things that live on in the nooks and crannies of our cranies!

Ambrose Bierce was a famed San Francisco writer - yet I had no idea he'd written that. Here's one of my favorites from his "Devil's Dictionary"

APOLOGIZE, v. i. To lay the foundation for a future offence.

[Dfen911]

:eek:

That's it... :eek: is my reponse. Sitting here with jaw opened thinking Oh my god these people knew this! And then to hear the referene to it in Lost :eek: I don't remember hearing this book mentioned in Lost wow FunnieGrrl.

You all are just a plethora of information!

[beacooker]

In LOST, everything means something, no reference is gratuitious.

Do you really know that? Cuz I'm starting to think they are just messing with us. I'm still wondering about Sawyer reading a screenplay called 'Bad Twin' though.

[Kristal]

I never saw the movie, but I remember the book was required reading in high school. I'd be interested in watching the film.

[colleency]

It was a very good short film. Don't give away the ending to your son, though!

[tbb113]

Too late...I already did when describing it to my parents to see if it rang a bell with them :o

[funniegrrl]

Do you really know that? Cuz I'm starting to think they are just messing with us. I'm still wondering about Sawyer reading a screenplay called 'Bad Twin' though.

I think they've got a hard row to hoe to tie everything together -- they've certainly packed a lot in. But, yes, I think the references have some sort of meaning. Perhaps they're not as deep as all that in all cases, some may just be passing references rather than significant plot points. But, having read a lot of interviews, etc. with the writers and producers, I'm fairly convinced that they are thoughtful and deliberate with these touches.

For example, early on, Sawyer was reading a copy of Watership Down. That's turned out to be QUITE relevant, don't you think? And I believe we haven't even seen all there is to see in that reference.

[Gilgamesh37]

My best girlfriend teaches middle school history and uses this movie in her course (right now I can't remember what unit, civil war, maybe?) Each year she would scramble to find a copy at a local library or video store, so I finally just bought it for her.

The one I keep waiting for them to release is the adaptation of Conrad Aiken's Secret Snow Silent Snow that was part of the 2nd season of Night Gallery. I vividly remember watching these two films as a double feature in either middle school or maybe even late grade school--freaked me out, but very effective since I'm now 43 and still remember it!