Precious Images

If you were to ask me for the reason why I love cinema so much, it would be difficult to formulate a coherent response. The film medium has the capacity to incite an entire spectrum of indescribable emotions – of joy, of sadness, of fear, of exhilaration – and only a fellow film buff could possibly identify with the awe that accompanies each viewing of '2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)' or the unending delight that is 'Singin' in the Rain (1952).' For one hundred years, American cinema has provided an extraordinary abundance of unforgettable moments, permanently imprinted in our collective memories; never to be forgotten until the day that we die. In 1986, as a tribute to almost a century of film-making, Chuck Workman compiled an eight-minute montage of cinema's most treasured images, definitively tracing almost every notable American motion picture from 'The Great Train Robbery (1903)' to 'A Passage to India (1984).'

The version of 'Precious Images' that I watched, for which IMDb does not have a separate entry, was a 1996 update – "presented to the audiences of America" in honour of the 100th anniversary of film – and it includes extra snippets from such films as 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988),' 'Schindler's List (1993)' and 'Forrest Gump (1994).' All in all, images from more than four hundred films are spliced into the montage, much too many to identify in one go, and so each repeat viewing unveils a dozen more precious memories that you hadn't noticed before. Rather than being a random assortment of images, the film unfolds in various stages, the background music setting a theme to which the film choices must adhere – for example, Gene Kelly's recital of "Singin' in the Rain" is the cue for various classic musicals, and Bernard Herrmann's main theme for 'Psycho (1960)' unleashes a sudden stream of murder and mayhem.

I suppose that only a film buff could properly appreciate the brilliance of 'Precious Images (1986).' Taken as an ordinary montage of related images, there is little that would evoke any genuine emotional response. However, every movie moment that we recognise brings forth a flood of unforgettable memories, almost-forgotten emotions; the magic of the film is momentarily resurrected for us to enjoy once again. At one point in the compilation, Workman switches clips at a rate of several a second, each actor's face flickering in our irises for only an indistinguishable instant, and, on more than one occasion, the associated emotions become almost overwhelming. The film unusually, but not undeservedly, won the 1987 Oscar for Best Short Film, Live Action, and one can only speculate on how many hours must have been dedicated to the production of the montage; not just the physical editing, but also the rights acquisition for each film. 'Precious Images' remains an indelible treasure for all fans of cinema.

I know my opinion would be vehemently refuted if read by the 'die-hard' film buffs, but let me tell you all one thing: I love films as much as you all do.

I remember how mesmerized I was by the effervescence and liveliness of 'Singin in the Rain', moved to tears by the melancholy in 'Sophie's Choice' and 'Kramer vs Kramer', moved and enchanted by the grandiose of 'Gone with the Wind', entertained by 'Beverley Hills Cop', impressed (during subsequent viewings) by 'Psycho', transfixed with amazement by Robert Deniro's performance in 'Taxi Driver', amused by the double role in 'Tootsie', excited by Harrison Ford's electric 'Indiana Jones' series, shocked by 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'Carrie' and umimpressed by the overrated 'Rocky', 'Poltergeist' and 'E.T'. Also, I feel the montage shown with appropriate music in the background is a nice tribute. But it does not require an 'Oscar' to prove that its the best, it can be played on the television for everyone to remember their favorite films.

I believe that by honoring this material with an Oscar, one does not award an original film, which I feel rightfully deserves the awards as Oscars should award originality and that's the point of this montage itself. My rating of this tribute: 6/10

I first saw this incredible short film on the 1986 Oscar broadcast, then again on a local PBS station. I can't think of another short film that delivers more emotional impact and sheer greatness than this one does. Chuck Workman did an excellent job not only finding the best clips from the greatest movies of all time, but then putting them together with the perfect music. A fitting tribute to the power that images and sound have to move and affect the viewer. I was lucky enough to tape this film by accident when it was tacked onto the tail end of another show being shown on PBS. Now I treasure it as one of my prized possessions. It's an absolute beauty for anyone as passionate about the movies as I am.

Classic Arts Showcase, a feed of short videos available on many cable channels played the 1996 version of this today. It's fantastic. What a dizzying quiz on all the classic films you've seen!

It's a sequence of hundreds of clips anywhere from 3 seconds down to about 1/4 second, played over a sequence of soundtrack excerpts. All clips are silent except for a few choice ones that have sound.

The subtitle page says, "Presented to the audiences of America in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Film by the Directors Guild of America and your local theatre".

There should be a page for the 19996 version, too.

Has it ever appeared on a DVD or laserdisc?

Nothing reduces the impact of a great scene like splicing it with a zillion other ones. Most of the clips employed here are from American movies, which is annoying (especially when the filmmaker attempts to pad it down once he reaches the 1980s - are "Risky Business" and "Rocky IV" really on par with "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Rear Window"? Furthermore, the choice of music, while sometimes sly - going from the Clockwork Orange version of the William Tell Overture (for clips from action movies) to the original Gene Kelly version of "Singing In The Rain" (for feel-good clips from musicals) - is often unimaginative. I suppose I'm objecting more to the concept, however, than this particular product, as I've been similarly disgusted with similar shorts shown in conjunction with the AFI and Oscars etc. It just feels like a pasteurization.