Breakfast at Tiffany's

Now, I'm not just another college girl who plasters her walls with Audrey Hepburn posters just because (though I do have one). I'm actually a true fan of the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. I probably watch it at least once a month, it's one of those movies that no matter how many times I watch it, something about it just hits me right every time.

I think this has to do with director Blake Edwards's attention to detail. In almost every scene, there is so much going on, and so much to look at. A perfect example of this is the party scene.

While the scene is a little ridiculous, it also holds true with real parties. You can wander from group to group and there is always something different going on in each one. In most movies with party scenes all you get is a few shots of people drinking and dancing. Blake Edwards actually shows you the party and what's going on, and not just with the main characters. It makes you feel like you're actually there.

There are so many things I love about this movie (the story, the sets, the costumes, and especially the characters), but since we talked about how important music is when considering your project I thought I'd talked about Breakfast at Tiffany's theme song, "Moon River".

"Moon River" was composed and written specifically for Breakfast at Tiffany's. Personally, I think it's one of the most romantic songs of all time. It's been covered by countless musicians and artists and used in TV and movies alike to help convey deeply romantic tones (Sex in the City, Gilmore Girls, Angels in America).

Funny thing is, Breakfast at Tiffany's is not really a romantic movie. Sure, Holly and Paul end up together in the end, but that's not how Truman Capote, the author of novella on which the movie was based on, intended the story to go. In fact, in the Breakfast at Tiffany's novella there is no romantic story line between Holly and Paul's characters at all. The more important story line is about how Holly is a naive-dreamer and where that takes her and Paul throughout the story.

Without the song "Moon River", I think Breakfast at Tiffany's would be a very different movie. The song opens the movie, and Holly sings it while sitting on her fire escape. I believe that it takes her character from just the naive-dreamer to also someone who is a romanic, and who dreams of love and companionship. It sets ups the love story for her and Paul which otherwise might seem unbelievable for Holly's character. The song is romantic, sad, and poignant, but also hopeful and uplifting. These are all of the things that Holly Golightly is, and have made her such an iconic character.