Precious Images (1986) Reviews

• Moved Me To Tears

  domino10032004-10-01

  I first saw this at the Kabuki when I was working there and watching this just pulled me in. The right kind of music covered the various sections (The main title theme of "Psycho" plays over clips of horror and suspense films). Almost 5 yrs. later, I saw it again, and cried a bit on it. It was just as beautiful then as it was 5 yrs before. I wished that I could get a copy of this! This mini history of the films of Hollywood won a richly deserved Oscar. Where else can you see a short in which it gives you the history of the cinema, from the early, silent beginnings to the the color musical and classic eras to the modern (For 1986, anyway)cinema. Wonderful! If you are fortunate, you gotta catch this!

• A mesmerising and unforgettable tribute to the power of cinema

  ackstasis2008-04-06

  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.

• An Absolute Beauty

  skin_job2006-06-16

  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.

• 1996 version

  Dave Yost2006-12-27

  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?

• Very moving. Impossible to look away.

  geohaber2000-08-13

  The cinema where I usually see movies has a large lobby with a screen that shows "Precious Images" regularly in addition to previews of upcoming movies. I've watched this film a dozen times and it is always fascinating. Does anyone know if there is a list of all the movies, (preferably in order), that the clips were taken from?