There are many things that we associate with the silver screen, but glamour is perhaps one of its biggest cornerstones. The beauty of a high-class ballroom in a period drama, the lush hues of a casino in a Bond movie, the elegance of a crystal-cut chandelier in a celebrity-focused flick: all these and more light up the world of the movie with something that nobody ever gets tired of. Glamour.
There’s little doubt that the films we love simply wouldn’t be the same if we removed the velvets and sateens, the plushy cushions, the gleaming wooden floors, the rich furnishings. But what are the most commonly pictured scenes for the movie makers to turn to when they really want to ratchet up the drama, leaving audiences everywhere spellbound?
The Flawless Casino
This is maybe one of the most go-to options for movie makers everywhere. A casino. The very word hums with drama and intrigue; the stakes are sky-high; the players are dressed to their very best. There’s something about those dimly-lit, whisper-filled moments that take place in the casino that just hum with glamour and excitement for the audience.
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And at the center of all that is one game that pretty much anyone, anywhere, can name. Poker. Poker has become the centerpiece of so many cinematic masterpieces, perhaps in part because it reflects humans’ fascination with psychology and bluff, tapping into our desire to understand how the mind works. The hero will almost always brilliantly outwit their opponent, but only after tense, thrilling moments of watching their every movement, and staring at their own cards in intense thought. Body language is everything in these physical games.
And perhaps part of the reason that this appeals so much is that the casino offers one of the few truly relatable glamour moments seen in films. We can all get up and go to a casino, or visit one online, for the same thrilling feeling. We can all join a poker match and test our skills against the other players. Lots of people will play online poker tournaments in their free time, making this a scene in which we can see ourselves. A tense in-person poker tournament on the screen mirrors much of what excites and fascinates us in this world, providing endless engagement for movie-goers everywhere.
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There’s also the fun of trying to guess what you would do in the given circumstances, something many poker players love. That enthusiasm has led to lots of interesting challenges going on over the years, as poker players involve others in their relationships with the game.
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The Ballroom’s Elegance
Fans of period dramas will know this one well, and really, can much compete with the glamour of our opulent ancestors? Take something like Pride and Prejudice, complete with a multitude of balls, and you’ll see what we mean. Kitted out in the finest dresses and most elegant suits, the inhabitants of this world sweep around the room in perfect synchronicity, but it’s the setting itself that really provides the tone.
A ballroom setting is, by its very nature, glamorous in the extreme. Designed to impress visitors and provide the creme-de-la-creme of society with a space in which to socialize, these rooms are often showcases of wealth. Chandeliers, candelabras, magnificent fireplaces, marble floors, gold leaf detailing – they have it all. In the movies, their objective is simple: take the viewer’s breath away.
And they again serve a very important secondary purpose, that of creating as much drama as possible. In these rooms, the stakes are all elevated. Very often, their job is to sharpen a romance between two characters, but they can also be scenes of intrigue, or the backdrop to moments of self-discovery. A character finding out who they are is ten times more dramatic when you surround them with such elegance.
Luxury Liner’s Beauty
Cruises might be one of the most high-end options out there, and films frequently make use of this setting to add a little sparkle to their scenes. Titanic may not be a recent movie, but it’s probably the first oceanic option that springs to mind for a lot of us, and wow, it’s a good demonstration of just how effective this can be when done well.
Think of those clean white suites, the gorgeous sweeping staircase, and the mystique that followed all the first-class guests around, even in crisis. This film unquestionably holds up to a rewatch, with its soulful music and the incredible performances of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio weaving true magic against that beautiful backdrop. What better way to make the class issues shine than with such a glamorous setting – and how impactful the following twist into disaster felt when compared with that delicate, elegant world on board.
Plenty of other movies have dived into this setup for the same reasons, and luxury cruises unquestionably offer all the thrill and excitement, with plenty of plot drama as a result of being cut off from the rest of the world, surrounded by the perils of a potentially unforgiving ocean. No wonder we see this setting used so enthusiastically!