Feets
Six years ago I wrote a short piece about a very touchy anatomical subject for my Reel.com column. I happened to come across it again today. It struck me as a very odd thing, and yet truthful. This is a slow news day so I'm re-posting with add-ons and modifications. The subject is why feet are almost never given close-ups in movies.
"Has anyone every wondered why directors and their cinematographers almost never include close-ups of actors' feet in movies? Because 90% of human feet are strange and alienating, is why. But it goes farther than that. For me, bare feet are a contemporary pestilence that no culture since the sandal-wearing Greeks and Romans has had to deal with. Once upon a time sandled feet were a subject for light mockery, something that only eccentric beatniks went for. Exposed digits have been ubiquitous, of course, in warm weather months since the mid '60s. I for one regret it.
"Nobody talks about it, but everyone understands. In real life all but the most unusually perfect feet are good for a glance at best, and should rarely be contemplated further. This goes double for the movies. Hands, kneecaps, ear lobes, fingers, noses, biceps, chest hair (or lack of) -- these and others anatomical features are routinely displayed in films. But never feet.
"Well, almost never.
"There's a close-up of Michael Keaton and Geena Davis' bare feet soaking in a fountain in Ron Underwood's relationship comedy Speechless (1994). An argument could be advanced that this insert shot was one of the reasons it bombed. I remember recoiling in my theater seat after glancing at those gleaming, well-pedicured nubs and deciding I would give Speechless a failing grade.
"The only tolerable close-up of feet I can recall happens about a half hour into Nicholas Ray's King of Kings (1961). Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus Christ is walking in the desert and looking for spiritual purification, and at one point the camera cuts to a shot of his bleeding feet stepping on sand and cactus thorns and sharp stones. Hunter's feet (or maybe Ray used a foot double?) looked good to me -- lean, tanned, athletic, perfect pedicure.
"Having bad feet can really mess with the aura that an attractive or extra-talented movie star has carefully built up. One definition of bad feet are feet with extra-long European-styled toes. New York writer Pete Hamill once described the toes belonging to Nastassja Kinski's for an interview he did with her in the early '80s as 'bad toes.' So I'm not the first one to bring this up.
"The following actors, in my opinion, have either unappealing feet or bad toes: Meg Ryan (too long and bony), Terence Stamp (I noticed his bulbous toes after catching a restored print of Pasolini's Teorema), Debra Winger (too-long toes) , Diane Keaton (ditto), and British actor Robert Newton. I distinctly remember not being pleased when Sam Mendes showed us the balls of Kevin Spacey's naked feet in a scene in American Beauty.
"The list is short for the simple reason that most directors are careful not to give audiences even a glimpse of these bare appendages.
"Bad feet can even mess up a stage performance. I remember cooling on British actor Stephen Dillane's performance in a Broadway revival of Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing because he was shoeless throughout most of the play, and because his toes were knobby and protruding.
"Is it allowable to acknowledge how unfortunate it is these days that virtually every American woman walks around these days in open-toed shoes or sandals, and that a good 70% should probably consider alternatives? I've seen some women's feet that are drop-dead beautiful, but these are the exception. Most of the female feet I see are so-so or okay, at best. Some are close to dreadful. Most men over the age of 35 or 40 should just forget about going barefoot or wearing sandals, period.
"Every time I see a friend or acquaintance approach on a street or in a mall and I notice they're wearing sandals, a little part of me dies inside. Or at the very least grims up and prepares."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 20, 2008 at 3:09 PM
comment #1
huntermdaniels
says ...
No reference to Tarantino, the foot fetishist?
Posted by huntermdaniels
at October 20, 2008 3:46 PM
comment #2
cinecatastrophe
says ...
If I were to think of close-ups of feet in movies, I would start with the opening credit sequence from Lolita.
Posted by cinecatastrophe
at October 20, 2008 3:47 PM
comment #3
lazarus
says ...
Yeah, between Bridget Fonda's in Jackie Brown, Uma's in Kill Bill and the various ladies of Death Proof, I'm surprised he didn't garner a mention. He sure shoots them well.
Posted by lazarus
at October 20, 2008 3:48 PM
comment #4
Nick Rogers
says ...
The close-up of Bruce Willis's (or whomever's) feet in "Die Hard" when he removes the slivers of glass is easily one of the best scenes in that film, reinforcing the real-world aspect of severe pain inflicted on McClain. From there, things get particularly bad for him in that movie.
Posted by Nick Rogers
at October 20, 2008 4:04 PM
comment #5
Nick Rogers
says ...
Sorry. McClane. I'm not a GOP troll, I swear.
Posted by Nick Rogers
at October 20, 2008 4:04 PM
comment #6
Monument
says ...
I've lived most of my life in a beach town, sandals are de rigueur and can be acceptably worn just about anywhere.
Posted by Monument
at October 20, 2008 4:10 PM
comment #7
frankbooth
says ...
I remember this posting.
I've been coming here a long time, God help me.
Posted by frankbooth
at October 20, 2008 4:11 PM
comment #8
YND
says ...
Wow. Sorry, Jeff -- the idea that Stephen Dillane's bare feet were enough to "cool" you on his performance in THE REAL THING... I mean, that really is about the shallowest criterion for assessing art that I can think of. I mean, you know all those low-thread-count wearin' Bubbas to whom you're constantly assigning the role of "Other"? Even THEY probably have a higher set of critical standards than "can you see their feet?".
It's one thing to own up to something like this with shame-faced honesty, but you seem to proudly owning this deeply personal reaction AND ascribing it to the world at large. To me it seems no less ridiculous than someone saying they can't watch a movie that features people of a certain ethnic background or with a certain regional dialect. Actually, now that I think about it, it seems more ridiculous to me than that.
Personally, I thought Dillane's performance in THE REAL THING to be the best thing I've ever seen on stage. I saw it 3 times, could quote sections from the text... but would never have remembered he didn't wear shoes. I feel bad that such a tiny, idiosyncratic pet peeve could deprive you of a profound experience in the theater or at the movies or in life. This is exactly why there are therapists, my friend.
Posted by YND
at October 20, 2008 4:15 PM
comment #9
T. S. Idiot
says ...
I haven't seen anyone mention it, but I assume the shot of what are supposed to be Claire Danes' ugly feet in Burn After Reading to be a nod to QT's fetish. Has QT ever addressed this matter?
As I have mentioned numerous times, while I frequently disagree with Wells' positions, I agree 100% with his foot aversion. Give me a politician who promises to ban public displays of feeet, and he has my vote, regardless of party.
Posted by T. S. Idiot
at October 20, 2008 4:25 PM
comment #10
BurmaShave
says ...
Clare Danes? BURN AFTER READING?
Posted by BurmaShave
at October 20, 2008 4:30 PM
comment #11
Pinko Punko
says ...
Jeff's foot thing so dominates my psyche that I thought for sure he had included Jimmy Stewart's/Kim Novak's footsie from Bell, Book, and Candle in that historic foot rant from way back. I couldn't find it on the internet, and now it resurfaces I see that he didn't. But now when I watch movies I can't see feet and not think of JW!
Posted by Pinko Punko
at October 20, 2008 4:46 PM
comment #12
MAGGA
says ...
I actually have a bit of a thing for feet (buries head in arms, turns beet red and awaits verbal assault from host).
Posted by MAGGA
at October 20, 2008 4:52 PM
comment #13
nemo
says ...
You. Are. Weird.
You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.
Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish.
Posted by nemo
at October 20, 2008 4:58 PM
comment #14
The Hoyk
says ...
Exploitation pioneer Doris Wishman always liked to feature close-ups of feet as well, though plenty of times they were in closed-toe shoes. I recall her rationale was that if you got a close look at how a character was standing - feet together, spread about, stiff, rocking on heels, etc - it was a good sign as to how the character was really feeling, sometimes in opposition to how they were acting. Granted, the problem with this argument is that most of Wishman's cast couldn't act, but you get the idea.
Posted by The Hoyk
at October 20, 2008 5:13 PM
comment #15
lipranzer
says ...
Jeff, you remind me of my late father. He felt the same way about woman showing their feet, and never liked my mom wearing sandals. A friend of my parents, knowing this (also, she and her husband were fond of kidding my dad and playing jokes on him), took a picture of my mom wearing her sandals, and the picture was from the thighs down. The funny thing is, the guy at the photo shop thought she had messed up and taken the picture wrong.
Posted by lipranzer
at October 20, 2008 6:17 PM
comment #16
frankbooth
says ...
So I take it you're not a fan of the short SMUSH?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0136536/
(I tried to find a link to the actual film, but you're sadly out of luck.)
Posted by frankbooth
at October 20, 2008 6:46 PM
comment #17
Kim Voynar
says ...
Six ... years ago? God, now I'm feeling old. Thanks, Jeff.
Posted by Kim Voynar
at October 20, 2008 7:25 PM
comment #18
huntermdaniels
says ...
Welles, as far as I'm concerned, you're an inconsiderate lover if you don't give your significant other a footrub semi-regularly.
Posted by huntermdaniels
at October 20, 2008 7:29 PM
comment #19
mizerock
says ...
Jeff clearly has a problem with feet - as revealed here at least a few times. Plenty of other people think that feet are "icky" too, though it is hardly universal.
Many countries consider it rude when you point with your finger or show them the bottom of your feet.
Posted by mizerock
at October 21, 2008 7:46 AM
comment #20
dinther
says ...
don't forget the effective closeups of Clive owen's feet in "children of men". it established an excellent sense of vulnerability for his character
Posted by dinther
at October 21, 2008 7:55 AM
comment #21
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comment #22
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