The Lover Opium Scene 2

	Duration: 01:29 minutes Upload Time: 07-02-04 17:28:07 User: OpiumMuseum :::: Favorites :::: Top Videos of Day
Description: Please visit http://www.OpiumMuseum.com/ This is the second of two opium smoking scenes from the French film The Lover (1992). In this scene Tony Leung's character has taken to smoking opium in order to deaden the heartbreak that he feels at having to go through with a marriage arranged by his father, as well as having to give up his young French girlfriend (played by Jane March), who will soon be leaving Saigon for France. As with the first opium smoking scene in this movie, this one is also very well done. An opening shot features a close-up of the opium pipe and lamp while Tony Leung (or most likely a stand in) "cooks" a wad of opium over the lamp and then rolls it against the surface of the pipe-bowl using an opium needle. This step in the tricky ritual of opium smoking was actually the most important -- and the easiest to botch. If the opium was overcooked it could become brittle and lose its elasticity, making it impossible to stick upon the pipe-bowl. Traditionally this "rolling of the pill" as the cooking process was called, was done while the smoker was lying on his side, and it looks rather amateurish that Tony Leung's character performs the process while sitting up. Then again, we understand from the storyline that he is new to opium smoking, and so his awkward position while cooking the opium over the lamp is believable. Once the pipe is prepared, the character lies on his side, using a porcelain "pillow" to prop his head into position, enabling him to guide the pipe-bowl over the opium lamp in order to vaporize the opium and inhale the fumes. The pipe used in this scene is an authentic antique featuring a bamboo stem and what looks to be an enameled silver "saddle" (the metal fitting by which the ceramic pipe-bowl was attached to the bamboo pipe stem). The opium lamp is a type used for travel, and was equipped with a threaded cover to protect the lamp and especially the glass chimney during travel or storage. The faceted glass chimney is original to this lamp and is quite rare. Not surprisingly, nowadays it is unusual to find an antique opium lamp sporting its original glass chimney. The gloominess of the scene rather obscures the rest of the layout, but there appears to be an oil container of brass or paktong (a nickel-like alloy) on the tray next to the lamp. In tropical countries such as Vietnam, coconut oil was used to fuel opium lamps. For those interested in learning more about antique Chinese opium-smoking paraphernalia and lore, please inquire at the website for Silkworm Books. The publisher has just released a photograph-driven art book entitled The Art of Opium Antiques, by Steven Martin. www.opiummuseum.com
Comments
stevechasmar ::: Favorites Yes, you can get it on Amazon. It is an excellent film -- much, more realsitic than the movie "Indochine" which came out the same year. 07-09-01 04:54:23 __________________________________________________
Mascara78 ::: Favorites Opium is so good. 07-07-18 22:03:42 __________________________________________________
tysonfanatic ::: Favorites where can i get this Opium? 07-06-20 06:50:50 __________________________________________________
squallleonhart17 ::: Favorites where can i get this movie? 07-04-30 23:29:22 __________________________________________________
JANEBETO ::: Favorites I have it, its my favorite, worth watching over and over, maybe in amazon you can find it 07-07-31 21:07:40 __________________________________________________