Mantras in the catchphrases: Words to live by.
I thought I’d take a bit of time to write about some of my favorite movie mantras. I’m talking “mantras” in the loosest sense of the word, basically just any phrase that the central character repeats more than once that shows some insight into how they live their life. The three examples I’d like to look at are taken from the films of John Ford, John Houston and Robert Altman, easily three of the greatest American directors. In the following brief discussion it is important to remember that these examples are not just gimmicks or catchphrases, they embody the true nature of the characters that utter them.