Why do some run of the mill movies contain an overture and intermission? Details below?
Someone mentioned to me that the movie, “Man From Snowy River” has an overture and an intermission. I know the older epics like “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Ben-Hur” had all that, but I never really considered MFSR to be an epic. Any movie experts who can clue us in?
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I’ve never seen it on any other movie.
I believe the presence of an intermission is due to film length.
I think @SnipSnip is correct – the length determines it, like Fiddler on the Roof.
But the Man from Snowy River isn’t that long. And why the Overture?
Got to give the ladies (and some men) time for one last trip to the bathroom, or to give those already in the bathroom time to finish up and see the start of the movie. Also to give those same people time to hit the bathroom in the middle of the picture.
Sounds like it was a made-for-the-drive in movie.
An intermission gives the audience a chance to use the bathroom, have a cigarette, or buy popcorn.
The last movie I saw with an intermission was The Hateful Eight.
Gone With The Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World all had them.
People need to pee.
Also: in the old days before digital transmission of films, when they had real films going through real projectors, the projectionist had to use the projector(s) to rewind the reel for the next showing.
It’s the only movie I’ve ever seen it on.
2001: A Space Odyssey also had an intermission. It even appears on the DVD.
What is the difference between the overture in this movie and the movie theme music that plays behind the opening credits of any movie?
The Overture was a musical interlude or scene setting methodology to prepare you for disconnecting from life and setting the stage for watching the content of the film.
An Intermission is just a break. The use of either have changed overtime in the Industry.
Here is some good reading about the Movie Overture
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