Had Only One Thing Happened Differently - David Fincher's THe Curious Case of Benjamin Button

In my previous journal entry, I discussed how the smallest thing I do somehow affect the things that happen to many different people whether I’m aware of that influence or not. As I was writing that part, I was reminded of a beautiful scene from the movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” directed by David Fincher and featuring brilliant performances from Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. In my opinion, this film had a few scenes which can be considered as gems, but they were not enough to hold the whole thing up and make the film work. Yes, some instances were memorable and astonishing, but for the most part, the plot became kind of dragging and boring.

In this scene, Benjamin (Pitt) takes the role of an omniscient narrator and tells how certain events led up to Daisy’s (Blanchett) broken leg. He also presents a “What if” situation which shows how the accident could’ve been prevented if even one of those small incidents have happened differently.

Aside from the impeccable cinematography and creativity of the scene, it also provides much room for thought. It shows how everything is a product of a chain reaction of things that have happened before it, and that it triggers another chain of its own. This can also be seen as how the actions of society affects what happens to the self and vice versa.

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