As roofing contractors, we’re understandably passionate about roofs. That’s why we think they deserve some recognition when it comes to marvellous cinema.
With that said, we’ve put together a list of three of our famous moments in cinematic history that involve iconic rooftop scenes. Read on below to see our selection.
1 | King Kong (1933)
Whether you’ve seen any version of this film or not, we’re sure that you can at least picture the iconic scene in which Kong, a giant gorilla (or sometimes referenced as a monster resembling as such), scales the Empire State Building after he escapes captivity whilst carrying Ann Darrow, an actress who was offered to him as a sacrifice, yet he instead became enamoured with.
Whilst at the top of the Empire State Building, Kong is attacked by four biplanes and manages to destroy one, but ultimately succumbs to the wounds their gunfire inflicted and falls to his death after gazing upon Ann Darrow one final time.
2 | The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
In this critically renowned film, there is a scene in which the film’s protagonist, Andy Dufresne, and a handful of other inmates are given the chore of tarring a roof using mops. During this moment, he overhears the guard captain complaining about being taxed on inheritance.
Being a banker before his imprisonment, Dufresne approaches the captain and offers him advice on how to legally keep the full amount of this money.
What makes this scene so powerful is the fact that the roof simultaneously represents a moment of freedom from the prison, being so high up in the open and without chains, whilst also representing danger, as is reinforced by the captain’s initial threat of pushing Dufresne over the edge – these contrasting representations are bridged by Defresne’s interaction with the captain, which, while there is still a sense of hierarchy, offers him a moment of human interaction similar to that he would’ve known when he was a free man.
3 | Mary Poppins (1964)
Moving on to a more lighthearted film, one of the most memorable scenes by far in Mary Poppins is when Bert, Jane, Michael and Mary Poppins herself go up the chimney and traverse the rooftops of London, before being treated to a musical performance by Bert and the other chimney sweeps that they meet up there.
The song comes with a comical yet impressive dance number, whereby the chimney sweeps run up and down the pitched roofs, jump across the roof windows of the houses below and even balance across the gaps between houses, much to the delight of the Banks children.
Local Roofers
Whilst we wouldn’t recommend recreating any of these film scenes on your own roof, we do recommend our services here at James Dunn Roofing, your local roofers in Oxford.
From pitched roofs to flat roofs and roof windows to building renovations, we’re the ones to call to meet your roofing needs.
For more information regarding our services, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.