Orchestral Version of Unchained Melody

Ghost, a 1990 mega-hit, had its peak with young and mature audiences.  The love story tells the story of a young couple:  Molly, an artist and Sam, a banker in the financial district.  Young movie-goers liked this movie.  The movie begins with Sam, Molly, and Carl who join together to tear down the wall at Sam and Molly's new apartment downtown that the couple plan on moving into.  The young Manhattanites move in together as their next step in their relationship; however, Sam's only problem, like most men, is in debt to express to Molly his feelings.  Molly often expresses hers.  She says she loves him and wants to marry him.  But Sam only says 'ditto,' holding back his words in expressing his feelings for her. 

The movie has won two Oscars —one for best screenplay and another for best supporting actress.  The disruption of their lives happens early on when audiences get a glimpse of Sam's friend and co-worker Carl—who is soon revealed to be . . . not his friend.  Stories usually have a disruption of the character's lives or routine.  Sam is murdered within less than 1 hour into the movie; thus the disruption happens early in this story line.  Sam, as a man, is dead.  But his spirit is not; his spirit lives on.  Ghost version of Sam stays on earth.  Sam remains in the physical world to witness Molly brood, mope, and grieve over his death.  

The disruption of their lives occurs as Carl illegally handles companies' financial accounts in which Sam catches onto.  Audience learns in the movie Carl was actually the one who hired the mugger who ended up shooting and murdering on the night Sam was out with Molly.  Carl was never his friend.  Carl reveals to be . . . a traitor who is untrustworthy.  Sam stays in the physical world until he solves the truth behind his murder, even enlisting the help of a psychic with a long record of petty misdemeanors.  Whoopie Goldberg gives a great comedic relief to Sam's story.

The final scene is intimate to the viewer.  Molly and Sam finally see each other.  Molly sees Sam as a ghost and hears him.  They glance at each other—their eyes gazing on each other—before Sam sets off heavenward.  

I like the orchestral version of Unchained Melody to the song sung by the Righteous Brothers.  The sound of long notes on the violins, the solo cello, emotes pathos than the song.  I wrote a poem to the final scene of the movie and the orchestral version of Unchained Melody that plays in the background.  The poem has also been influenced by the final scene of the movie and angels in the arts. 

In the above 15th century painting Adoration of the Magi by Gentile da Fabriano, golden halos are drawn in a circle around important figures.  Halos were drawn around the heads of angels in art works during the 15th century.


The sculpture above Cupid and the Psyche is a neoclassical work.  See the marbled statue at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The figures appear smaller in person.

Beam of light illuminates, emanates from light of my life,

A single, shining moonbeam looms like rush light,

Glowing halo cast in the embers of my beloved,

Currents of iridescent lights in a soul embodied,

My beloved laid his sheer lips to mine,

 

My beloved cast his seraphic eyes and light in his eyes,

His eyes sparkle, his lucent face illuminates bright,

At vestige of his afterlife befall his ascent; he’s destined,

Beam of light illuminates, emanates from light of my life,

  

Seraphic angel cast his eyes to mine,

Glint with glow, his silhouette glitters like translucent moonlight,

His spirit illumine, gazes with eyes who is a sweet-nature,

Before my beloved angel flits to heavenward,

Far away from here to Isles of Blessed that’s hyaline,

Beam of light illuminates, emanates from light of my life.