by Chris Feil

“Shine bright like a diamond...”

I could (and have) go on ad nauseum about the cinematic relationship between music and the emotions of teenagers, how movies can embody and amplify the way music helps mold our sense of self in youth. But of all the recent films as keyed into this, none of them shatters the fourth wall for empathic purposes as Céline Sciamma’s coming-of-age tale Girlhood. Here she uses the already momentous track “Diamonds” by Rihanna to its own iconic end, embodying female togetherness and the spirit of youth that once made us all feel infinite.

It’s one of the most singular and ecstatic movie moments of the past decade, certainly an essential scene as people begin to reflect on the movie decade...