Noir Style

Awww Gilda. My all-time favorite film and the very reason why I love film noir. Rita Hayworth is also my favorite actress; she is the very reason I became a redhead (like Rita, I'm a natural brunette). This performance in particular is also my favorite both as a dance/striptease routine and song. It never gets old for me. At the time of this film's release, this was a very risqué performance, but it defined Rita's status as a sex symbol.

Analysis:

Gilda was not necessarily a femme fatale in this film; she was more a woman scorned. I've always seen Johnny Farrell more as the male fatale who projected this onto Gilda. Hence the song choice, Put the Blame on Mame. While he is the one essentially making trouble in their relationship by his callous emotional abuse, she is the one punished for his misdeeds. So she willfully accepts this role, but in doing so, she will bring Johnny down with her. The performance is more about her embarrassing Johnny publicly. And on a deeper level, she is highlighting the fact that she is the fall guy for Johnny's problems. Later, when he slaps her, it's not necessarily because of her performance, it's because she made a mockery of him; a mockery that HE is responsible for.

During the Golden Age of Cinema, performance music was less a backdrop of a scene and more of an integral part of the film to pay close attention to as it was very revealing about characterization, theme and foreshadowing events. It advanced the story more than timed-out.

The first scene in The Killers has the Nighthawks vibe where we first observe the diner encounter from the outside just as in Hopper's painting. We then move inside to witness the interaction between service staff and customers. 

As we watch Nick run through the backlots to the Swede's apartment, we can see Lang's influence on some technical aspects of the shot. For example, the crane shot looking from an angle over Nick as he approaches the apartment. This mirrors the chase seen in M. At the Swede's apartment, the scene is nearly identical to Ministry of Fear. The only source of light comes from the hallway. The Swede's face remains covered much as Stephen's is before his release from the asylum. Both rooms are overtly dark to create the chiaroscuro and shadows. 

Nick escapes a chaotic event in the diner to a more quiet and reflective setting at the apartment.The overall mood seems to be one of serenity and/or acceptance of the Swede's fate as he is very ho-hum about his impending doom.

Many films noir have the gangster narrative especially when a heist is pending. We see similar structures in films such as Asphalt Jungle, Du Rififi Chez le Hommes, Kansas City Confidential, Reservoir Dogs, Heat that utilize the same visual appeal as in this film particularly with a diner.

Summer of Darkness: King Brothers Production

This week's spotlight was the films by King Brothers Production. It was a small company that made its start as a manufacturer of film projectors before moving on to producing films. Their films tended to be low budget b-movie. It scored a hit in 1945's Dillinger starring Laurence Tierney; a biopic about the life and crimes of John Dillinger. The brothers produced a string of films noir in the years following until the early 60s. TCM aired The Gangster, Gun Crazy, and Tomorrow is Another Day.

Of the three King Brothers Production films, the ones that struck me most were Gun Crazy and Tomorrow is Another Day. I noticed similar themes between the two films that I wonder if it's more of a social commentary and/or exploration of the crime/punishment of juveniles. Both protagonists committed crimes and the iron fist of justice came down on hard on each of them with zero regard for mitigating factors or the character witness testimonies to support the accused. Punishment seemed to be in the interest of justice more than rehabilitation of criminals. Call me a liberal (I'm a card carrying Green Party member), but I do believe people make mistakes and not everyone who serves time is a cold and callous criminal. (Of course I do believe for the most heinous of crimes, a just punishment is warranted. I just don't believe in a one size fits all approach.) What drove each protagonist in both films had more to do with an ethical ambiguity of the justice system more than the moral ambiguity of the protagonist. 

In Gun Crazy, Bart Tare truly has a moral conscious having learned of the consequences of shooting at a young age. He doesn't want to harm anyone; he just enjoys shooting non-living objects. Yes, he committed robbery (and from the context of the film, it sounds more like a shoplifting account) and he should pay a consequence, but his background, character and remorse for committing the crime should have been considered for a lighter sentence that would rehabilitate Bart. Instead, the judge imposes a harsher sentence and Bart thus grows up in the system without being taught the skills that lead a more productive life. It is no surprise, then, that his choice in a life partner is questionable. He can judge actions as right/wrong, but he can't judge people correctly. He is also easily influenced by his femme fatale wife because what kinds of influence did he have growing up in the system? If anything, the system made him worse by denying rehabilitation and forcing punishment. He can only survive by his wits with a psychopath murderess. The system created an emotionally conflicted individual that resulted in more robbery crimes and the loss of two innocent lives.

In Tomorrow is Another Day, Bill Clark has been released from an 18 year stint for patricide. The circumstances of the murder were never revealed, but at 13 years of age, perhaps he was abused or it could have been self-defense. Regardless, Bill Clark doesn't seem the morally ambiguous type. He truly wants to lead an honest life. If mitigating factors were considered, perhaps he could have served a shorter sentence in a juvenile facility (they actually sent him to an adult prison at 13!) than have his formative years stunted by 18 years banished from society. 

How Bill differs from Bart is that at least he learns a trade and can go out prepared to work. However, 18 years behind prison walls limits his ability to interact with society and/or judge a person carefully. His first interaction with a person seemed genuine but I was very skeptical from the onset as this is an example of "too good to be true". But how would Bill understand this? He's had no exposure to the outside world. Only later he finds out this man's motivation for befriending him; a journalist seeking a high profile story by "outing" Bill in the only community he knows. This results in his inability to trust others which, on one hand, is good for his own self-preservation, but on the other, he is unable to determine who is friend or foe. This could have led to dire consequences had it not been for his quick thinking wife (who I thought would be another femme fatale, but she ended up redeeming herself later in the film).

When we ask what makes a film Noir, perhaps we should consider that the narrative goes beyond the conflicted, morally ambiguous protagonist. It can also be a social commentary on the justice system.

First Words on Film Noir

For this week's Daily Dose, the theme is "First Words" and an analysis of characterization. In each clip below, we see a stark contrast between the primary characters. Although in Ministry of Fear the contrast is internalized by a single character. My observations follow each clip below.

Otto Preminger's Laura

Right away the film establishes a character contrast between Waldo Lydecker and Detective McPherson.

Lydecker: the extravagant, well-traveled, well-educated man (as observed by his Mid-Atlantic accent) with attention to detail. He clearly is a man who likes to control others. He is a man who values objects and like his collection, Laura, too is a possession and an object that he values. He may claim to love her, but he's more in love with woman he created in his own image. His image is of utmost importance. Now as a linguist, I can't help but take note of his name Lydecker to imply liar.

McPherson: ordinary Joe, blunt yet flippant. He's a man who's seen it all hence his ease upon standing over a man in his tub. I just love how he tosses the towel at him. He is clearly unimpressed by Lydecker's wealth. He may seem a bit uncouth particularly the way he seats himself in Lydecker's bathroom.

As more characters are introduced, each seems to be some sort of archetypical character.

Edward Dmytryk's Murder, My Sweet

This film is new to me; however, I've read the novel (Farewell, My Lovely) and 5 other Chandler novels featuring Marlowe (The Long Goodbye is my favorite). How he is portrayed on film is similar to how he's portrayed in print.

He's a no nonsense type of detective who possesses a moral compass. He investigates a case and follows through simply because he wants to know the truth. He's not too interested in shaking dames down for their money for a high priced retainer (as we saw in Born to Kill). He is also strictly professional. His female clients are just that: clients. They are not potential love interests as is common in most detective films. He doesn't flirt with them, and he definitely doesn't fall for the femme fatale tricks. This is clearly demonstrated in this scene in which he man-handles his potential client to get to the truth. He doesn't fall for her charm. 

Another key attribute is that Marlowe is observant of others as well as introspective which works well in the film noir style. I feel noir is more character driven than plot driven and largely psychological, contributing to the notion that film noir is largely a commentary on the darker side of U.S. society.

Fritz Lang's Ministry of Fear

The first striking moment for me was the set direction in which we see our protagonist from behind looking out toward the open door. Instead of casting shadows to create mood, Lang casts a light from the open door. Milliand's character is currently seated in darkness representing his current mental state and his yearning to move forward toward a brighter future as represented by the open door.

I want to say there are two sides to this character. Right away, I noticed that once we finally see his face, only half is shown in full light; the other half in dark shadow. We also see him mostly in profile, so we really haven't gotten a full look at his face in a bright light. Considering he's leaving an asylum, I would liken the pendulum to represent his sanity. He may either swing one way or the other. Perhaps he may later need to decide between good and evil.

In M, the scene begins with children standing in a circle while the young girl points and chants the morbid chime as she rotates. This fits the pattern of a clock. As she completes the rotation, she chimes for one child to be out of the rotation. As the film continues, there are many shots of ticking clocks chiming the hour.

Considering this powerful symbol, perhaps at a certain hour (6:00) we can expect a major event to occur later in this film Ministry of Fear. 

Michael Curtiz's Mildred Pierce

There has been quite a bit of discussion on whether or not Mildred Pierce is a film noir. This is one of my favorite films. I've always called it femme noir because it is strikingly different from traditional noir styles. Generally the voice-overs and protagonists in both hardboiled fiction and films noir are men. In this film, the main character is a woman whose adversary is not a man but a femme fatale; her own daughter.

In this particular scene we see the stark moral contrast between mother and daughter in both posture and wardrobe attire. Veda is the cold and calculating femme fatale who will do anything to achieve money. She lacks a moral compass and all compassion for the people she hurts. Her non-chalant posture highlights this as she is cool, calm and flippant about her lies. Mildred is more the matron who is ethical and wants to restore order as she appears more rigid yet refined. She stands straight as opposed to Veda's more flowing (and hand wringing) posture. The choice for each character's wardrobe is deliberate in showing the contrast. Notice the sharp lines in Mildred's dress that gives her more of a square, straight-edge appearance while Veda's dress defines her curves more (dangerous curves ahead).

Once Veda is ready to reveal why she wanted the money, the camera zooms in closer much as person would when they are eager to hear the truth (or an interesting story). We tend to lean forward for a better listen. Ann Blyth gives a great performance and her facial expressions make her believable as an evil woman. Both women are at an equal sparring position face to face. Veda challenges her mother's morals, ethics and hard work.

As mother and daughter run up the stairs, Veda puts herself at a higher step to give the appearance of power leading up to the slap. Once Mildred regains her footing, she takes a step up and threatens her daughter and it is only then that we now see Veda as truly powerless and we see her for the fraud that she is. It is the only time we see her looking up at her mother with true fear.

I love this film!

Summer of Darkness: San Francisco Noir

William Powell and Myrna Loy

It may be the City by the Bay, but San Francisco truly is Noir City. Several classic films noir have been filmed here such as: Maltese Falcon, Dark Passage, Out of the Past, The Lady From Shanghai, The Lineup, D.O.A. among many others. San Francisco is one of those cities that has it all providing an eclectic mix of neighborhood communities from the dark and gritty to the fabulously glamorous.

Day One of Summer of Darkness spotlighted the films noir of San Francisco. Those films were: Nora Prentiss, Woman on the Run, and Dark Passage.

This film stars the ultra witty (and sexy) Ann Sheridan as a San Francisco nightclub singer, who, by chance, meets Dr. Richard Talbot (played by Kent Smith). Dr. Talbot is trapped in an unhappy marriage, and it is Nora who expands his horizons be helping him lead a life of spontaneity and adventure. Unable to ask his wife for a divorce, he fakes his death to be with Nora. And you know that a tangled web will be woven.

Though most scenes are filmed out of a studio lot, there are a few outdoor scenes shot on location. San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf serves as the backdrop of the nightclub. It is here where we watch Nora croon and flirt with Dr. Talbot. Outside you see Pier 45 where the fishing boats are docked. Hardly a romantic venue, but a glimpse into the blue collar community that once had a stronghold on the City by the Bay. Of course, what's a film without a drive across the Bay Bridge.

At one time in the bridge's history, it was possible to drive east bound on the upper deck. Like the Golden Gate Bridge, the top deck had lanes in both directions while the lower deck was for shipping and transport. So this is not an error in geolocation as they are driving away from San Francisco along the top tier.

In another Ann Sheridan film noir, we have Woman on the Run. When the film premiered (following its restoration) at Noir City 13, the organizers gave the viewing audience a special treat with the then/now comparison of the city by the bay. There was a bit of a laugh when the audience saw the 1950 bay view from Coit Tower whereas today, what view? Many of the small businesses featured prominently in the film gave way to tall buildings with a plain façade. Still, there were great shots along Embarcadero, Chinatown and downtown.

There was a bit of cheating, though, in two of the filming locations. At the very beginning, what could've been a great shot of Golden Gate Heights was in fact Bunker Hill in Los Angeles. The climactic amusement part scene was not Playland at Ocean Beach. It was Santa Monica. Boo!!

My 2nd favorite Bogie/Bacall film (though very close to a tie with the favorite To Have and Have Not). This film begins in Marin County with an escape from San Quentin, a ride through Waldo Tunnel (soon to be the late Robin Williams Tunnel) and into San Francisco where we are housed at Bacall's fabulous Art Deco apartment. The dark alleys and high grade streets add not only to the ambience but are metaphors to Bogie's emotional state.

San Francisco is quintessential noir. Several prominent films noir have called San Francisco home. Among them are:

Born to Kill

Born to be Bad

D.O.A. (a personal favorite)

The Maltese Falcon

The Lady of Shanghai

Out of the Past

The Lineup (featuring Sutro Baths)

The Man Who Cheated Himself

The House on Telegraph Hill

Sudden Fear

Vertigo

Dynamic Openings

My first week of this online Investigating Film Noir course consisted of an introduction to the film noir genre. The professor provided links to 4 different films providing a short, five-minute observation into film noir. Our assignment was to analyze the dynamic openings and how they contribute to film noir genre. Below are the clips along with my observation.

Fritz Lang's "M"

The lack of title cards or cast overview takes the viewer straight into the action. The viewing audience can immediately sense the tension on the first woman as she yells at the children to stop singing that awful song. Right away I feel like a voyeur glimpsing into these characters' lives which adds to the creepiness factor. We are overlooking the children playing a game. We watch the woman climb the stairs all the while keeping a distance. It's as though the director is placing us in the shoes of the "man in black".

The fact that a child's sweet voice singing a violent rhyme highlights their innocence. They are oblivious to the dangers around them. In fact they have no sense of danger. It isn't unlike how children today sing "Ring Around the Rosies" which is about the plague, but they are unaware of the rhyme's gloominess.

We are introduced to the "man in black" through his shadow creating an aura of mystery and heightened suspense.

Jean Renoir's "La Bete Humaine"

I have to start by saying that I was watching this clip on my commute to work. I take the CalTrain along the San Francisco peninsula. As the film's train approached its station, my train was also making one of its stops. I was, quite literally, along for the ride. If anyone reading this takes a commuter train, I HIGHLY recommend watching this again during your commute.

The dark touches are quite literal: the dark passage through the tunnels, but I love the contrast of light particularly as the train approaches the other side. There is a sense of relief once you exit the other side; sort of like a rebirth. The music expands on the train's arrival creating an aura of success.

I have a student who is from France, and I had to ask her for some translations and explanations. The title means The Human Beast; it makes it a bit clearer about what I can expect. The train may be a symbol for the conductor. Strong, tough, gritty, maybe even greed? Perhaps the conductor's relationship with the train itself (I was reminded of the silent film The General and Buster Keaton's love for his train).

La Havre is a port city outside Paris. That explains the empty station. It isn't a commuter train but rather used for shipments. The emptiness, though, can still peak the audience's interest. Perhaps some sort of illegal transport or transaction about to take place? A heist?

The light/dark contrast may not necessarily be good and evil, but it can be the two sides of human consciousness. Perhaps some sort of internal conflict? This was usually a common theme in most hardboiled films noir and fiction.

What I found amusing is despite all the black smoke, the engineers continue to enjoy a cigarette.I half expected there would be an explosion of some sort. Regarding smoking as a staple in films noir, the smoke provided most of the ambiance and set a mood. One film that comes to mind, though not a film noir, is "Good Night and Good Luck" with all the cigarette smoke slowly swirling on scene. It almost felt like a character itself. I think to remove it would have changed the mood/tone completely.

Symbols

The train whistle is more of a scream as though in agony.

Fire: can be perceived as a symbol for damnation.

This train: bat out of hell. The speed adds to the suspense (especially when you are, yourself, on a train viewing this clip).

William Wyler's "The Letter"

Technical elements of noir:

• Long single take, panning
• The dolly zoom
•  Use of light/dark contrasts
• Use of shadow
• Tracking shot 

Style elements of noir:

• Serenity abruptly broken by a single gunshot
• The Femme Fatale
• Cold/callous murder

What was most surprising to me was the actual murder itself. Generally, murder is referred and not explicitly shown in classic films. There is always one scene for the shot and the second scene the victim's reaction. In this scene, both murderess and victim occupy the same screen shot lending itself to a new style of film production.

Stylistically, I loved the tracking shot that slowly zooms at the same speed as Bette Davis lowers her arm. The zoom picks up speed once she drops her weapon.

For the moon sequences, after the murder, we see the plantation covered in darkness to signify impending doom, not just for the victim in this scene, but for all those occupying the plantation. It is a place of darkness/danger. The uncovering of the moon sheds light on Davis herself. It's as if nature/God is pointing in the direction of the femme fatale; someone on which the characters and ourselves need to focus.

The moon can also be interpreted as Davis's mental state with particular reference to the term "lunacy" or "lunatic"; root word luna (moon). At the height of her lunacy when she empties the chamber, it's an exposed bright moon. Once the deed is complete, the moon is covered which may signify her return to sanity and realization of her actions. However, since the moon reappears, we note her reaction and those eyes! It's as though she's teetering between sanity and insanity.

Then I considered another subtext on femininity; the phases of the moon and women's reproductive system. Because our cycle is 28 days, it often parallels the phases of the moon (also 28 days). Perhaps this could hint at a moment of hysteria due to the menstrual phase when women are at their most ornery. (I know; it's a stretch.)

Delmer Dave's "Dark Passage"

Ah...Dark Passage! One of my favorite noir films of all time; I just love seeing San Francisco in the 1940s.

We don't get the first person POV until after he emerges from the trash can. What I like about his emergence is the encircling of his character. I can see this two ways: It's almost like a spotlight on him especially since he is being pursued by the authorities. The second way, which is the strongest point for me, is a metaphoric rebirth of his character. He emerges from darkness to light much as with all living mammals that pass through the birth canal. It's especially poignant that he emerges into a naturalistic environment. Of course, this is reaffirmed with his upcoming actions further in the film (I won't spoil the rest of it).

Once we establish the first person POV, we become his character. We, literally, see through his eyes. We also hear his thoughts. We run the same emotions as he does: the fear of being discovered, the paranoia of looking past our shoulders and being asked too many questions. Will we be "found out"?

As per its contribution to film noir, the most obvious is the voice over. This is the first of the daily doses that has it. This is a staple of film noir. Another factor is the screen shot from the trash can. Using the circular shape to highlight the character.