Film Noir

“It’s the great sense of knowing what you are doing is doomed…and you can’t be stopped from doing it.” –American Cinema, “Film Noir”

 

The 1944 movie Double Indemnity is the perfect archetype of film noir. It has all the aesthetic elements to it- the dark setting of Los Angeles during the 1930s, the backdrop of the “perfect” murder, the lust for money, and sexual overtones. Although it is easy to see that the main character of the movie, Walter Nebbs, acts deliberately in the murder of his lover’s husband you cannot help but feel that he is unintentionally being sucked into his doom. His initial reluctance to carry out Mrs. Dietrichson’s wishes for her husband’s death suggests that he is well intentioned; however, his human side takes over, and, motivated by lust and money, Mr. Nebbs commits the crime. With colorful colleagues such as Mr. Keyes, Walter Nebbs knows that he is doomed from the start, yet his motivation is too great and too seductive. From the moment his episode starts everything begins to go downhill. Even when it seemed that Mr. Nebbs had found his escape, he is betrayed and shot in classic crime thriller style. Staying true to the dark core themes of film noir, the end of Double Indemnity leaves viewers with a sense of thrill and the ultimate demise that the characters must face.

“The classic femme fatale, is, to me, a woman that’s usually getting a man into bed and then into trouble.” –Marie Windsor

One particular element of film noir that is extensively used in Double Indemnity is the femme fatale. Phyllis Dietrichson, the lead female character and Mr. Nebbs’ love interest, is a perfect example of this. She is appealing, seductive, and ultimately deceptive. At the beginning of the film, Mr. Webbs is smitten by her. Although she seems to be a typical family woman, it is revealed that she has dark intentions. She deceives Mr. Nebbs into believing throughout the plot that they are working together to pull off the crime. But later it is revealed that she was controlling him the whole time, and ironically she had another lover that she really wanted to escape with. Phyllis’s femme fatale character adds to the film elements of seduction, deception, and betrayal that exemplify the very attributes that make film noir so attractive.

Every aesthetic aspect of Double Indemnity contributes to the “film noir feel” of the movie. First of all, like many other film noir movies, Double Indemnity uses black and white footage. The low-key lighting and relative absence of sunny, outdoor scenes contributes to the dark and mysterious feel of the film. The film takes place in an urban setting, which helps contribute to the cold and unattached feel of the characters and interactions with one another. The insurance company setting works especially well because it helps audiences visualize characters such as Keyes and Mr. Norton as cold and villainous.

  

One scene from the movie that I believe really exemplifies the film noir genre is the scene in which Mr. Nebbs and Phyllis have their final face-off. The scene takes place late at night, with the only light present filtered through the blinds in the window. This lighting alone creates an eerie feeling in the room as the two characters confront each other. The room has a private and intimate feel to it, which, along with the low lighting, helps contribute to the idea that Walter Nebbs is “trapped” in the room. All of the aesthetic aspects of classic film noir movies like Double Indemnity contribute to the overall feel of a dark, cynical crime drama. Although some more modern colored “neo-noir” films do a fairly good job of copying the style of the classic films, there is no substitute for the eeriness and mysteriousness that black and white films provide.

Introduction

Since the beginning of the film era, hundreds and thousands of movies have been produced and released. Yet few of them can be deemed worthy of praise or recognition. But what makes these movies great? I believe that at the root of it all, what makes a movie compelling is the connection the film establishes between the audience and the movie. The audience does not just simply view the film- they experience it. Effective movies transport the audience to the world of the movie- the narrative grips the audience’s emotions, and the viewers feel what the characters are feeling for themselves. 

Although movies of the silent film era may not possess the same glamour and flashiness that movies today have, they can still be quite noteworthy and compelling. One example of this is the film Le voyage dans la lune (Georges Melies). This silent film portrays a group of ambitious scientists and their journey into the filmmakers’ imaginative world of the moon. Although the world the filmmakers portray is fictional and impossible, we as the audience can still connect to the characters in the film. We feel their excitement when they land on the mysterious surface on the moon and their fear and anxiety when they are captured and brought into the intimidating alien palace. The audience remembers the imaginative and compelling story the filmmakers tell. In another silent film, The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter), the filmmakers transports the audience to the world of the American West and the cunning bandits that make their home there. In the film, the audience despairs over the deaths and the loss conflicted against the innocents on the train, and when the narrative is brought to resolution through the deaths of the bandits, they feel the closure felt by the characters in the film. 

One of my favorite films that demonstrates a compelling narrative and connection to the audience is the 1994 movie Forrest Gump (Zemeckis).

  The movie blends a mix of comedy and drama to illustrate the life of the main character of the story, Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks). The comedic sequences in the film were witty and hilarious, but I think that is only part of what makes this film great. The film does a great job of portraying Forrest as a genuinely honest and well intentioned character. We, as the audience, sympathize with him and feel that we understand everything that he is experiencing. We feel his heartbreak at the loss of his loved ones because we know that he genuinely cared for them. I think that this connection with the character the central theme that “good will prevail” makes a particularly good story. 

Another great film that I enjoyed was Up (Pete Docter). The 2009 Pixar film is focused on the adventure of the elderly Carl Fredricksen and his eager 9 year old companion, Russell. The movie, through its thrilling action sequences and humorous scenes, is quite entertaining. But the film is also quite heartfelt in the development of the relationship between Carl and Russell. Throughout the film we can easily see that Carl views Russell as a nuisance. But later in the film, Carl is forced to make a choice between Russell or his house. We learn that Carl genuinely cares for Russell by risking his life for him. I think that this transformation within Carl makes a great story because it resonates with the central theme and viewers that relationships with people are much more important than self satisfaction.