Caldwell's major topic in the artice is the hardboiled lauguage that the movie has that makes it the perfect example of a film noir. A example of this hardboiled script would be the first person narrative of Walter Neff. He even says that examlpe of this could be when Neff and Dietrichson have scenes that "are filled with suggestive, evocative and witty lines that the pair trade as if sparring with one another."
Next, Caldwall talks about how its not easy to define film noir, that many people have different views on what makes a noir a noir.While some argure that its the particular stylistic and narrative devices while others argue that it is a stylistic movement that defines 1940s and 1950s America. Film noir didnt originate in American, the idea came from the French which eventually came to Hollywood...in English it acctually translates into "black film". The label "black film" of course going back to the low-key lighting that the movie Double Indemnity does indeed have as we all know. The dramatic lighting style that characterises film noir can be traced back to the German Expressionist films of the late 1910s to the early 1930s as many filmmakers who had been working in the German film industry came to Hollywood when the Nazis came to power.
Well first off I would like to tell you that I really like how you set up your blog. I really like that background you chose. But going into your blog I liked the article that you chose, I had read that article as well and almost wrote on it as well. You did a good job at summing up his article. I do wish you would have talked more about your opinion I felt like your blog was just a summary of the article, but you still did a nice job with your blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Kaylee! I wrote my blog on this article as well! That is funny that all three of us found this one...good ol' google! haha. I agree with Rachel, I was really waiting for your thoughts and opinions on the article. This article had a lot of really great points that hadn't crossed my mind before that really made me view the noir genre in a different way. The part that really got me thinking was when Caldwell writes "The women in these films were tough, independent, intelligent and cunning. They used their sexuality to their advantage and often wielded considerable power over men. Although the femme fatales often met their doom at the end of these films (thus restoring perceived social order) they were powerful and empowered for the other 95% of the film." It made me curious as to how the men and women of the era felt about these films. Did the women feel threatened? Did the men? Was it a subtle way of sending a message to women that social social order, as they know it, will be their demise if they try to reconstruct it? This article really stirred a lot of new interesting thoughts for me. I was excited to see what you thought as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you ladies for your comments...Im sorry that it was lacking more of my opinion, i saved it for the last mintue like a procrastnator and tried to finish that best is could.
ReplyDeleteSo allow me to finish for you guys... I really did like the article (google is amazing) like i said before it opened my eyes to have a differnt look on noir
's. I know in the article i wrote i left out the big part about the femme fatales, that Megan had mentioned...the article really did get me thinking in differnet ways because im not even going to lie these movies kinda loose me and reading isnt something i like doing.
Thank you guys again for your comments:)