Film Noir
"There is indeed a dream-like quality to the convolutions of the narrative". [Walker: 1993 (ed. Cameron)] Walker made this comment on the film "The Big Sleep" (1946), yet it can easily be applied to other early film noir, such as "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), and "Scarlet Street" (1945). Films are probably the closest medium we have to experiencing the inexplicable quality of the dream in our waking lives. Rich in symbol, metaphor, movement and mystery, films like dreams, enable us to participate in another reality, and, through that participation, to be transformed. Just as we may ask ourselves, "what did my dream mean?" many too may seek the meanings to examples of early film noir, and just as people find the need to interpret dreams, so too do film noir movies, with their witty, 'round-about' dialogue and their complex plots, need to be interpreted. We, in a sense, become the detectives seeking "to express meanings that lie beneath the surface." [Walker: 1993 (ed. Cameron)]In the early 40's a new form of cinema emerged in America. Dark and gloom laden, it reflected the anxieties of a country entering a new era. Cynical and subversive in attitude, here was the antithesis of Hollywood's glamour productions of the 30's. French cr
Voice-over and flashback were persistent stylistic and narrative elements of Film Noir. Often we need to inquire about the motives of narrative voices, how much they know and whether they are telling the truth, and when and to whom they are speaking. If the dominant Hollywood style provided all the information spectators would need to follow the narrative, Film Noir seems to emphasize narrative gaps, and even the possibility of narratives that can deceive. No one really knows the true meaning of the title in The Big Sleep it can be said to be just another element that "lies beneath the surface" of the film. Perhaps even the title itself alludes to the "dream-like quality". Howard Hawks packs so much plot into 114 minutes of footage that the movie feels like it's bursting at the seams, just like the average dream, yet, while the plot may be confusing at times, the story is not incomprehensible. This we owe to Marlowe's periodic explanations of events, without which the movie would indeed be nonsensical. John Huston draws us into the maze of lies and confusion in The Maltese Falcon. No one is who he or she seems to be. When you think you know what is happening, suddenly you are surprised. The theme of the film is deceit and manipulation, and you have no idea who's on whose side. Is Joel Cairo for or against Kasper; what was the relationship between Brigid and dead Thursby; and where does Captain Jacobi fit in? You can't tell, and it doesn't matter, because the characters change their relationships often. The main character of The Maltese Falcon is given the choice of honour over love. Sam is in love with the main female character, who has a shady past, yet he is reluctant at first to turn on her. In the end he decide that his honour must be upheld in lieu of love and he ends up broken hearted after making the decision. {The Maltese Falcon (Warner Bros., 1941) [d. John Huston]}
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1887
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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