Murder, She Wrote!

       In the story, "Dangerous Days" by Emory Holmes II, the first thing that grabbed my attention is, this story is not in a flashback. To me, it seems pretty different than a typical noir mood. The story starts on a holyday and it is also the main character Cravitz's birthday. He seems happy with whatever life offers him. Like a regular noir story, this story is not only about darkness, rainy nights, grimy roads or lonelyness. The characters have friends and family, which is quite different than a classic film noir. In, "Midnight in Silicon Alley" by Denise Hamilton, the story starts with the brutal murder of the main character Russel Chen. This guy is also not a lonely man, like the usual noir film characters. In fact, he has way to much company. He has his wife and two little daughters in his family, he has a mistress and a newborn son with her and he also goes to a brothel where he gets entertained by a teeenager.
     Both of the stories have their own interesting styles and surprises. When I read "Dangerous Days", I got a little shock, finding out about Athena. She is the femme fatale, obviously. She used sex to manipulate and kill men, and eventually gets what she wants to get. But, after reading "Midnight in Silicon Alley" I found out that, actually in both of these stories women rule over men. The genere been updated in the case of drugs and the silicon chips matter; this is definitely a noe-noir element.
    Leila Chen from "Midnight in Silicon Alley", reminds me of Phyllis Nerdlinger in Double Indemnity. Both of these women are treacherous; they betrayed and killed their husbands out of greed.  Both of the story is about murders, greed, money, treachery, femme fatale and the inhumane characteristics of human nature; and those elements connect these stories to noir of the classic period.

The dark past keeps returning: Gender Themes in Neo-Noir, The Article

                "Film noir, an enigmatic and compellimg mode, can and has been ressurected in many movies in recent years. So- called "neo-noirs" evoke the look, style, mood or even just the feel of classic noir"(The dark past keeps returning, by Heather Fireman). Film noir is, we can call an original flavour of the dark sides of human experiences. Film noir expresses the inhumane characteristics of human nature. The mood of film noir always reminds us that, the world we are living in, is not just about true love, trust, genuine feelings, light, purity or morality; the world is also full of hatred, mistrust, disappointments, darkness, dirty games and corruptions. The neo-noir displays almost the same mood, but in different ways. The neo-noir is a different direction or a different style of presentation the same ideas as film noir. The visible difference between film noir and and neo-noir is- film noir shot in grays, blacks and whites and neo-noir is in color.
               The connection between film noir and and neo-noir is very intimate. The mood of darkness, melancholy, moral corruption, dissillusionment and paranoia are often exist in both film noir and neo-noir.
"These films (noir) externalized fears and anxieties of American society of the time, generating a dark feeling or mood to accompany it's visual style"(Heather Fireman). The time, when classic noir was made is way different than neo- noir era. The point of view of the audience was little different than us- the neo-noir audience. So, the way of thinking of the audience makes the difference between classic noir and neo-noir films. 

The amazing quote, that I have found

            The article, that I have read, the movie review of "Double Indemnity" is by Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews", from the website sover.net. In the beginning, writer Dennis Schwartz, gives a nice description of the director/writer Billy Wilder and the whole unit including actors and actresses. He discusses about the strong acting power of actors, such as-MacMurray as Walter Neff, the protagonist of the story and another important male character played by Edward G. Robinson as Barton Keyes.
          Schwartz talks about the relationship between the MacMurray and Robinson characters. He also talks about the odd attraction that two killers(Phyllis Dietrichson played by Barbara Stanwyck and MacMurray) have- defines the dark atmosphere of the prewar Los Angeles scene. Reading this article, really helped me to understand the characters very well. Now I know, what is the reason of lack of love in the relationship of Mr. and Mrs. Dietrichson. According to Phyllis, Mr. Dietrichson has become a sullen man since he has lost a lot of money in oil investments. On the other hand, Mr. Dietrichson possible reason for not loving her is, she has such a coldness in her beauty, which pushes him away from her.  I probably will use this particular issue to explain the topic of my essay.
        The most interesting thing to me, that I think amazed me after reading the article is, the best quote of the movie; which the writer used in his article. Since I have not seen the whole movie yet, I don't know exactly when MacMurray and Robinson have that conversation. It could be the scene before the last scene. When MacMurray confesses and tells the whole truth about his killing of Mr. Dietrichson; his last comments: "You know why you couldn't figure this one Keyes?" I'll tell you, "Because the guy you were looking for was too close--right across the desk from you." Keyes says, "Closer than that, Walter;" and, then Neff says, "I love you, too." Keyes is the father figure to Walter, and these dialogues of both characters give a clear proof of their selfless genuine love for each other.

Double Indemnity, A Tale of Bleakness

              Reading the novel, Double Indemnity by James Cane is really a very interesting and breathtaking experience. The theme, style, characterizations and delivery of the scenes are definetly enjoyable to readers.
              The story starts with an insurance agent called Walter Huff. He goes to a spanish looking house for a client's insurance renewal pupose. He calls the house "House of Death" (pg 30) in the very beginning; which gives readers an impression of something related with death. As we know that film noir is about deaths and bloodsheds most of the time. The starting of the novel with such a comment about a house, makes readers want to know why he called the house "House of Death"?
              If we try to catagorize the novel in a film noir catagory, it perfectly fits in it. The extra-marital relationship between Walter and Phyllis is an aspect of film noir. The description of their relationship gives us clues about the moral corruption of the story. But, it was just the beginning of a picture of a morally corrupted woman Phyllis, who is also femme fatale of the story.
             I will now try to discuss a little bit of the theme and style of the novel Double Indemnity, that matches very well with the genre of film noir. "Film noir films (mostly shot in grays, blacks and whites) show the dark and inhumane side of human nature with cynicism and doomed love, and they emphasize the brutal, unhealthy, seamy, shadowy, dark and sadistic sides of the human experience" ( From the website Filmsite).
When the reders find out about Phyllis's brutal and heartless murders of several other people, including three innocent children, it gives them the feeling of endless hatred towards this evil woman. This feeling makes us to look at this psycho character as we through a look to a black widow. Her character is full of venom and bleakness. All over her life, she lived on bloodsheds and greed.
             Walter realized his sin right after the cold blooded killing of Mr. Nerdlinger. He is actually the victim of Phyllis. The repentance and guilt feeling of Walter was so deep that, even though he loves Lola so much he could not take a kiss from her-"I couldn't kiss the girl whose father I killed". This state of mind of Walter clears up his guilty feeling that he is being bearing through the story.
             The end seems pretty disapointed for the readers because of the main criminal Phyllis's escape. But it is also one of the style of film noir, so the novel fits well in it.

Dynamics of the relationship of Walter and Phyllis

         "Females in Film noir are either of two types- dutiful, reliable, trustworthy and loving women;  or femme fatales- mysterous duplicitous, double crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory, tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative and desperate women"( From the website- Filmsite). These characteristics of femme fatale are perfect fit for Phyllis.
           The relationship between Walter, the insurance agent and Phyllis is an extra marital relationship. From the beginning, as a reader it's been a disgusting impact on my mind. As the story getting closer towards it's next move, it was predictable that, the illicit relationship of Walter and Phyllis is going to be collapsed any moment. Because, the base of their relationship is so fragile and sudden that it has to be ended with no useful result.
           In the second part of action of the novel is really breathtaking. The description,of  the cold and heartless murder of Mr. Nerdlinger gives readers goosebumps. After reading the killing part of Mr. Nerdlinger, it seems that, both Walter and Phyllis are equally morally corr.upted. But, it gives the readers a twist, when Walter feels kind of cold about Phyllis. His conversation with Phyllis does not match with their relationship. He seems to have a guilty feeling which confirms, when he does not kiss Phyllis, neither he says goodbye when he leaves-"We didn't kiss. We didn't even say good-bye. I got out of her car, got in mine started and drove"(pg 53). This portion of the novel gives a clear indication of the seperation of two lovebirds.
         The thoughts, which were running through Walter's mind is really noticable to the readers; specially when he got home after killing Mr. Nerdlinger. He was feeling so restless about thinking of what horrible sin he has committed for a woman-made him pray after a long time. He realized, that it is not somthing that he could get away with. He feels no love for that evil woman, who made him do this horrible crime; or may be he loved her like a helpless rabit, who is stuck in a coil of a rattlesnake, "I loved her like a rabbit loves a rattlesnake"( pg 70).

Comparing quote from the article and the novel Double Indemnity

           The aspects in the beginning of Double Indemnity, a novel by James Cane matches with the genre of film noir in many ways. In the article, "Towards a Definition of Film Noir" the writers Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton state, "It is the presence of crime which gives film noir its most constant characteristic....sordidly or bizarrely, death always comes at the end of a tortured journey. In every sense of the word, a noir film is a film of death".
           The novel starts with an insurance agent Walter Huff, who goes to Mr. Nerdlinger's house and meets his young wife. The woman says the agent that she wants to buy an accident insurance for her husband without letting him know-at this point of the novel there is a plot of a murder is getting established and greed is another important issue here, which  is a very common and one of the main aspects of film noir. At the time of discussion, Walter notices the lady's blue pajama while she was walking and talking; and Walter starts imagining what would be the shape look under those pajamas and how it could make a man nuts. By discribing Walter's thought about the lady the author gives a clear indication of his next step- a possibility of starting an illicit relationship; and this also could be considered as a characteristic of film noir.
          At the second meeting, the extra marital relationship between Walter and Phyllis(Mrs. Nerdlinger) gets confirmed. As the story gets advanced, it is been more strong and obvious now that, out of greed, both Walter and Phyllis are plotting a cold blooded murder. Every time Phyllis comes to meet Walter, it is a rainy night- always gives a visuality of a process of a horrible crime. This is also another aspect of film noir.

Shadow and Darkness

          The word "Noir" is a French word, which means "Black". Film Noir is a style or genre of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism and menace. The term was originally applied (by a group of French critics) to American thriller or detective films made in the period 1944-54 and to the work of directors such as Orson Welles, Fritz Lang and Billy Wilder (Google dictionary).
          During it's classic period, film noir influenced peoples clothing, their taste of music and movies, even it was seen in the famous designers fashion. Even though the impact of film noir was pretty strong, it only inspired a particular groups of people; such as directors, film students, critics etc.
         The content of film noir is full of dangerously corrupted characters and their dark and troubled life styles. The women of that world are all ambiguous, sexy and treacherous. The streets  are rain-slicked, foggy and the heroes are weary. Everything that come up to the scenery actually is a reflection of a post war depression, pessimism and a huge crossing of lines between good and evil. The film noir movies are full of dark and dirty funs.
        The Hollywood of 1997 was an anti nostalgia-driven noir. L.A. Confidential was a hit movie but it attracted mostly the directors, film students, critics and upscale film enthusiast. Because of a huge popularity of film noir among the directors, many talented young film makers start making movies in a noir mode. Guys in trench coats on rainslicked pavement or martinis and smoke rings are nothing to do with contemporary America; yet the best filmmakers of Hollywood kept the noir vision alive which always draws our attention.