Find a quote and explain:
It is can be seen that there is a mainstream in film noir. First, according to director Errol Morris, “Noir concerns with errors, with confusion. We don’t know what’s going on, but we do know something bad is out there”. In “Double indemnity”, Neff falls deeply for Phyllis and believes in her love for him. The couple carry out their plan and kill her husband. At the beginning, we partly believe how Phyllis is tired of her husband, wants to get rid of him and starts her life with Neff. Still, we do not know if it is true or not, and there is a feeling that this alluring woman is hiding something. As time progresses, but not until two-third of the film,things turn out to be more complicated when Neff finds out the truth about his lover. It appears that Phyllis is behind Lola’s mother death and now she is trying to make a fortune out of her husband’s death. Worries and concerns start to twisted together because it is too late, the husband is already dead. Neff feels disgusted about that woman and he tries to get away from his crime. Second, as scholar Paul Arthur said, “The hero takes on the identity of the dead man, the most desperate thing you can do in film noir”. We find the same situation in Double indemnity. Neff also takes on the identity of the husband, jumps off the train to make it look like the husband suicides.
How to spot a famme fatale:
Scholar Janey Place, as she described a famme fatale in film noir, mentions that “throughout the ages, there is a dangerous figure, a powerful, sexual famale as a very dangerous figure . . . She’s very smart, she’s very powerful and she’s extremely sexual . . . She uses her sexuality to get what she’s after”. To me, this description best describes Phyllis in Double indemnity, a typical famme fatale. At the beginning, Phyllis pretends to be a victim who is unfortunately stuck in an unhappy marriage and wants to escape. She is such a seductive woman that she is able to use her charms to lead a man into crime, danger and deadly situations. From the outside, she appears to look smart but naïve, weak and need to be protected. However, she holds a kind of power in her hand which can make a man do whatever she wants. This basically makes her more like a demon or a witch. Phyllis has all the personalities that are referred to a typical famme fatale. In Double indemnity, she plays a two-faced person who kills Lola’s mother and then uses her sexual appeal to make Neff commit a murder. Also, we can find kind of similar famme fatale in films such as "The killers" (Ava), "The postman always rings twice" (Cora).
Noir photography, lightning and location:
Firstly, In Double indemnity, in the style of black and white film, shadow and light are used in a very controlled, dramatic way. Like other typical film noir, the extreme contrast between light and shadow is something almost religious and spiritual. With no colors, Billy Wilder made full use of light and shadow to express meaning and establish desired atmosphere such as threats, tensions, fear, despair, worries, ect. Also, the use of lights delivered by filmmakers help them communicate with the audience and signal the audience what is happening and what to focus on. Secondly, deep focus used in this film satisfied Wilder’s desire to capture an action or a dialogue from many different angles and views. Thirdly, the use of camera angles give different experiences and emotions. It is likely to cause the effect that the audience really feel the look of the actor. As the result, they tend to be into the film more. Furthermore, different camera angles will have different effects on viewers and how they perceive the scene. Fourthly, the music and sound are used in films to enhance the emotional quality of the films. Besides, music has many other roles such as being a universal language, covering up weak directing, offering a kind of sub-text, ect.
Camera angle: Consider the scene in which Neff looks up to Phyllis from the first floor, the low camera angle enhances her beauty as well as makes her image become dominant and powerful. Besides, the high camera angle makes the audience feel like it is astonishing and irresistible for Neff to stand in front of such beauty.
Low camera angle
High camera angle
Shadow and light: Regarding the scene in which Neff and Phyllis meet at her house. All lights are out. That is when we feel the tension and it comes to using our imagination. There is barely any lights, what is left is the conversation between Neff and the woman he wholly feels disgusted about. When the gun fires and there is no lights, the audience must be given a start and panic-stricken, and that is the feeling aimed at the audience in that situation. It is just the right moment for shadow to cover everything. The reason is that this scene determines the end of a demon, a criminal and closes everything.
Deep focus: There is a scene in which Phyllis hides behind the door, waiting for Neff’s friend to go away. There is another scene in which Neff walks toward Phyllis after getting shot and is about to end her life.
Music: In the clip, from 0:58, when Neff falls down, the music reaches the high pitch, hinting that everything has come to an end.
Types of location:
MacMurray races down 5th Street near Olive St.
Dietrichson House, 6301 Quebec Drive, Hollywood Hills
View from Hollywood Hills
Newman Drug Store
Hollywood Blvd and Western Ave
Heather and MacMurray at the Hollywood Bowl
Neo-noir as an homage to the original film noir style:
The major difference between film noir and neo noir is that neo noir are filmed in color. In general, considering original style, neo noir has the same goal as film noir did to the audience. Neo noir uses elements of film noir which include characters, plots, themes, film-making techniques, style, visual elements, ect. The thing is, all these factors are more updated in neo noir. Therefore, basically, it can be said that neo noir is movement, a progressive step forward of film noir.
Regarding “Body heat” (Lawrence Kasdan), a neo noir which carries on 1940s style, it is easy to find some factors of film noir in this film such as a famme fatale, a tough guy who is seduced by this woman. Ned, according to Wilder, is a typical American man who wants a woman and is impatient to get what he desires. Hence, he is not aware of Matty’s lust for money. Gradually, he feels tired of having to hide their love and eventually, he kills the husband in the hope of spending his life with Matty. However, in the end, he becomes the true victim of her plot. Overall, “Body heat” refers to love and crime which often appeared together in film noir.
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