blog #6

                          "Space, Time, and Subjectivity in Neo-Noir Cinema" by Jerold Abrams

Based on the reading of from Abrams the detective figure in neo-noir is different from the detective in film noir in many ways. Film noir detective is  defined in the article "Notes on Film Noir" as "The private detective is midway between lawful society and the underworld, walking on the brink, sometimes unscrupulous, but only putting himself at risk, fulfilling the requirements of his own code and of the genre as well." The detective is looking for the bad guy, scrapping up evidence and interviewing suspects to put he pieces of the puzzle together  to find the criminal. In neo-noir Abrams identifies the detective figure as "rather than looking for a criminal in the city that  surrounds him, now the detective's search is for himself, for his own identity and how he may have lost it. The detective is the criminal, and he is suffering from memory lost and is sent out on a mission to find himself.  Neo-noir is broken down into three categories past, present, and future.
Abrams states that "Past neo-noir is usually low-tech, contrasting it with the very high-tech future noir, and almost always theological."Angle Heart by Alan Parker gives a good example of past noir. Its about a detective by the name of Harry Angel who is commissioned by Louis Cypher to find Johnny to find Johnny Favorite who is suffering from shell shock and amnesia, and his real name is Liebling. In reality Angel is the one with amnesia, and he is Favorite and Liebling.  Cypher wants Angel to found out who he w=use to be and while doing his detective work he is killing people unknowingly. Abrams describes present noir as "present neo-noir, in my opinion, offers the best of neo-noir and particularly for its use of time. For example The Bourne Identity by Doug Liman, where character Jason Bourne has two weeks blacked out. he wakes up and all he remembers is being dragged out of the ocean by a boat. The clues he has are on his body, and he has self-consciously put them there. Bourne must find out who he is and who is the killer, all while running from people that already know that its him. Then there's future noir which Abrams says its "The opposite end of the neo-noir spectrum and to future noir, some of the old theological elements will remain, certainly-but really only germinally. Indeed, for the most part, they faded away and are replaced by science and high technology." Dark City, by Alex Proyas is a future noir, about aliens verses humans. They take humans from earth and put them on spaceships that looks just like Los Angles city.

Blog Entry #3 A Flim Noir Short Story

         
                                                              The Lies She Told



          I had been in custody for over three hours the detectives were irritated, and honestly I couldn't hold back much longer. I felt like I was breaking down, my mind couldn't rest until I told these two guys what really happened the night of  and Cody's murder and Amanda's disappearance. OK boys I'm ready to confess, "are you going to tell us what really happened" yes, I have to get this off my chest. The tape recorder began.

          It was October, October 25, I was making my rounds checking gas lines, hot water heaters, and heating vents as I normally would this time of year. I work the Beverly Hills area, the residents are pretty pleasant, welcoming, don't give me much of a hard time at all. My shift had just started I was on my 2nd house when I reached the Foster's door step. Before I could ring the doorbell I heard a mans voice loud and heavy "I don't want to buy any" oh I'm not selling anything sir, I work for the Gas Company I'm here to service your home. I stood waiting for someone to greet me at the door, puzzled at the remark because usually the folks over in this neighborhood are very kind and soft spooking. Amanda opened the door "Hello there, I'm sorry about that please forgive us for him being so rude." Oh its no big deal can you please direct me to your water heater, I can be out of your hair in no time.

          "No need to rush, take all the time you need" Amanda said "that's just my stepson Cody, he means well". We went into the kitchen were the heater was located and she continued to make what looked like breakfast. As hard as I tried I couldn't keep focus I much rather watch her perfectly proportioned body prance around the kitchen, beautiful long light brown hair with every curl sitting neat and tight down hair back. Wearing a long silk house dress that clung to every curve on her body. She began to talk to me, "so where are you from?" I'm from Port Gibson Mississippi, I came here about five years back. "Do you have family here" nope, no family here, no family there I'm the only child. I never knew my dad and mom passed right before I moved to California. " Can I offer you breakfast Mr?" John, John Jacobs. I am all done here Mrs Foster I just have to check the lines outside, and no thank I don't what to send you through any troubles. "No troubles, no troubles at all, I insist and please call me Amanda. Mrs make me sound old." Alright I'll have some, but I can't stay long I'm on the clock. 

           We sat at the dinning table and finished our conversation while eating, but only this time I had questions. So Amanda just how old are you? "I'm 27" Oh your young "Yes, I married My husband Mr. Foster at 20, and now he's in his final stages of cancer. He's been bed rotten  for the past year, I've been taking care of him all by myself." No help from Cody? "No, he has better things to do. Besides he never really cared for his father and I relationship anyway, he said I could never be his mother I was too young." I'm sorry to hear that. " I'm dealing with it, honestly I will be much happier when its over." He and I will both be done suffering, and he will be in a better place and so will I." Where do you plan on going? I'm not really sure yet, living I hope, free." I looked around avoiding her direction because the look in her eyes was so hypnotizing. It was as if she was undressing me with her eyes, but I couldn't tell if it was really her or my own guilty conscience.

          Well Amanda thank you, breakfast was amazing but I have to get going;  I have several appointments today and I'm already behind scheduled. "OK, I understand. Can You do me a favor and just say goodbye when your done outside?" Sure thing. When I finished up out back I walked to the front to let Amanda know that I would be leaving,  as I was walking up I spotted a young man mid twenties standing in the window that vanished soon as he noticed that I was looking at him. I rang the doorbell. Amanda I'm going now. "I was thinking we should be friends we could get together sometime, here's my number." handing me a folded paper I quickly put it in my pocket and walked away.

          I walked directly to my car to see exactly what the noted said. The letter read " John I can't pretend anymore, I just can't. I'm not happy here I was forced to marry at a young age because of money. My dad made me marry Mr. Foster thinking he would soon die, and leave me all his assets, but it's been seven years and he's still alive. When he was well enough he would beat me, not only him Cody too. I wouldn't eat for days and they would look me up for a days at a time only letting me out to cook them dinner and to clean up after them. I have held on and Mr. Foster will be dead soon but I have found out that he is leaving everything to Cody. If this happens then all my pain and suffering will have been for nothing. I have nothing of my own, I lost contact with my family shortly after I married him. Can you please help me signed Amanda."

          When I got home that night I pulled out the letter and read it a few more times; I couldn't help but call the number she left on the bottom. Hello "I'm glad to hear from you" how can I help the situation Amanda? "I know this might sound crazy John but I really need you, I can't do this alone." Do what? "I need help getting rid of Cody, for good! if he dies I get everything." Hold on Amanda, do you know what your saying? "I know exactly what I'm say, this is the only way. I thought long and hard." I can't help you. "Please John, I don't have anyone else; no family no friends. I saw the way you looked at me, a look I have never got from anyone else. I want us to be together, to enjoy life neither one of us will never have to work again; we can go any where around the world just the two of us with out a care in the world." I "You don't have to give me an answer, if your going to help me just be at my back door tomorrow night at 10 sharp. If you don't show it was nice to have met you anyway." She hung up.

          The next day after work I found myself driving around with no where to go, just driving and thinking. Thinking about Amanda, such a beautiful girl that got dealt a really bad hand she didn't deserve what happened to her. But is revenge the answer? I thought about my life my gambling habits, I was behind on every bill in my name and not to mention the lump sum I owed to the IRS. At 10pm I Found myself at the Foster's back door. It was raining that night, lighting, thundering, and very dark out as if the world knew what was about to happened. She opened the door slowly, and quietly, she didn't say a word just hugged me tight and kissed me passionately. She whispered "he's on the sofa he's asleep" and handed me a black trash bag. She said "this is the easiest way not to wake my husband." So I did it I held the bag over his face until he stopped moving and then I left.

          I went to work the rest of the week like nothing never happened. and on October 31, I received an envelope with return name nor address but When I opened it and saw ten thousands dollars in it I already knew who it was from. John have you heard from Amanda? "No". Do you know where she might be? "No." John Amanda is not Mr. Fosters wife, "what" Amanda is his daughter and that man you killed was her handicap twin brother.  

     

          

         

          

         

blog entry #2

        The novel "Double Indemnity" by James Cain portray film noir in many different ways. The story is narrated by character Walter Huff, the anti-hero insurance salesman who is persuade by money and lust to commit murder along with insurance fraud. As stated in the article "Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles" from the website Filmsite,"Narrative are frequently complex and convoluted, typically told with flashbacks (or series of flashbacks), and/or reflective voice-over narration. Huff style of narration was a confession to Keyes that he was the one whom had murder Mr. Nirdlinger, telling exactly  how everything took place. Femme fatale is demonstrated in the novel as well. According to "Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir" Themes and Styles" a femme fatale is "mysterious, duplicitous, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative and desperate women."  Phyllis Nirdinger, Mr.  Nirdinger wife fit the definition  of femme fatale quite well. She use her beauty and and body to get close to Huff, to gain trust and make him fall for her.

 

 

 

          Referring to the novel "Double Indemnity" by James Cain, Phyllis was better prepared for Huff on there second encounter. "She didn't have on pajamas this time, She had on a white sailor suit, with a blouse that pulled tight over her hips, and white shoes and stockings. I wasn't the only one that knew about that shape. She knew about it herself, plenty"(10). Phyllis was showing off her body to gain the attention she wanted from Huff, to seduce him so that it would be easier for her talk about the accidental insurance, and to convince him to keep it secret from her husband. Huff falls for her enticement, and catches on to her plot on killing her husband agreeing to help her, Huff is a prime example of a male protagonist. "Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles"Points out that  "Usually, the male protagonist in film noir has to inevitably choose (or have the fateful choice made for him) between the women - and invariably he picks the femme fatale who destructively goads him into committing murder or some other crime of passion". Phyllis used Huff to her on advantage, he is a weak for her and hard up for money and she used him to kill her husband.

The Neo-Noir '90s.

1 Based on your reading of the article "The Neo-Noir 90's" provide a description of the content and visual  element of the film noir during its classic period.

Based on the reading I think that the visual style of the films were in a more depressed, and crime committing settings. As stated in the article "AFTER WORLD WAR II French critics became aware of a new mood gloomy, doomy and dangerous--in Hollywood movies, They coined a term, film noir, to describe these crime-infested, shadow-draped, black-and-white movies". When I hear gloomy I picture bad weather, cloudy, cold, and dark outside, which usual put people in a more down mood, causing or adding to their depression. The words Crime-infested I imagine more gun play, murders, criminals, and law enforcement on the scene. The movie titles, and story lines of the B-movie classic films associates with violates as well. "Gun Crazy," young lovers kill with no motive; in Nicholas Ray's tortured "In a Lonely Place," the cocky Humphrey Bogart of "The Big Sleep" is replaced by a paranoid, violent Bogie. At the end of the line, in 1955, came Robert Aldrich's "Kiss Me Deadly." After reading the titles of these films I visualize a black and white film with a lot of killings, and  other criminal activity. I also envision a lot of smoking, and drinking, and other wrongful behavior promoted  in the films. The article illustrates that "The new lounge-lizard culture, flaunting such retro poisons as martinis and cigarettes, invites us to glamorously rebel against an age of abstinence and political correctness". It seems as if the noir films used alcohol, and cigarette smoking as a style for their characters, "bad boy" image for the guys and a form of "sex appeal" for the women.