Research Paper on Film Noir: A Different Kind of Crime Movie

Introduction

The term 'film noir' is one that is used to describe a particular group of films that are seen as different from the usual gangster and crime films. This is due to the visual and structural difference. The films under this category, the lighting is different from that of other films because the lighting is dull. In terms of structure, the movies are made in a way that there is nobody who wins especially the hero. The film noir is greatly influenced by European ideas, existentialism, German Expressionism, and being exposed to the culture of the Europeans that in turn affected the American culture Senses of Cinema, (2003). The Killers is a story of a crime that has influenced writers like Dashiell Hammett who published their own story three years after publishing of the film Collinge, (2012). This paper seeks to discuss the aesthetics and themes portrayed than to discuss film noir as a genre influencing Europeans and Americans.

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The story is set in the late autumn during the mid-1920s in the peripheries of Chicago. The events occur in a restaurant in a street that is on a side street with some streetcar tracks in a rental house. The film has very few characters; Nick is a central character, still a teenager of about 18 or 19 years. In the age that crime was the order of the day, he has an upright character. Al and Max are both hired killers, and they wear long black coats and work as partners. George happens to be a man who was at the restaurant. Sam is a cook at the restaurant belonging to Henry since he is African American; most of the times he is referred to as nigga. Ole Anderson is a boxer who is murdered by Al and Max. Street Car Conductor enters the restaurant bust is informed that Sa who he was looking for was not in the restaurant. Irate Customer also comes to the restaurant in search of Sam and gets angry because he is told that Sam is not available to make his meal. Mrs. Bell is the lady managing the house with rooms to be hired; it is the place where Ole's room is (Cunnings, 2009).

The story is described in the form of a playthrough dialogue and is divided into four sections. It all begins with two men Al and Max who go onto the restaurant in a discussion of the meal that they will have. They engage in the conversation about the town when they finally claim that they are at the place to kill Ole, who always had dinner at six in the restaurant. So then it appears that the two men are hired because they say that they have never seen Ole before. Then Sam and Nick were tied, and it is then that Al says that they have tied the "two girlfriends" this kind of talk is meant to create some emphasis on the men being masculine than the rest. Few customers come and leave after being told that some were not around at the time. Sam and Nick agree that one of them has to go and tell Ole that men are looking for him who intends to kill him. Nick insists on going to warn Ole despite Sam telling him to stay away from the issue. The fact that Nick insists on going makes him the main character of the story as a youth full of innocence. Nick proceeds to the hotel room where Ole has his rented room, and Mrs. Bell allows him to enter. Nick finds Ole lying on his bed and tells him about the two men in the restaurant and their claim. Ole, however, seems less concerned and says that there is nothing that he can do about it. Nick wanted to tell the police, but Ole refuses to say that he is not for the running around. Ole thanks Nick for being kind for coming to tell him. Nick proceeds back to the restaurant and tells George that Ole is in his room and does not intend to leave. They try to find out the reason why Sam may be in danger and come to a conclusion that it may have been from Chicago because of the crimes. George tells Nick that the reason why Ole is in danger is that he may have double-crossed. This shocks Nick not imagining that Ole was lying in his room only waiting to get killed. Nick is not pleased about the attitude of George (The Killers, 2019).

Themes

The central theme of the story is about Corruption in America during the 1920s. This is as a result of the Teapot Dome Scandal that happened to interfere with the country's economic stability. This resulted in moral decay because there were wild thoughts, and people were guided by their emotions. What resulted was a country that people are doing that which they cold for their sake only and not for other people. Looking at the film, Ole could have been involved in some deal in Chicago that leads to him being killed. Al and Max from the way they behave and state their intentions mean or is a sign that they did not fear. The fact that George does not want to include the police in this situation is also a sign that he is in fear of the two hired killers to come back to him. This shows the kind of instability that was present during those days (Cunnings, 2019).

Emasculation- the two hired killers teat Nick Sam and George in a manner that attacks their masculinity, for example, when they tell Nick to go to his boyfriend while both of them are men. In the instance where Al says that he caught them like girlfriend also shows that they are emasculated. The two also emasculate Ole even before seeing him yet he is a boxer, and he is big and strong, yet they do not consider this. They only tend to feed their masculine nature and then make fun of other people (Cunnings, 2019).

Crime- for the people in a society to feel safe, there have to be laws put in place to ensure that the people's safety is enhanced. In the film, the society is not in good condition, ensuring safety for the people. Aland Max is not in fear of what they intend to do to Ole.as a matter of fact they announce their intention without fear. Nick seems shocked while George, on the other hand, is not worried. He says that Ole may have been involved in a circumstance that people wanted him dead. George seems to be okay with the happenings in the town and not to report anything to the police while on the other hand, Nick desires to be in a place that is better than this one. The police had been bribed by the bosses in Chicago to make sure that their issues were more privileged than others leaving no choice for people like Ole to die without any means to defend themselves (Cunnings, 2019).

Chaos- there is irony from the story where the characters influence each other, having a claim that the world is different from what people think. On a very bright and peaceful day, people have their way in the city with the intention of killing. Nick is affected most because events are occurring opposite of his expectation, Ole was lying in his bed waiting for his death while George, on the other hand, did not want to report the matter to the police. The little thinking of what the world is like and the way it is different. There is chaos even when Nick and Sam are tied without having done anything wrong (Cunnings, 2019).

Style and Symbols

The author wrote from the third person but had a limit of the narration of what the characters in the story did and said. Their thoughts are not revealed. Dialogue has been used most often in the story that tends to make the story clear, bringing out all styles that the author wants to express in the story. The symbols are; the black attire of the two hired men, which is a symbol of death, corruption, and evil. Counter towel- this is a symbol that George doesn't want to remember about Ole's matter. The restaurant- it is a symbol of times changing because it was a tavern before it was made into a restaurant. The streetcar tracks reveal the inability to escape from death. This is because the tracks connect to Chicago and the world outside since Ole was in Chicago, the bosses in Chicago were able to catch up, and he had nowhere to run. Especially with the corruption issues and the police having been bribed. The tree branches symbolized the imminence of death. It is just before winter, and a bare branch is seen to be a traditional symbol of death (Cunnings, 2019).

European and American Influences by the Film

After World War 1, Hemingway was an ambulance driver as a result of the loss of lives other people were injured and killed and their faith in God, being together as one nation and the reality of life. The theories during this time made the world to look like a place in which chaos was the first term being used, and almost everything seemed ironical. The film is one that has drama and clear about aspects like that of uncertainty. In America, there were also writers Like Hurston Zara who made writings about the African American Experience that gave the Americans some chance to have a feel of that feeling of people being oppressed. The fil, therefore, helped writers to have keen eyes on the events during those days. Iy was some eye-opener to what was happening during those times. It was through writings and making plays that people would be able to understand what was happening. The world was not indeed what people thought it to be. The different events in the various places were severe enough for the people. They did not know any solution to the rising issues even of their situations in their own countries. It was until they understood that they would be able to change not accept like George and Sam. People have to overcome the fear of the unknown and defend a proper living environment. The rising issue of corruption and bribery are some of the issues that resulted in the European and American authors to be in the light. Hemingway uses the character Nick, who wants to change the current situation of accepting things as they are and wanting to bring positive change to society (Cunnings, 2019).

Siodmak has his characters always appearing in uniform. This helps the male characters to have back the identity that they had lost. This is a theme that he uses to help in creating emphasis on the struggle encountered during the war, and they lost the battle. In many noirs, the males are seen in some struggle to regain the lost identity during the war. The films create some gender challenges that were encountered during the first and Second World Wars, where women were given more chances to work than men. The men were in uniform, therefore, brings them all at an equal level that enables them to regain the courage to become just like they were previously. An example is the two hired men to kill dressed in almost the same kind of dressing. The theme and style in the film are developed in a way that it brings out the predominant themes of the story in a transparent manner. If it is corruption, it is easily identifiable and also with hints. People get attracted to the kind of work that he does, therefore, becoming so much influence from the way that he makes his movies in an attracting and articulate manner (Senses of Cinema, 2003).

The film is based on some that lead to the death of Ole. The murder that began in the film then leads to the events that occurred all through the rest of the film. There is the use of many flashbacks that has helped to emphasize the main topic that Siodmak uses to create a more in-depth focus on the film this helps to shed light on the predominant issues of corruption, death and the effects of World War Two. The rampant issues of crime and chaos have also been revealed by Siodmak. The political scientists would refer to this as interpellation, which can be determined as the social factors that determine a human being as a social being. This now helps to understand how this film was influential. The film develops and makes the conventions of the narratives of its kind. This helps to create evidence of this genre and the way it is affected. The doubling figures, image, and the voice form the part to understand the influence of genre that the film belongs. There is some anticipation of the movie during its formation about th...