Finishing The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep, as we discussed last week, is about more than plot. It's about character development and about atmosphere. Sometimes, atmosphere is created by long descriptions of setting (it rains a lot in this novel as it does in all noirs). Sometimes, character is developed in long, aimless conversations (you can see that Quentin Tarantino was influenced by noir dialogue). Sometimes both are done simultaneously (like when Marlowe shows up at the car repair shop where Canino's hanging out (pp 184-189). I know we didn't all agree on the effectiveness of this literary approach when we discussed it last week, but let's discuss it some more on the blog this week regardless of your pov.

In addition, I would like you to reply after watching the film on Tuesday. Did Howard Hawks' adaptation match your idea of what the film would look like? Is Humphrey Bogart your idea of what Marlowe would be like or not? In what ways did the film change the novel for you? In what ways was it true to the original text?

The Big Sleep

Out of all the books we have read so far in class Ive had more of an appeal towards "The Big Sleep". I believe my reasoning for finding it appealing is due to the fact that I have a major interest in mystery genres. Majority of the books that I have read over my years of High School and College tended to be mystery genres. What I like about these types of books is that majority of them have a hero character that plays the role of seeking adventure and truth. Marlow is a has played that role of a hero thus far in the Big Sleep. As a detective he finds himself saving individuals like Vivian. One of the scenes that really stuck out to me was when Vivan went on a gambling spree and won six thousand dollars in cash. As she excited the building Marlow follows her to see a masked man with a gun. Marlowes decided to take cover to see what would unfold. As the masked man pulled out his gun to steal her money Marlow sprung into action to save the day. Reading scenes like these leave me on the edge of my seat as if I were in a cinema watching a mystery.

Canino Dead

Eddie Mars delegating his dirty work is risky business. It becomes costly when the man out to kill for him dies during his kill chase.

The woman in love with him seems to be as ruthless as him. She tells Mr. Marlowe that he has someone kill for him as if it's better. I can see it being less work, so in a ruthless way it is. Morals always seem to be shot when killing unequivocally to just standards. The lifestyle maybe permits deserved responsibilities that's proscribed. It also may need numerous reasons why it isn't rightful for reassurance. This gives a hero like character more juice to kill off anyone in his way for a heroic cause.

The Big Sleep Chapter 18 through 25

Reading all the situations Marlowe has been involved in or getting himself. This astonishes me that he could be so cool, calm and collected. Marlowe is flim noir James dean an example of this when marlowe surprises the Masked criminal and is able to get the gun way from him. this shows in the face of danger his manages not only to assert the situation with his intellect but uses his strength to take down a man maybe stronger than him.

The Third Man

When viewing this picture what attracting me was the scenery. The ruins in my opinion signified the destruction of the friendship between Holly and Harry. Both men best of friends since childhood, looking out for each other as they grew up the drifted apart. Willing to go farther as to say their friendship took a downward spiral even before the drug situation and even Anna Schmidt. One willing to betray the other for a woman and the other willing to shoot to protect himself and his black market. This picture has one religious overtone that has been around for a very long time; betrayal over woman, money and power.

The Third Man

Kurtz tells Holly to come up and talk while he's out his window on the balcony. A shot is taken in a broad view of Dr. Winkel and Kurtz out on the balcony. The shot is broad enough to get the statues and architectual work done on the building. It's quite magnificent, these works of art. Holly goes on to tell Kurtz that he wants to talk to Harry and that he'll meet him next to the ferris wheel. He sits down adjacently next to one of the ends of the ferris wheel where the carts are hanging and in rotation. We get a shot of this from his ankles all the way up to almost the top of the ferris wheel. These are beautiful shots that capture the eye of the beholder.

PIPE JACKET

On page 120, "He dropped the phone and took his pipe out of his mouth and tamped the tobacco with the brass cap of a heavy pencil. He did it carefully an solemnly, as if that was as important as anything he would have to do that day. He leaned back and stared at me some more." Along with the paragraph leading up to this, this is very descriptive. You get it as if you can touch the material and know what it's about. It has that type of connection.

On page 131, ""You'll have the drink and like it," he said. He mixed a couple and put mine down beside a red leather chair and stood crosslegged against the desk himself, one hand in the side pocket of his midnight-blue dinner jacket, the thumb outside and the nail glistening." Again very descriptive, only if I had a life narrator as detailed telling me things I forgot about that I'd want to remember.

Chapters 18-25 TBS

I applaud Mr. Marlowe being the man that he is. He has women offering themselves to him and he keeps his poker face. He walks into troubled situations without any armor or protection. He goes above a beyond for his job as well as his life. In remembering him just finding out about the 500$ he will receive and what he does afterwards. After receiving the message from Norris and leaving his office. Then talking about Carol Lundgren taking a plea, possibly pleading guilty or arraignment. He says, "The smart thing for me to do was to take another drink and to forget the whole mess. That being the obviously smart thing to do. I called up Eddie Mars, and told him I was coming down to Las Olindas that evening to talk to him. That was how smart I was." Mr. Marlowe goes from his office to break then to meet his supposed friend. Even when meets he friend, he is working. His life seems to be engulfed by his career so far.

The Big Sleep chpt 21

As we continue to read from chapter 21 to 25 we get to unfold Marlowe personality. we know he is tough on the outside but he is actually good in heart, sensitive and also loyal. in chapter 23 to 24 we read how Vivian and Caramel tries to sleep with Marlowe literally on the same day, but he still stay through to his job.

The Big Sleep

Throughout each chapter you are defiantly able to realize that Marlowe is a true hero. For instance as Vivian goes on her gambling rampage she comes out with about six thousand in cash. Marlowe leaving the club sees a masked man walking suspiciously in the street. Marlowe decides to take cover behind a dark tree waiting to see what the mans next move will be. The masked man then pulls out a gun and points it at a woman. That woman turns out to be Vivian, the man knew how much she had won at and wanted all of her winnings. Marlowe then sprung into action with his gun and gave that man a chance to leave without taking his life. This scene you are able to see hero attributes being that not only did Marlowe saw Vivian's life but he did not take another individuals life to do so. Another scene where Marlowe saves the day is when he takes the guns away from Joe Brody and Carmen he saved multiple lives from being killed.

Disguised gun

This is a true act of Heroism when Mr. Marlowe takes his pipe and disguises it as a gun. When I read this along with other parts I sort of imagined myself being there as if I was watching to wait and see a magic trick happen. As I read about him taking his pipe and positioning it to come off as a gun I thought this guy isn't really going to fall for this is he. I knew the fog would and is impairing everybody's vision but I didn't think he'd be able to pull that off for an instance. I thought about the robber having to identify whose holding the gun and then I knew that this changes everything because for some reason we all need to know the face behind whose holding the weapon. NO matter if the weapon is meant to be used on you or not. The style of this authors writing really puts me there and describes things vividly.

Sleuth Marlowe

Marlowe is the classic noir hero in the book so far due to the fact that he does and figures everything out on his own.  He knows where to turn for answers, and direction.  He isn't a part of the police force but he knows when to turn to the police when he needs something, or when it's time to turn a case over to the police.  He definitely carries out the job that we would expect a detective to do, but more thoroughly and to the point than the police would.  He cares more to solve a case, and isn't in it for the money or fame.  He almost never carries a gone on him, showing how confident he is in himself and his abilities.

Mr. Marlowe the Sleuth

Mr. Mawlowe is a sleuth because he does whatever he can to work on his case. That means anything and everything. He doesn't risk mixing pleasure with business. He speaks to people he calls friends in a investigative way. He looks out for others which later gives him an upper hand when he needs a favor in return. The favors he get usually are crucial parts to his assignment. He saves who he is working for daughters a couple times. Once from getting robbed by gunpoint, another when retrieving nude pictures. He's also very respectable a doesn't take any crap. He sure is a working class hero.

The Third Man

The Third Man was re-released last year theatrically and I wrote this appreciation for it in case you're interested:

http://filmint.nu/?p=15733

Classic Noir

The two films we're watching this week and next are what I would call classic noirs. In addition to all the stylistic things we've seen (shadowy hallways and alleys, high-contrast lighting and B&W cinematography), they have noir narrative elements: Sleuths, femme fatales, charming villains, charming heroes who aren't all good, etc.

One of the common tropes of the noir is the sleuth. The sleuth is almost never a member of the police force. He's his own man. To start putting together the type of character that a sleuth is, I'd like you to describe Marlowe. What makes him the classic noir hero in the book so far?

Stress

I couldn't really think of what to put on the blog this week, so I decided this being a blog I'll just say how I'm dealing with midterms this week. The thing with me and school is that I have to multi task between school, work, homework and a social life. The life where sleep is for the weak. Throughout the semester I believe that my calculus class and this theater course have taken the biggest tole on me with the work load. I found that whatever spear time I had or have goes towards those two class. Calculus being the amount I have to study for in class exams and quizzes. While this theater course I had to do a rewrite, second essay, 2 blog entry's and read up to chapter 25 in the next book. Even when I time mange these things I still find myself running out of time. To basically sum all this up this past week has taken the biggest tole on me mentally and physically.

Chapters 13 - 18

Two femme fatales. Carmen is more of a young, docile, gullible, playfull girl who finds herself in situations she can't handle. Carmen either can't handle certain situations, shouldn't be in certain situations, or both. By can't handle I mean she often needs assistance with making sure the right thing happens or the most appropriate thing happens. From the part when she used a gun, it's clear to see that she does have control at times, the question is, is she able to be consistent and grow up. Vivian is smart, seductive, and she knows what to do to get what she wants. She will go to certain extents with getting back a people regardless of relation. This is shown with the entire icebox incident. It fits her character as a smart ruthless woman.

The Hitchhiker



   Im actually  still thinking about this movie and how well it was done.  Everthing from the actors, producers and directors was great.  I like how the director was able to play on the viewers sense  of fear without even seeing the hitchhiker actually commit an act of violence.   I mean but it is obvious  though.

The Killer

The death of people in this movie; The Night of The Hunter is much like the dead people in The Hitch Hiker. It's suppose to add to the hate and bashing of the killer. The only difference is that in The Night of The Hunter the only reason I can see someone trying to see the good in the killer is because of the statements made in the beginning by that dear ol' misses. Judge not least ye be judged. And because of this we root for his life to end or for him to be arrested. Although you may have been rooting for the killers death in The Hitch Hiker, it's a little bit harder to stick to the belief that the criminal is a horrible man. I think this is because he spends a lot of time with the other main characters and a little of his playfullness is shown. It reminds you of an edgy ghastly exhilarating moment you've had or will have. Doing something that was scary at first for the first time or getting ready to do something that was scary at first for the first time. the reason why I say at first for the first time is because of this. Everybody who ate different kinds of ice cream ate ice cream. After eating a different kind of ice cream from the ice cream you ate last would fit the script. The criminal in The Hitch Hiker being a bad man or better yet a horrible one slips in and out of your mind as you are watching the film. This is why it is factual that is because of the necessary steps betwixt to being the reason why. This is because of what it is due to. And this is because he's shown as the worst only in the beginning and then forgetfulness sneaks in taking you blindsidedly and putting a hold on your thought process, understanding and feelings. In The Night of The Hunter he's committing crimes through-out the movie, eagerly you turn down any signs prompting the adherence of the benefit of the doubt. This is something of which can be thought in depth to figure out how to handle similarities that occur nowadays. Nevermind it has happened. I digress. The killer will always be the killer. If who The Preacher believes is true of existence he is until he is not and thus the renewal of life once known becomes a person to be born again. If that doesn't happen in this lifetime, the lifespan of which is witnessed of one then that person shall come back a better man. Assuming one repents right before and religions are intertwined interconnectively.

the night of the hunter

 The Night of the Hunter still speaks to peaople

I enjoyed this movie because it tells that the preacher was only  pretending justg

Chapters 7-12

Mr. Marlowe being a working man as a detective adds to books genre. You can tell he's used to weaving out tight spaces. Talking him self into places he can cope and out of places that ask to much from him. People have died which is big in Noir's. The first death of the book puts the main character who the readers read through into sort of a claustrophobic situation/scene. The main character Mr. Marlowe gets through a window and sees a couple bodies, one of which is of a dead man. This happening in a room squeezes life into dead space making room harder to make and movements to be fussy about.

Mr. Marlowe being someone who doesn't like to listen to authority shows this being true. Although he shows respect to the people he encounters he side steps idiocy and is vocal when he feels he needs to be. In other words he is quick to advocate for himself. He has fun with the use of metaphors and jokes considered dry humor producing the remarks of others.‎

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Carmen

Carmen is a Femme Fatale. Carmen starts off in the book as a punitive over excited idiot. She plays rudely with Mr. Marlowe despite Marlowe later telling her that she did the same a him. In the beginning when they meet. I call her an idiot because of how her father describe her to be an unmotivated person who ripped or rips the wings off of bugs. Later in the book she puts up a front by acting as if she has a reason to be guilty before tried. Plus she's seen naked and shaky to tell of her whereabouts. It's obvious that she is the femme fatale.

Film Class

I love that we watch films that I would never think to watch on my own time. I become fascinated overtime we watch a film that I analyze as we watch, and I pick up little quirks about the film that I would have never noticed before this class. I love learning about angles, and lighting and what works with certain directors that won't work with others. This class now helps me analyze other films that I watch on my own time, and I subconsciously do it without realizing! It does make for great conversation after watching a film though. I look forward to watching more movies and analyzing them cinematically.

Night of The Hunter part 2

Something I almost forgot to mention Was a favorite line in the film Night of the Hunter. This is when Johns drunkard uncle has seen his mothers body underwater and he is speaking to the photo of his deceased wife.
He says, "the way her throat was slit right open like a second smile". I just really thought that was great imagery.
I always adore diologue in the film that adds an image to your mind without showing viewers. I think it gives greater impact.

Have you ever seen The Most Dangerous Game? Its a 1924 screen adaptation of a short story. Its one of my favorites. The story is basically about a hunter and his game. What i love of course is that the game is what he plays and what he hunts(or in this case who) and I made a few connections. Neither of our villains are in any way remorseful for the things they have done.  And they do infact hunt. Though our pastor seems to only hunt gullable/ vulnerable women.
Are there any other movies that you have connected to the film?
Is there any scene that reminds you of  other villians?.

A Night Of The Hunter.

The reason why A Night Of The Hunter is important today is because the left and the right hand needs each other to function. Just as how Love and Hate lies in thin line. in order words, most time people hesitate to use the word LOVE because it is a strong word. once the word love comes out of our mouth we know is for real. on the contrary, the word HATE is so quick for us use... i mean that's what i think.

The Night Of the Hunter

As you said, Night of the Hunter is 70 yrs old. In my experience films or TV shows hold a long lasting impact because of the effect on the time period. for example, Silence of The Lambs was filmed in the 90's and still has a massive following today. It wasn't the first horror/ suspense film at the time but the camera shots; the lighting the symbolism the entire piece of work was brought together to play with the an individuals head. this snared the attention of viewers everywhere and kept them locked in for as long as possible. In the case of Night of the Hunter The play on religion and the effect of it on the lives of the people in the film; and the lives of the viewers it would definitely resonate. Symbolism drives home ideas and representation breeds connections. I am sure that around the time of this films release many families were struggling and every family that has ever struggled can understand the desire to provide for their families. robbing a bank doesn't seem so far fetched. The use of religion in the film prayed upon people who were deeply religious too; I feel that the use incited a vague sense of agreement with the false pastor and  thoroughly conflicted with his attitude. somehow i feel many agreed with what he says which...

The Night of the Hunter

There are many reasons why this movie still influences many people today. In my opinion I believe that the story line is so common that it can still be used today. Still today we still battle between good and evil as well as finding it hard to trust others. I feel like a lot of the monologues in this movie were great in explaining the difference between these issues that many people face. Mrs. Cooper and the evil preacher were perfect examples of the differences between good and evil. John was very conscious in his decision in who to trust and it was through their choice of words that helped him really be able to choose who was best to be with. As dark as this movie was, I feel as if there was a sense of realism. It wasn't your typical happy ending but you was still able to see the analogy within the movie between love and hate. Like it was stated, love and hate consistently battles with each but in the end love will prevail.

Night of the Hunter

I think that people find the movie "Night of the Hunter" to be relevant in 2016.  I  think that the movie relates well in this current time because of the various aspects and issues that it addresses.  The movie dealt with religion and how important of a role religion may have played in peoples lives.  It also showed how gullable or naive people were.

Night of the Hunter

Night of the hunter is a very powerful movie that stands to this day as being influential with its debate on Hate Vs Love. For a movie being produced so very long ago, I feel as though it was very good. There is only one thing I am confused about entirely and that is that toward the end of the move the Antgonist is caught by the cops and they begin to arrest him but John begins to scream at them to stop and runs over to give him the money he wanted. Throughout the ENTIRE movie this man is trying to torment two very young kids as well as Chase them through town to take ten thousand dollars cash they have hidden in a doll that doesn't belong to him. Further more whenever he pops up, John takes a stand to protect his sister and angrily avoid the man but once he's captured he feels bad? That to me makes the movie a little bad because of how pathetic the ending turned out to be. Furthermore in court John was asked if he was the man who killed his mother (and he was) yet John couldn't confess that the man did it. I feel as though he should've been sentenced to death and taken away for his actions.

The Night of the Hunter

The Night of the Hunter has a way of relating to individuals mind set when describing the fight between love and hate. People tend to lean towards more of an appeal rather than an argument.Described in the movie the story goes that between this battle hate has the tendency of over powering love when in the end love has its own way of overpowering it in the end. With all that is going on in today's world many individuals seem to move towards hate when pertaining to the in-just and inequality. As  individuals progress in time may seem to forget and move towards a nonviolent position. Within time I do believe that that all of the hate and distress in today's world will all end in...

The Night of the Hunter

Although being over 50 years old, "The Night of the Hunter" can still be related to by people today. I believe this is because of the deceit done by the character Harry Powell. In the beginning we hear a warning that people may be dressed as sheep but are actually wolves. This is a foreshadowing to the events which happen in the film. Right as we meet Harry Powell we know that he is a killer. This is shown by the scene in which a group of children find a dead body while dramatic music is playing. This same music keeps playing as we are introduced to the character...

The Night of the hunter

70 years since the movie came into screens and from then til now. The movie has given audiences mixed feelings such as fright, annoyance, anger and deep thought. Robert Mitchum as Henry Powell was the central focus of the movie his portrayal as a Hypocritical conman preacher. He was showing how men of the cloth use that to feed their greed which is as true today as it was back then. Making Henry Powell the representation of vice and himself being the Villain. While in the case of John he was thrusted as the hero of the movie. For one being the man of the house when his father left, Second, looking out for his mother and sister being a protector to them both and finally using his wits to fight off Henry Powell when he kept asking about the money. This movie is David and Goliath story using emotions as weapons.

Night of the Hunter

This is one of my favorite noirs of all time. I love noirs though, love The Killers, The Third Man, Scarlet Street, etc. One thing that makes this film so special to me, though, is its weirdness. Like The Hitch-Hiker, this film has a lot of nature in it. As I said before, noirs are very urban. However we still get a taste of the dangerousness of the town when Ruby is lured there by the young smoking men, the town w/ its dark alleys, a place where Harry Powell seems so comfortable even though he seems to be enraged by the sex that resides there.

The Night of the Hunter

I believe that the film still resonates with audiences today because money is primarily what drives the film. We encounter a man without morality that will do anything to get his hands on this money. He does not shy away from hurting women and even children to attain this. This could then be translated to a bigger and more powerful entity constantly exploiting the weaker ones in order into riches. Today, we still see too many situations like this one and of course this then bounces back to Hollywood Films. Take for example the recent film- Money Monster. The film centers around a young man fed up with the way the these giant entities overpower smaller ones and how this cycle is always powered by monetary greed.

The Night of the Hunter in the 21st Century

The Night of the Hunter speaks to people today because we fear to trust and money is the power of all evil. John's father told him to trust no one because he knew that people would come after his children for the money, and years later John noticed his dad was right. My favorite character was Mrs. Cooper because she took John and Pearl in without any interest of what they could offer her, she soon became a mother figure in her supportive role. I think a lot of what she says can relate to people in the sense that children are innocent, if treated well, they will treat you well in return. A lot of what kept me on my toes is the fact that John and Pearl are both kids with little to no guidance. Also the fact that John got frightened when his stepdad got arrested because maybe it related him to his father. I think that can also speak to people today, have maybe a tragic memory that they hate to remember when they were a kid. Also, I think Mrs. Cooper and the evil step father are what correlates with the love/hate on going theme in the film. The preacher puts on a persona as if he radiates love but all he shows for the kids are hate, jealousy and a need to overpower. He tries to bribe and scare them countlessly and I along with the rest of the audience, kind of caught on to his character in the beginning of the film. I think this is something that can still happen today, it has the evil step-parent idea along with money being the root of all evil. And thats what the preacher is driven by: hate, jealousy, and evilness.

Night of the Hunter

I thought this movie was good but I didn't see anything unique about it. Maybe to  my untrained eye I don't easily recognize the importance of certain angles or the usage of focus in a certain scenes or the just the overall cinematography of it that may add to the storyline. Which leads me to wondering, why is this film still relevant 70 years later? The plot line was very intriguing and I was thoroughly entertained and pleased with the progression and slight turns of the plot. Unfortunately, I didnt feel this movie was anything to write home about. I did find the LOVE/HATE knuckle reference cool and weird at the same time. I can say that I appreciate this film much more knowing that it has left an impact that inspires our artists, both legendary and aspiring alike,  to pull from and adapt from it.

A timeless movie

I think that The Night Of The Hunter still speaks to people because it is so powerful.  It plays on so many themes that are timeless, that will always connect: children with no family, god & religion, love vs. hate.  They are timeless because they are issues that people will always struggle with specifically the theme of god and religion and love and hate.  They are opposing forces in everyday life that can lead to violence, can lead to fights within families and friends. I think another reason that this film resonates so strongly after all these years is because of the powerful symbolism throughout the movie, the directors decisions to do things such as show the words love as he clasps his hands together to pray for the money in the cell, or how claustrophic it feels and looks when the preacher announces to John that the mother and him are getting married, .

HATE VS LOVE

Night of the Hunter is a powerful movie made decades ago which would seem to be old news now since movies are being made and produced every week but this movie still stands on its own and speaks to people. This film still shares a meaning till this day because of its powerful messages such as The left hand "Hate" and the right and "Love." The main antagonist is after two children for the money they hold hidden within a doll and tattooed on each hands are the word hate and the word love. Toward the middle of the film he explains to a few store clearks what his tattoos mean and basically hate and love fight against each other but in the end Love conquers all. This message still stands very strong to individuals til this day because of how true this statement is. We are all in a constant battle of hate but in the end love will always win. We use our left hand (hate) much often more than the right hand (love) but love always pops up and wins.

The Hitch-hiker (The Bright Noir)

I've been thinking about this film, considering it's the first film-noir of the term, and how much it breaks away from the mold of the genre but manages to keep the shape and delivery of one. When I think Noir, I always find them in un-worldly dark places, where silhouettes and shadows thrive, and where the empty space seemingly suffocates. But this film barely has that darkness. Instead it utilizes the tight space of both a vehicle and the watchful eye of a itchy trigger finger to keep you bound in with a racing heart. Hitchhiker makes you feel as if light and the open space is just as dreadful. I'd even argue that the lack of language barrier makes us feel even worse for the hostages, as these vendors and citizens the three men meet along the way can't pick up on the atmosphere of the words spoken, the emphasis of trying to be warned. I think that makes the beginning of the film so strong, the connotation that "This could happen to you". Being kind, leading to getting you killed, or at the very least physiologically tortured and I bet nobody picked up anybody on the side of the road after seeing this film. I wouldn't even pick up my neighbor if they asked me to pick them up from their driveway.

The Big Sleep and Noir

By this point you've probably determined that there is not just one femme fatale in The Big Sleep, but two, Carmen and Vivian. What are these sisters like and how are they femme fatales? How are they different from ea other? Looking at my list of film noir qualities from last week (http://engl252fall2016.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-film-noir.html), what other qualities of this novel make it a noir?

Girl On A Train

I know this movie really doesn't exactly follow what we've been studying in class, but when I watched the movie yesterday I found myself viewing it as we would if had we all screened it together in class.  First I found myself questioning why the director decided to make the decisions he did because when I read the book, I imagined things differently.  I also find myself wondering why the director chose subjunctive vs objective shots in a lot of scenes, although I do agree with it as it evokes so much more emotion during the scenes with only 2 characters.  I also really found myself questioning why he shot one scene through a mirror (I think because I thought about this a lot for my 2nd paper) and realized shooting this way makes the main character Rachel seem even more out of touch with reality, it obscures your view of her just slightly enough that it's symbolic of the way her alcoholism skews her.

Just a thought!

The movie was decent, but you should read the book :)

Film Noir

Film Noir's are always interesting because it can be linked with many other genre's. These suspenseful gritty dark films that include witty cynical attitudes. They are usually crime-drama's and are often shot in mysterious looking places. In The Hitch-Hiker Meyer's is the bad guys who holds two men, Collins and Bowdin hostage on a road trip in Mexico. In this film we see the very cynical attitude of the bad guy, Meyers and how he drags the two men on his runaway journey. The director does a great job with lighting which really adds that film noir touch. Meyer's has one lazy eye that stays open while he sleeps, not giving Collins and Bowdin a chance to run a way because they never know when he's sleeping. Along with his attitude, this makes Meyer's scary. His whole persona is that he isn't the one to be toyed with and that at any chance he will kill you. Thats what Bowdin and Collins feared all along while wanting to get back home and out of his captivity. The lighting makes the whole film look gloomy, and like there isn't a way out. Ultimately in my opinion the movie never got boring, it sticked with the plot and kept finding different ways to twist the outcome.

The Hitch Hiker

Up until this point studying film noir's I notice the good guys, who are regular citizens to be skilled. With working class heroes pointed out to be key in film noir's I'd like to do (a) comparison(s) between the victim(s) and the perpetuator(s). In The Hitch Hiker the movie starts off with people dead in a car and then go's into a car hijacking. The perp does all sorts of acts to merit his accountability as a scheming smart witted perp. The working class men will be stuck looking weak until they escape harms way. Taking control at any moment minutely gives leverage. Like basketball a dunk can change the momentum of a game although it's only two points. So, to escape would mean to be a hero especially since they aren't alone. At any moment one life could've have been placed on another. Two against one is complex when one has a gun. A two against one fast break in basketball where one player tries to defend two people on offense with the ball from scoring on their basketball hoop. It can be hard, it can get tricky when you have a superb defender. Competition doesn't necessarily have to be evenly matched to be a hero. Competition has to be defeated. When escaping harm is done the right, a hero of heroes you become. Defy the odds, save a lot or save the world. These film noir's can get intreesting. Especially since this is the first one we saw in class.

Ideas

So I'm forced to rewrite my first writing assignment. I am not going to lie, I think I deserve it. I tried doing to much at one time and became overwhelmed at a crucial time. That time was when during the time leading up to my first writing assignment's due date. The date of when I handed the assignment is the due date of which I had to hand the assignment in. I wrapped my assignment around a sex trait men possess. I became compelled to write about an idea when I had to do a report. This should never happen. I led myself to believe that I had the best take on my assignment because of nonsense. What compelled me is an idea that had something to do about my past. Sometimes (when describing people, places, and things) people can lose sight of the objective. When writing a report is it easier to follow requirements having meaning to the report, or is it easier to find meaning. Again this is another idea. In class after watching The Hitch Hiker, we spoke on how the bad guy and good guy are portrayed and how they see each other in the movie. I asked the question why do the captive good guys eagerly wash their faces with the dirty water, after the bad guy says if you want to wash yourselves with that filth go ahead. My idea for my essay can be like the water the good guys use to wash their face. The assignment to write a report can be like getting out of the climate the good guys and the bad guy experienced, getting away from the bad guy, and getting into their natural environment back to the way they once new life to be. The dirty water like my idea just presented another problem. I had to back up my idea with facts once I made it a factor. The bad guy may not have washed his face with the dirty water. Yes, that is correct! He did sit in dirt, hike, and walk through tall grass/weeds (for lack of a better word). He could've presented his own problem of having to keep his face clean. The good guys may have good skin so maybe they won't experience what the bad guy has to experience. This kind of skeptical awareness is made to be shown repeatedly from the bad guy to back up what he's working with. Take the scene when they are at the bar. The good guy speaks in another language to the bartender. The bad guy says, "If I want you to speak Mexican, I'll tell ya". Then after the bad guy tells one of the two good guys he has captive at the bar some orders for him that involves him speaking in the other language with the Mexican bartender. The bad guy also adds that he will be looking at the bartenders face to see if he's frightened. These kind of scenes add depth of character to a movie. It is all a movie needs a long with cutting, positioning, lighting, sound, style, theme, genre, editing, and e.t.c sometimes.

The Hitch-Hiker

This movie is a movie that made you want for the characters of Bowden and Collins to fight off or escape from Myers. At times Myers was annoying such as when he kept asking Collins to place a can on a rock for him to shoot ;Again asked Collins to hold the can so that Bowden can shoot. This scene showed how Myers was trying to be a wannabe tough guy. When in fact deep down he was scared man not wanting to go to prison when in fact in the ending showed his true colors. Bowden and Collins proved to the tough guys ; Collins not so much.

The big sleep

When i read the novel my interest was on Philip Marlowe. My take on him is he's a detective of honesty. Where he is in a world of corrupt, cynical and betrayal by people. The sense i get he has integrity in his work even he gets paid a lowly $25 dollars a day. Marlowe is willing to do anything to find the truth ; i see him a water down version of a vigilante. The part of the story where he went to the Hollywood public library to look for clues which he did find in a form of a rare book and during a very hard rainy day.

The film noir

You can find precursor's to the film noir (i.e. Citizen Kane, 1941) and there are many contemporary films that have been influenced by noirs (usually called neo-noirs: The Long Goodbye (1973), Blade Runner (1982), Memento (2000), etc.). I mark the film noir as beginning with John Huston's The Maltese Falcon (1941, adapted from a novel by Dashiell Hammett) and ending with Orson Welle's Touch of Evil (1958). They're generally crime stories and almost always involve a private eye and very seldom a cop (though they may be an ex-cop as Marlowe is). Sometimes though, the main character is a villain (an anti-hero). Other qualities:

• Inspired by early 20th century fiction (generally now called noirs, though the films were called noirs first).
• the "anti-Western" (I'll explain in class)
• often have femme fatales
• working class heroes (though often hired by the wealthy)
• high-contrast lighting (and almost all b&w stock)
• claustrophobic feelings to them (both narratively and stylistically)
• bleak narratives, seldom w/ happy endings 
• urban settings

Few noirs have all of the above qualities. As you'll see this week, The Hitch-Hiker (1953) has no femme fatale and almost no women (ironic since Lupino was a woman and also a famous noir actress herself). Also, it doesn't take place in a city, but out in the country. However, I think you'll find that it has several of the noir qualities above. Try to notice these qualities and write about them on the blog. Over the next four weeks, we'll try to get a handle on what this genre, the film noir, truly is.

The Big Sleep

Some of the most famous film noirs were adapted from novels written between the 1920s and '30s, most particularly books written by Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. The books are usually about a detective, they often have complicated plots, a femme fatale, their heroes are manly men (who are often sexist and homophobes) who take the law into their own hands and are not afraid to throw a punch. These novels often have first person point of views and their narrators, the detective, are usually quick-witted and ironic and use contemporary slang. Usually, with the noir crime stories, the mystery is only part of the point of the story. The main part is seeing the detective at work.

To start off w/ The Big Sleep, you might talk about the many ways that this novel is different from And Then There Were None. An obvious different is point of view. How does a first person narrator change a mystery?

Also, what does Marlowe tell us about Geiger? What is stated and what is only implied? When he returns to the murder scene after taking home Carmen, what do you make of the fact that the body is gone? What do you make of Geiger's house, the descriptions of the different rooms, the totem pole? What do you make of the following quote?

"I looked at the totem pole. At it foot, beyond the margin of the Chinese rug, on the bare floor another rug had been spread. It hadn't been there before. Geiger's body had. Geiger's body was gone." (41)

The most important information in this passage is that the dead body is missing and yet it's the last sentence. Why?

What do we know about Marlowe at this point in the novel? What questions do you have?

Who is the femme fatale? How do you know?

The big sleep Chpt 1-9

First of all I want to say I am well impressed by Raymond Chandler writing, The Big sleep is a very descriptive novel. The narrator who is the detective Mr. Marlowe described everything from what he was wearing in the beginning of the novel, to what was happening around him including his thoughts. Chandler made sure that Her audience isn't left behind, she took us along in this novel. Now two people are already died between chapter 1 and 9 and not only is Mr. Marlowe trying to solve 2 murder, I am also trying to figure out who is behind the murders. So far I like this novel.

And Then There Were None Movie

Although the movie changed many things such as the ending in whole, the movie holds up to the horror and on edge thriller that has you wondering who is the killer and how these events will turn up. It opens your eyes to see something you have read on paper in so long be acted out on screen and witness how each character adapts to their environment and leaves a mark. Personally, I like the book better than the movie because the book is more scary, has you way more confused and conflicted in picking a killer and the needing was better as well in the book rather than the movie. I do believe that the actors they chose to play these characters were perfect because I believe they stretch out these characters potentials. I didn't like how the ending was changed from everyone dying to a couple of people surviving. I understand there certain things you can do on film but that defeats the purpose of "and then there were none."

The Big Sleep Chpt 1-6

A lot has taken place already in the first 34 pages.  A quick unexpected surprise which the main character should be used to considering his profession. The incident I'm referring to would be apart of what takes place in the life of the main character; only the main character thought he was given a job/mission that belonged or could've been done by another. Also there is a unique style on wordplay and when being descriptive. Examples here show how Chandler likes to use metaphors, analogies and similes in this portion; "The General spoke again, slowly, using his strength as carefully as an out-of-work show-girl uses her last good pair of stockings."(pg.8) There was a lot of oriental junk in the windows. I didn't know whether it was any good, not being a collector of antiques, except unpaid bills."(pg.22) Chandler's detailing is remarkable. He pulls and puts you through a scene/segment as if he's directing the reader as an actor in a movie with live props. This can be an invigorating read from beginning to end if he keeps the up.

The Big Sleep

I started reading The Big Sleep, and quite honestly I'm struggling to read it a little bit. Though the book is pretty interesting it hasn't dragged me in the way And Then There Were None has.  I definitely wasn't expecting as many twists and turns in the book as there have been so far.  It seemed at first that he was being hired for a pretty easy job - though right there you knew something was off by the way it was presented, and all the drama/trouble that follow the sisters.. I don't want to give away the book up until this point in case people haven't read it - but I will say that I have come up with so many different theories in my mind and every few pages it changes all over again. I also think there's still a lot more to learn about the father, and that we will end up learning something we weren't expecting.

Posts This Week

Hi all:

Since we're not meeting this week, all posts on Blogger will be optional. If you didn't post last week, you may post this week and get credit. Or if you'd like to get a head start on The Big Sleep and post on that this week, that would be acceptable.

See you a week from Friday.

best,

jt

And then they were none movie

I liked a lot of cinematography in the film. I think its a good add-on when all of the characters are on the moving boat, instead of the book when they were all traveling separately. I also like the pool table, I think it signifies that every man is in it for themselves. And just like the balls dropping in the wholes each little soldier disappears. I also liked how the song was reoccurring after each character passed and how they kept showing the soldiers disappearing almost like a ticking time bomb.