The Issue of Hope and Redemption in Film Noir: Living Day-to-Day
in the Present, or Living for the Future?
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literature
summaries
published 11/04/2008
review : Completed
level : General public
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The films Out of the Past, Force of Evil, and Double Indemnity are narratives that contain similar noir themes. All three narratives follow troubled male characters who must sever ties with their pasts in order to move forward to a hopeful and happy future. Two of these characters succeed, morally, and one fails. This essay will explore noir techniques in these three films and will postulate why the two characters are redeemed while the third character remains ruined.
Table of Contents
- In Jeff's past life, he did exhibit these noir traits.
- In director Abraham Polonsky's film Force of Evil (1948), the crooked lawyer Joe exhibits some of the noir protagonist traits.
- The character Phyllis Dietrichson in director Billy Wilder's film Double Indemnity (1944) first appears wrapped in a towel.
- Neff and Phyllis then sit side by side on a sofa as she asks again about accident insurance. Phyllis is in camera focus.
- At the window Phyllis asks Neff, 'Do you want me to go'' and Neff replies, 'Sure.?
