Out of the Past: Classic Film Noir

Even though I had never seen a movie in the film noir genre, I had a vague idea of what it’d be like. Various images came to my mind when I thought envisioned the film. Misty cigarette smoke. Dim lighting. Dark brimmed hats and suspicious overcoats. Out of the Past did nothing to alter these stereotypes, and I could do little but laugh as I heard the cheesy one-liners and noticed the emotionless arrogance of the actors. I think we have been conditioned to expect an effort to replicate reality in modern film, and this habituation skewed my appreciation for the characters in this classic genre. This is somewhat ironic because despite the unrealistic characters in the story, the lack of a necessarily moral ‘lesson’ at the conclusion of the film presents a story that is often more akin to reality than other Hollywood movies.

One must realize that film noir as a genre produced some of the most influential and reputed actors in American film history. (Many film noir actors appear in the American Film Institutes list of the twenty-five best American actors.) I think this is because film noir, despite its blatantly pessimistic undertones and cynical outlook, provided at platform for actors to play characters that were larger than life. This stage portrayed characters as iconic figures and role models for audiences.

A good example is the Robert Mitchum’s character Jeff in Out of the Past. Despite all the tension and deception Jeff deals in the movie, he manages to evade displaying even the slightest trace of emotion. In addition, Jeff displays qualities that men would yearn to have with his charm, wit and confidence (not to mention the nonchalant way in which he lights a cigarette and is able to dispose of it after a couple of puffs in the most carefree fashion!). Even though I was repelled by what I thought was a pseudo-realistic impression of a real man, I quickly began to appreciate the more artistic and salient aspects of the film, first of which was the trademark use of lighting. Director Jacques Tourneur sets the tone for the scene with the use of lighting and shadows especially in scenes where there is a heightened sense of tension. For example, in the scene where Jeff is finally able to meet again with Kathy after they are forced apart, the joyful mood is disturbed by the dark shadows from the leaves and branches, foreshadowing the trouble that is approaching.

In Rick Altman’s article titled A Semantic/Syntactic Approach to Film Genre he notes that genres are undergoing change and morphing constantly. The suggestion that some genres incorporate aspects of others to propagate themselves is applicable in this particular case because we see signature elements of romance and mystery films in Out of the Past. However, I feel that as a genre film noir is more distinctly classified. As an art form, I feel that the expressionistic nature of film noir and that lack of obligation to go the “happily ever after” route make it an atypical Hollywood film, and Out of the Past is a great example of this.

The International: Review

In The International, rugged Interpol veteran Lou Sallinger (Clive Owen) finds himself in a quest to bring down the powerful International Bank of Business and Credit after he uncovers their illegal money-laundering and arms dealing activities. Fueled by the suspicious and abrupt murder of his Interpol wingman and obstructed by the ruthlessness and influence of the organization that he has to take on, Sallinger finds the help of fellow agent Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) in his globe-trekking quest to establish justice.

The International seeks to redefine our definition of justice and laments the sorry state of a world run by big businesses and political power. In portraying Sallinger as a rugged and determined protagonist the story is fundamentally a good versus evil clash of an embattled hero against an omnipotent villain (the financial institution). This could well have been The International’s biggest disappointment. Despite its attempts to distinguish itself from other mainstream actions films by focusing on a contemporary issue and conflict rather than a far-fetched premise and romantic side-story, it seems pressured into justifying itself with a lengthy and complex plot. Ultimately, the film is creative and displays sharp narrative, but loses some of its spark due to a meandering storyline.

Still, whatever the film lacks in plot it makes up for with unique realism and astute cinematography. The films signature consists of clear and crisp shot composition throughout, with German director Tom Tykwer paying special attention to the rule of thirds in many of his scenes. Numerous shots also emphasize visual boundaries across the screen, with clear lines and color differences dissecting the shot. This, in addition the predominantly bright and white lighting, provides us with a false sense of order that veils the discord and confusion in the scenes, reflecting the composed and firm exterior of the bank that hides activities swathed in sin. In general, the films mise-en-scene is constructed to provide a visual contrast between Sallinger and his surroundings, effectively conveying the pervasiveness of his opponent and the difficulty and deceptiveness he faces in executing his duty. An important facet of this is the numbing lack of color in the film, with almost all outdoor scenes shot in overcast, gloomy conditions while indoor scenes are often set in glass buildings or concrete cities. In addition, the music used in the key scenes is neither inspiring nor dramatic. This provides a cold and unemotional backdrop to highlight Sallinger’s vigor and passion, further emphasized by the costumes in the film. While all IBBC employees are dressed in crisp suits exuding efficiency and stoic clarity, our hero is an unshaven and dirty mess and stands out in his loose shirt and crumpled overcoat.

In comparison to other action flicks, I admire the attention that Tykwer paid to establishing realism in his shots. The lack of high-flying stunts from our main protagonist distinguishes the film from other clichéd hero-driven action counterparts (think Jason Statham in The Transporter) and maintains an abstract and earthen feel similar to other Tykwer films such as German action-thriller Lola Rennt (1998). In fact, the culminating action sequence is a messy blur of blood and broken glass that takes place in the Guggenheim Museum, in which Sallinger pays more attention to getting out safely than to killing all the “bad-guys”. This is possibly a symbolic representation of Sallinger’s dogged perseverance in the ultimate disruption of the established order, and adds a human touch to the movie that pleads with the audience to step back and think about the films underlying message.

If you are a fan of action thrillers, The International is a movie that warrants your audience. It is a refreshing change from the Hollywood norm, and displays a creative and artistic approach to complement the coarse violence that is inevitable. Tom Tykwer offers an interesting angle to the film, and his interpretation of the genre is certainly different (I definitely recommend watching Lola Rennt for context!). However, I still find that the director struggles with the length and complexity of the plot. In feeling the need to justify the story to the audience, the films potentially jarring social statement is diluted.

Cache: The Camera in Hiding

The name says it all. Cache (or “hidden” in French) is a movie that explores the hidden space in narrative. There are so many questions we ask ourselves during films. How was the special effect engineered? What is she looking at? Why would the director choose this particular shot? Who is he talking to? Usually, directors take pleasure in answering these questions and unraveling a beautifully wrapped story. Not this time…

In Cache, Georges Laurent, a middle-aged French TV presenter and his wife Anne find voyeuristic videotapes of their house left at their door. These videos trigger a series of increasingly hasty actions from Georges as he tries to piece together the mystery behind them. Award-winning director Michael Haneke succeeds in maintaining an elevated level of fervent tension throughout the film not only through what he decides to show on screen, but also largely through the parts he chooses to leave out.

In Daniel Dayan's article The Tutor Code of Classical Cinema he reminds us of the theory of the absent one, a term given to the limited image that the audience can perceive as a result of the screen displaying only "the axis of glance of another spectator, who is ghostly or absent". This limitation leaves the viewer uncertain and “distrustful” of the image, as its context not clear. Only until the next shot is revealed is the meaning of the previous shot truly understood. In conventional cinema, we are used to seeing a reverse shot that abolishes all ambiguity concerning the owner of the previous point of view (in most cases, another human in conversation). Bonitzer describes this realization fluently in his article titled Off-Screen Space when he notes that the reverse shot “retrospectively renders the space concrete” and “confirms the reality of the scene”.

The beauty of Haneke’s direction is that he does not allow this ambiguity to be alleviated through a shot/reverse shot sequence and maintains the level of anxiety felt by the viewer. By putting constraints on what the audience can see and understand, he cleverly adds another layer of apprehension to the story. The voyeuristic videotape shot of Georges’ house, for example, is so effective in building tension because we are almost conditioned to expect that the next reverse shot will reveal the person standing outside the house, and are surprised and frustrated when Haneke refuses to reveal it.

A significant portion of the movie consists of shots that include very little camera movement. For example, in a scene where the couple has friends over for an evening meal, the entire scene is a long shot that takes place without the camera moving at all. In addition, some shots are purposely filmed at a distance, as if the camera is in hiding. Examples of this include the across-the-street shot outside Pierrot’s (Georges’ son) school as well as an extended scene shot from inside a garage while the subjects are minute objects in the distance.

Haneke is also not afraid to allow characters to leave the shot and not return, allowing the viewer to make their own assumptions about the narrative and raising yet more questions in their minds. Interestingly there are also scenes where, quite literally, nothing happens! These techniques emphasize the security camera-like feel with which the movie is shot. Over the course of the film, there is a realization that the audience is in fact watching the film as a voyeur and possibly isn’t as emotionally invested in the story, as they are lead to believe. Unlike other mainstream movies, the viewer is almost made to believe that watching the film is a sinful indulgence.