IdaZFilmNoirClassNotes

SCREENING: BOUND En route to a seduction, Corky comes over to "fix the pipes" 1996’s tight-budgeted Bound is the directorial debut of The Wachowskis, in hindsight deeply overshadowed by the success of The Matrix trilogy and the other-worldly Cloud Atlas . But look a little closer and you’ll find that it shouldn’t be overshadowed at all, even if only for its redefining of gender politics and enticing reimagining of the neo-noir genre. At its centre is the relationship between just-out-of-jail Corky (Gina Gershon), and Violet (Jennifer Tilly), a character who primarily appears to be the walking embodiment of the femme fatale archetype. Violet’s relationship with the sleazily violent mafia member gives them the in they need to get the chance to rob a group of men of $2 million, with Corky’s previous for stealing coming together to hatch the perfect plan. The plot itself is fairly simple, but there’s enough elements that could go wrong for it to remain gripping. What a linear p...

The Wachowski's first feature film Frank Miller's Sin City Graphic Novel Written and directed by the Wachowski's with cinematography by Bill Pope ( The Matrix, Baby Driver, Team America: World Police, Clueless, Army of Darkness ). In their debut film the Wachowski's wanted to play with stereotypes (genre, gender, etc.) and make an entertaining film that contained sex and violence because those are the kind of films they like to watch. Several studio executives promised the funds to produce the film if the character of Corky was a man. The Wachowski's refused, as this had already been done ( The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity , etc.). A lesbian relationship that once seemed like the hook for a showy modern noir now seems like the inverse - a showy noir that traffics in a substantive, empowering look at two women trying to negotiate a man's world. VIOLET (Jennifer Tilly): prostitute, Caesar's girlfriend, femme fatale? Her voice is high-pitched w...

DEEP FOCUS: BOUND Violet hangs laundered money to dry The Wachowski's arrived on the cinematic map in 1996 with Bound , a thriller that contains many elements otherwise associated with exploitation fare. Though prior to this they had written material for Marvel Comics and collaborated on the (later heavily revised) screenplay for Assassins (1995), Bound was the Wachowskis’ first major project in which they maintained creative control. Leather, gangsters, harsh killings, and lesbian sexuality all play a role in this twisting neo-noir, yet those elements are elevated to considerable heights through the Wachowskis expert formal and clever narrative flourishes. Such components assemble to form an altogether surprising, titillating, and immersive experience rooted in the elemental notion of pure cinema. Certainly not within the mainstream, pointedly digital niche they have since carved out for themselves with The Matrix ( Links to an external site .), Speed Racer ( Links to an ex...

Key Term Review Before getting into the details of our final screening and essay questions, a quick review of some key terms. GENRE (timeless) In French, “type” or “kind.” Genres typically tell stories that share settings, conflicts, character types, and iconographies. Iconography includes all the visual motifs that appear in genres (so, cowboy hats and boots, spurs, “tough guys,” etc. in westerns). Westerns, gangster films, and musicals are a few examples. Embedded within genres are historical mythologies particular to a nation or culture — and thus ideologies (value systems that we learn to take for granted). FILM NOIR (1940s – 1950s is the classic period; noir and neo-noir have existed since, though) Assuming film noir is a kind of genre, we note that noir often: takes place at night in urban spaces (and usually in the western part of the U.S.); is shadowy and involves crime; is cynical and fatalistic (heroes are flawed and doomed and often suffer or die by end); is sexual; featur...

OVERVIEW Revisionist Noir Violet is threatened by Caeser In our final module and screening we will explore the un- and re-doing of noir tropes and narrative setup in the Wachowski's first feature film Bound . LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of this module, you will be able to : 1.Describe stylistic and thematic elements of classical and revisionist noir 2.Identify and assess noir elements of lighting, characterization, theme, mood and tone in Bound 3.Assess Bound (1996) TO-DO LIST To meet the objectives of this module, you will complete the following activities and assessments : 1.Read module content 2.Watch Bound 3.Complete 2 short final essay questions 4.Complete class survey

Module 15 Summary  Tom's past catches up with him RECAP David Cronenberg's A History of Violence exhibits a multi-layered story of truth and lies befitting of a neo-noir film. We also considered the Coen Brother's contributions to neo-noir and the rise of the slacker noir. In this module To demonstrate your learning, you completed the following activities and assessments :  1.Read module content 2.Watch A History of Violence and clips RESOURCES "33 Essential Neo-Noirs, from Jackie Brown to Gone Girl," Vulture - Link Here YOUTUBE LINK TO: Host Eddie Muller on Neo Noir Theme -  Link Here Lars von Trier's Dogville (2003) hybridizes theater tradition, gangster, noir, "on the run," outlaw and other modes of storytelling that ultimately reflect on the brutal underbelly of America where communities band together and often turn on each other as it suits them.  SPOILER ALERT: this is just before the end of the film if you haven't seen it yet, however it...