IdaZFilmNoirClassNotes

FINAL   Due Monday by 11:59pm      Points 100 Available after May 16 at 2pm Corky and Vincent Considering our framing, discussion, and viewing of The Wachowski’s Bound (1996) Explore: 1)2 aspects of how the film meets or crosses over into classical Noir execution. 2) include at least 2 elements of the film that stand     as examples of Bound as a post-modern or neo-noir work.   Remember to include not only plot/story elements but also visual, aural and tonal elements that support your discussion  as relevant to a work of cinema ( editing, cinematography, lighting, acting, direction, etc .).  I’m not overly concerned with your use of proper industry terminology, discuss these elements as you would in class discussion – what is important is that you explore the film as a whole in relation to its classical elements of noir as well as how it manifests as a later work that is influenced by this period but goes beyond the confines of classical exam...

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...

Once Disaster Hits, It Seems Never to End READ AFTER WATCHING A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE A masterpiece of indirection and pure visceral thrills, David Cronenberg's latest mindblower, "A History of Violence ," is the feel-good, feel-bad movie of the year. The story of a seemingly average American family almost undone by cataclysmic violence, the film takes place in a surreal and mercilessly brutal land, Anytown, U.S.A., that has been repeatedly soaked in blood only to be repeatedly washed clean. The great kick of the movie -- or rather, its great kick in the gut -- comes from Mr. Cronenberg's refusal to let us indulge in movie violence without paying a price. The man wants to make us suffer, exquisitely. Mr. Cronenberg also wants us to have a good time, and it's this tension between cinematic pain and pleasure that helps make "A History of Violence" such a sensational moviegoing experience. The film, which hinges on an upstanding citizen and reluctant mystery ...

A History of Violence Ke Tom Stall is a kind and gentle small diner owner in a tiny town in Indiana. A loving husband and father of two, he gets his life turned upside down when he confronts and kills two criminals robbing his diner and threatening his employees. He immediately becomes the talk of the town, hailed by all as a real American hero. The undesired popularity and media exposure, however, brings unwanted attention from the East Coast, as a mob big shot and his henchmen soon arrive claiming Tom is actually Joey, a criminal from Philadelphia who left the mob around two decades ago and tried to secure a completely new life for himself. Tom resolutely states the newcomers are mistaken, but as their relentless hostile presence grows more difficult to ignore, the loving husband and father of two will have to face up to the darkness of his past, much to the shock of his post-criminal career family. “You could say that the title is applied to the character having a history of violenc...

Cronenberg Looks at a Violent America PICTURE MISSING The complexity of Cronenberg’s A History of Violence can be foreshadowed by a quick and simple analysis of the film’s very title. Do these puzzling words refer to Tom Stall’s past that finally comes to bite him in the ass? Or is the title pointed, perhaps, at the history of the United States? And if it is, why stop at this particular country, when violence has been an integral part of any nation’s existence, when violence is an unavoidable, if unpleasant, aspect of the very nature of human beings? A History of Violence is a broad enough term to be applied to everything at once. “You could say that the title is applied to the character having a history of violence, but also to the history of America,” Cronenberg explained at one point. “I don’t think there is any country that doesn’t have a history of violence.” His main star, however, went further. “On the press tour, we’d get into a lot of debates with the press because they woul...

The Slacker Noir  What do films featuring hardboiled American crime, venetian blinds, bong water, and complete and utter ennui have in common? Surprisingly a lot, actually. Slate recently posted a video essay that reveals the peculiar and perfect connections between two sub-genres of films that couldn't seem to be less related: film noir and stoner comedies. If you're a complete film theory/history nerd like yours truly, you're going to want to learn all about "Slacker Noir". Now, it's important to know about each of these sub-genres to really get a handle on what the video is talking about. First, film noir. So much study has been done on this type of film, specifically by French critics Etienne Chaumeton and Raymond Borde, who characterized these stark, black and white melodramas as "oneiric, strange, erotic, ambivalent, and cruel." Though these five attributes don't completely define or even relate to every film noir, they do speak to the lio...

 COEN BROTHERS AND NEO-NOIR John Getz as Ray in the opening scene of  Blood Simple There may be some disappointment that this module's film is not the Coen Brother's Blood Simple , Fargo or No Country for Old Men . While there are many wonderful neo-noir films to choose from, let's take a moment to look back at the Coen's calling on noir throughout their career. " Blood Simple : Convention and Creativity in Noir" The fundamental reason that Blood Simple remains a seminal neo-noir is because it was born out of the same circumstances that forged the beginnings of film noir itself. They both began as low-budget/B-picture movies meant to turn a profit, which necessitated an embrace of more provocative and exploitative stories to draw interest from an audience. The Coens decided their first film should be a noir for (Bad link.) “… practical reasons . [ They] knew [they] weren’t going to have a big budget. ” They took inspiration from the writings of Raymond Chand...