Blog #5, Response to Brian Gallaghers Article.

Whoa, that was a lot to read.

‘I Love You Too’: Sexual Warfare and Homoeroticism in Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity” by Brian Gallagher brought up a lot of interesting points about the film and the novel that I didn’t pay much attention to before. But, I disagree with some of what Gallagher said.

First off, I still do not see the homoeroticism in either the novel of the film. Not as it is described anyway. I don’t see any sexual tension, suppressed or otherwise, between Walter and Keys. All I can see is a close bond, either a long lasting friendship or a father-son sort of thing, between two men who have been working close together for a long time and have come to know and respect each other. When Walter says that he loves Keys, it doesn’t mean that he has any sort of desires to be with him. I ‘Love’ a lot of people. I care a great deal about them, and I would do almost anything for them. A lot of them are guys. I don’t want to be intimate with them. They’ve just made their way into my circle of people that I trust, and who I consider family.

As for the cigar being a “Clearly phallic” (234) object, I would like to ask why it is seen that way. Cigars are typically a male thing, and most people in my experiences who smoke them are men. Yes, lighting another persons smoke is typically seen as a romantic thing, or something that men do for women, but it could also just be a kind gesture. Keys refuses to carry matches because they are unsafe, and Walter always happens to have some because he also smokes. He’s just helping his friend.

Something interesting that he pointed out, but I have not real argument for, is when Keys picks up Walters phone when he is in his office, assuming the role of the “Secretary”. I just like how observant and analytical some people are.

 

The only time that I saw that might have been slightly homoerotic was the very end of the film, when Keys states that Walter was closer than just across the desk. But again, these men have been working together for a long time, and have come to know and respect each other. They trust each other. They are friends, and friends don’t normally like to accuse each other of murder and insurance fraud. Also, death can do something to you. Keys saw that Walter was in serious pain, and might not make it to the hospital. I don’t really like putting personal things in here but I’ve sort of been in that situation. You get either really desensitized to the world, or you realize just how much someone meant to you. Gallagher says that this is the only time that he feels he can express his true feelings; I think it is just how humans work.

Gallagher compares the tension between Huff and Keys to that of soldiers in the war. Where, if a comrade is dying, it is acceptable to hold them, kiss them, show affection. This irritates me. If Mr. Gallagher was reading this, I would ask him to place himself in their boots. That is a person you have gone through hell with. They are your brother. You are watching your brother die, in an already emotionally tense situation. Nobody would just let them die. You comfort them, you let them die in a friends arms, in relative peace.

I’m at 600 words now, so I have to stop. This was a good article, and I liked some of the perspectives it took. I just don’t see them in the story.

*Totally unrelated to class, browse over if you want to.

Hey guys, I have another blog where I put up some of the things I've written in the past. I'm not very good at it, but if you have some free time I'd appreciate some honest feedback. (If it sucks, tell me it sucks. If you have suggestions, give them to me). It's linked on the right, under "Home". It says "I like to write". Thanks.
-Michael

Blog Entry #4

For this entry, I tried to respond to Zero Draft Questions one and two.

One:

The ending of Double Indemnity is very different in the novel than it is in the film. In the novel, Keys puts Walter on a boat with Phyllis. After they find each other and talk a little, they decide that suicide would be the only way to avoid what was ultimately coming for them. In the film, they shoot each other. Only Phyllis dies, and Walter is sent to prison. At least, that is what is implied. Both the book and the movie leave the true ending up to the reader a little bit, never saying what exactly happened to Walter or Phyllis.

I would say that the ending of the film was more in line with what we have learned of Film Noir. It was more exciting, there was more action, and more back-stabbing. The end of the novel was too peaceful for me, they shouldn’t have been able to choose when or how they died. Keys, who was pretty much the leading detective in the story, shouldn’t have let them go. They got off too easy. The film was much better. We see Walter go to Phyllis’s house, planning to kill her. But she’s planning to kill him. They both wind up shooting, but only Walter makes it out. While he was finishing up his confession and planning to make his escape, Keys comes in and catches him. He’s on his way out and he bleeds out. Keys calls the police, and it’s over. I still think Walter got off too easy, but it is a better ending.

Two:

The Film Double Indemnity has heavy use of shadows and other visual elements of Film Noir from the beginning. The opening scene is Walter Neff, slowly walking through his workplace, totally surrounded by shadows, with his back to the camera. We don’t see his face until he sits down in the office, which is also totally dark. All throughout the film, we can see the use of blinds to cast lines over a character, in a time where they would have felt trapped. I noticed this the most when Keyes brings in Mr. Jackson, the man from the observation car. After he recognizes Walter from somewhere, and says that he is sure that it wasn’t Mr. Dietrichson who jumped, he leaves. Walter walks over to the desk, and you can see the bars being cast over him as he realizes he is that much closer to being caught. The film also uses rain, when Phyllis comes to see Walter in his apartment the first time.

I would agree that the film only views Phyllis as Walter would, with our view shifting as his did. Over the course of the story, we see her develop from just a pretty face to a full on basket case. In their first meeting, she is barely clothed. Walter is obviously distracted, and only sees her as a beautiful, mysterious woman. As he learns about her intentions, and gets drawn into her plans, he realizes just how cold hearted and evil she is. She’s emotionless when talking about the murder, she acts perfectly when she is brought in for questioning, and she threatens him when he goes to pull out. Then, when he realizes he’s too tangled in the web, she tries to kill him.

Blog Entry # 3, Making a Noir Story.

Okay, so I'm going to try to make my own story. Professor Toth said it sounded okay as an outline, let me know if I should change anything before Sunday and I will. It turned out to be 800 words so over the limit a bit. Sorry.

My name is Roger Thompson. I am a lawyer working for a small firm operating in Queens, NY. I don’t have many friends, I try not to make enemies. I live alone. Every day I go to work and come home. Nothing changes. But one day, something horrible happened.

 

It was just a normal day for me. I got coffee at the gelato place down the street, sat at my desk, filed some paperwork, talked to some clients, then went to go home. It was about nine P.M. I went out and got in my car, but it wouldn’t start. Very odd, considering I just had it looked at last week. Oh well, I live a few blocks away. It was dark. The few street lamps still working cast long shadows everywhere.  The evenings mist was starting to creep in. I pulled my hat down, tightened my coat and set off.

About halfway home, the streetlights were all out. I still don’t know why that was. Against my better judgment, I went down this street anyway. I wanted to be home as quickly as possible. Up ahead I heard a scuffling sound, like someone was wrestling. Then I heard the cries for help, muffled by something but clear enough that I could hear the fear in the persons voice. I crept over to investigate, and saw what appeared to be a mugging. Two men were holding down a woman, and one of them was going through her things. As I took this all in, I realized that I recognized the woman. Her name was Brenda. She lived across the street from me, we talked sometimes. I’d had feelings for her for quite some time now and I think she knew it. One of her attackers turned and saw me, and yelled at me to stay where I was. A porch light came on next door, casting shifting shadows from the trees and bushes over the scene. Brenda managed to free her mouth and told me to help her, and that she could find a way to repay me later. At some point before I arrived, some of her clothes had been torn, exposing her curves. Oh, she was beautiful. And I wanted to help and see just what she had in mind when it was all over.

I felt around in my pockets for anything that might help me here, a pen, a pencil, anything. I had a letter opener. I remember vaguely thinking that my boss would be mad that I hadn’t returned it when I left. Oh well. Now, how do I take these guys out? I’m not a big guy, most would say I’m scrawny. I decided full on charge. So I jumped at them, and stuck one of them in the shoulder. The other one socked me in the temple, and I couldn’t see for a few seconds. I dropped my makeshift knife. I felt a sharp pain in my stomach, and when my vision cleared I saw Brenda, holding the letter opener with my blood dripping off of it. “A pity it had to be you he spotted. I kind of liked you. Give us your cash and valuables and you may go.” Shocked, I didn’t react. One of the guys pushed me, and I punched him with all of the strength I could manage so he fell into the second thug. Then I ran, as fast as I could. It seemed to be getting darker, and it was surrounding me as if it was waiting for me to bleed out and die there in the street. I could see the shadows of the two men catching up to mine. Fueled by panic, I ducked down an alley and took random turns to try to ditch my pursuers. But they stayed on my tail like a couple of blood hounds. I was getting tired, and I had lost a lot of blood. I tried one last time to escape my attackers, and jumped on to a dumpster and over a wall. Right into a dead end. There was a light up above, in a fire escape. The grating cast a shadow over the whole place, turning it into a big cage. I indeed felt trapped in a cage. At the open end of the alley, I saw a silhouette walking towards me. All I could do was slump against the wall and fall to the floor as their shadow came over me. The last thing I remember was Brenda, telling me that I should have just cooperated and that pain again, in my ribs this time. I blacked out and woke up in a hospital.

A little digging revealed that she was actually an accomplished thief, and that she had done this many times before. I moved and never went back. I still have nightmares about it.