Transcript Gender Issues in Male Rampage Films and Film Noir

Gender, Power and the
Film Noir—II
Student Edition
Based on Works by
Andreia Thaxton Jeneen Surrency
Aaron Simmons Greg Thompson
Created and Edited by : Dr. Kay Picart@ 2002
Film Noir--Lecture Outline
 This
PowerPoint is broken into two
sections.
 This
division should correspond to two
fifty minute class sessions.
Film Noir--Lecture Outline (2)
One covers John Belton’s
article “Film Noir: Somewhere in the
Night,” and L.A. Confidential as an
example of Film Noir
 Section Two covers the Brian Gallagher
text and its relationship to the film
 Each section will contain discussion
questions relative to the information.
 Section
Film Noir: Time, Section Two
 Homoeroticism
 Sexual
(25 minutes)
Warfare (25 minutes)
Session Two:
Applying Brian Gallagher’s
‘I Love
You Too’: Sexual
Warfare and Homoeroticism in
Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity”
to L.A. Confidential
LAC - “The Threesome”

What is the threesome,
according to Gallagher?
Continued on Next Slide
LAC - “The Threesome” (2)

Apply the notion of the triangle in L.A.
Confidential.
LAC - Antagonism/ Banter

Show
that
Double
Indemnity and L.A.
Confidential
contain
sexual warfare and
bantering. Cite specific
scenes and use film
form
language
to
analyze these.
Continued on Next Slide
LAC - Antagonism/ Banter (2)

Compare
and
contrast the verbal
battles in LAC and
DI.
Continued on Next Slide
LAC - Antagonism/ Banter (3)
 Compare
Phyllis and
Lynn in their verbal
sparring abilities and
their use of their
sexual powers. Cite
specific scenes.
LAC - Homoeroticism
LAC and DI’s hints of
homoerotic relationships. Cite specific
examples, and pay attention to film form.
 Compare
Continued on Next Slide
LAC - Phyllis vs. Lynn
 Gallagher
notes that in
Double Indemnity Phyllis is
depicted in a common Film
Noir as _____________?
(How
is
her
beauty
depicted?)
Continued on Next Slide
LAC - Phyllis vs. Lynn (2)
 How
are Phyllis and Lynn
depicted? Pay attention to
the mechanics of how they
are shot.
Continued on Next Slide
LAC - Phyllis vs. Lynn (3)
the camera’s voyeurism as it
depicts Phyllis walking down the steps,
and how Lynn is first revealed
underneath her dark hood.
 Discuss
LAC - Redemption of Woman

According to Gallagher, Double Indemnity
suggests that heterosexual relationships are
___________.

In contrast, L.A. Confidential, however, shows
that
heterosexual
relationships
are
________________.

Compare and contrast the endings of both
films.
Continued on Next Slide
LAC - Redemption of Woman (2)
 Describe
how Lynn looks
at the end of L.A.
Confidential. What does
that imply?
LAC - What do you think?
How does the “love” between Lynn and Bud
complicate the homoerotic reading between
Bud and Ed?
 Does the final scene between Bud and Ed
really suggest a “tender moment” that should
be read as homoerotic, or is it simply a farewell
between partners and sex is irrelevant and
circumstantial?
 How could you make a claim one way or
another?
 Does Bud redeem Lynn or does she save him?

Double Indemnity Novella vs. Film
Novella
Key characteristics?
Film
Key
characteristics?
Double Indemnity The Final Product
 “What
was essentially a
murderous
story with strong sexual overtones
becomes a sexual story with strong
murderous overtones.”
From: Brian Gallahger “I Love You Too”: Sexual Warfare &
Homoeroticism in Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity.