Blog #5

I Love You Too’: Sexual Warfare and Homo eroticism in Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity” by Brian Gallagher is   article  that’s  contrasts  the novel   by M.Cain  and  the  film   double indemnity   it  shows  various aspects  that might  not  seem  visible  to  the naked   eye.

 For  example I never actually  thought  the  scene  where Phyllis  shows  her  ankle  was  something    really sexual, but according  to  the time period  where  this  movie   and the novel   where set  up  it   is a big  deal  it was   something   overwhelmed   with  sexual  thoughts. It was in this   time period where women were covered from   almost head to toe especially married women.

 What I did catch   was  the over aggressiveness  to   the  character  Walter  in the film  it  seems like  in  most  scene  where  he is interacting  with  a person  he  just met   everyone  seems to  have  certain  hatred  towards him   it could  be   because of  his profession  or  it  could just be   to make  the audience  feel more  sympathetic  towards  him.  Saying  “poor  guy  everyone  dislikes  him  for no  apparent  reason’’ I believe   the  scenes  when  everyone  is showing  their dislike towards  him makes  the  film  more  full of tension ,  dramatic and  dark.

 The article  also  mentions the   3 pictures  of  the  boxers  on  Walters   wall  that they create  this  sense of  aggressiveness, I didn't   pay enough  attention to catch  those little  details  but  after  reading  it, I  felt  the need  to  look back at  the  scene  and   check     how  that  would  change my perception , and  in fact   the  scene  did   look  more  tough  and  Noir  oriented.

The thing that  I   indeed  catch  was the bromance, I’m not  sure if  I’m mistaken or not  but in my personal opinion  what  Keyes and  Walter  had  was more   than  a  boss  and employee  relationship  it was  probably like  a brother  to brother or father –son relationship  there  was  that  respect  in between them  and   that cynical  love  full of  sarcasm, like  when  Walter would    say to Keyes  “yeah  I love you too’’ I felt  like   there  the  kind of  I love you’s you tell  to someone  in   a  way so  they  believe  you’re just joking  but   they are full  of  that  feeling that makes  them  more than  just simple  words.

The lighting  of  the  cigars that  was another factor  that  could be consider  part  of the bromance  lighting a cigar or  cigarette  was usually a gesture  a man  would  do  for a women  but in this  film is  used as   something  more meaningful  than  just  trying to get  the name of that  beautiful female  who needed a match,  it  is used  as  a symbol  of   solidarity between  the  two characters , it’s like  if  every time  Walter light  a  cigar    he  was  telling  Keyes, I  Got you bro, and  then  in the  very last  scene  you  see  Keyes   returning  the  gesture to  Walter  when  he  is  laying   by  the door in his  death bed   trying  to  smoke  what could  be  his last cigarette, It is  then  when  we can  actually notice  that it  wasn't just  a simple  lighting of  the  cigar/cigarette  but  something more  deep.

Pardon  if  i  don't make  sense I'm  sleep deprived  and my inspiration kicks  in at dark  hours.

Blog #4 Questions #1 & question #4

Answer to question # 1.
 The  ending   in the  novel   and  the ending   in the movie were totally  different, I  would  understand  why after  reading the  ending  from  the novel,  the   ending  from t he novel  was  more  open  to  the imagination   it  did have  the  Noir  elements  but  it  was not as detailed, the  last   two  words of  the novel  are " The  Moon",  which  would leave you speculating , about  the  reason  for  those words, could  it be  because   it  what  represents  the  last night  that     Walter and  Phyllis  will be  alive   will  it  be because  it  reminds Walter  about  the  time  spent   with Lola  its  just  two  words  that  raise  more doubts in the readers minds  and  no  way to  answer  them. So instead   of  just letting  go  and  saying well  that  a good  novel   you might  have some   people  asking  for  the sequel. Or in  fact  asking  for their  questions to be answered   but maybe not even   M. Cain know  the  answers  to  those  questions.Then  the  ending  from the movie  its more   clear  as  what happens  to  the  characters  and  why   does it happen,  for  example  in the movie  Walter  kills  Phyllis  and personally  I was  happy  with the fact  that  she  died, I  was  hoping   she died  in  a  more horrible  way  maybe   some  kind of  mental  torture  could of  gone along  with it  and  then a  slowly painful death, But then again  its just my opinion, and  Noir wise  i believed  that the film  ending  had  a most of  the Film  Noir  elements making it  the best  ending, even    when  the  novel  ending   was full of  suspense  and  darkness  it  just  wasn't  the right  fit  to  present in a movie.   the  film  ending didn't   raise  that  much  questions  maybe  some  people didn't  enjoy  the fact  that it  was  to  predictable but  what do  you  expect  to happen  when  you are a  twisted  dark  women  who plans  on  killing  everyone, it  had to happen  sooner or later.

Question #4

 Fred MacMurray  definitely   fits  the  character i  had  created in my mind   he  is  this  rough looking  guy  that  sales  insurance  door  by  door  intimidating  enough  to  be  able  to  sale   enough  to be  the best  seller  that  the company  has. he  also  has  this tough  voice perfect  for  the Noir films  it makes  him  sounds  and look  more manly which  fits  just  fine with the  Noir  elements. The  way  he portrays his  character  helps  a lot  to because  he has  this look  on  his eyes  that  make him look  sweet. On the  other  hand  Barbara Stanwyck  i had  created a less innocent look    for  her  she looks  to  sweet  not  as tough  as  i   had   pictured  her  she  seems  just a little  two  sweet  and unlike  the novel  in the film  she  looks  very easily  controlled and  not  in charge of  nothing it  seems like  if  she  was  just  the link  that  Walter needed not the  actual  master  twisted  sick mind. Barbara Stanwyck  did  a  good  job  but like  I  said  it  was  not like i had  expected it  maybe  an  actress  that  looked   a little  bit more  rough   would  have  done  the trick.

Blog # 3

Now here i am  sitting in the dark  corner of  this bar feeling how the blood gushes out of my wound into my shirt, contemplating  my life go  by but it  seems  awfully boring  the  flashbacks  are invading  my eyes  and  all i  can  see   clearly  is the past  days. The pain  is so harsh  i can barely  breath  without  dragging attention to my self, I will numb  the  feeling  with  some whiskey  i  believe  a  bottle  will do  the  job, But let me  tell  you  how  i got here in the  first  place. I was on  the job, I had  a  special  case near  the  Santa  Monica pier, that  had  been  my  routine  for  quite a bit  of time already. But  this  day  was  a little  different than  the  rest of  the  year  or  anything i had  done,

It  was November  2nd  Dia  de los Muertos I  believe  it's a Hispanic  celebration honoring  the death, and for  what i  saw  it is a  really big  deal,there was  hundreds of people but  even   in  the  giant crowd  one single person   caught my  attention, she was a tall ,light  skinned, with beautiful  big  brown   eyes, and  a little  birthmark  below her  right  eye. She looked  simply stunning and i  wanted  to  know her. Unluckily  for me i  had to leave i had  received a  call,  the person  I was looking  for  had   been  seen  by  one of my former colleague  from  when i  was working  for  the police  department. I had  to  leave  Mario De La  Fuente  was  more important than  me  finding  what  some people call  love. 

  I went to  check  that information on Mario De La Fuente but it  seemed  useless I decided to call it a  day and I went  home, For some reason it  felt  lonelier  that  day, i felt  the  walls  closing  up on me, every step  i took  it seemed  like the room  was getting  smaller  and smaller,  I light one of my  special cigars and  saw  the  smoke dissipate in front of my eyes, as i  sipped  some  whiskey it  was  the perfect  combination  but  not  today, there  was  still something in my mind it was her,  that   beautiful  women i knew  nothing about. I went to sleep because i had  to  wake up early I  needed  to know where was Mario De La  Fuente and  fast there was a lot of trouble  going on  and Mario had something to  do  with it i  had been  investigating  him for  a couple of months now he  was  the head of  a Cartel well known  for  their crimes  committed against  people  that had  done  them  wrong.  As usual i went  to  the Pier to see if i could  catch  an  eye on Mario, but today  just  wasn't  going to be the  day  apparently. I was getting  ready to get up and  leave  then suddenly  the women that had  driven me  crazy in love  sat   in my table, You mind if  I take a seat?, She said. No  of course  not  i replied. 

I felt  like a child  waking up in Christmas  getting  the exact present  he had  asked for all year long. she  was  even prettier  up  close, the red lipstick  that  marked her lips reminded me of  blood but in a good  way it  reminded  me of  every time i  had killed someone  who  tried to shoot at me and  missed it  was  a certain sensation  that  i  can  not possibly  describe.Whats  your name beautiful?. Sofia  she said.  i had never  seen perfection before, but i had  now  and  Sofia  was her name. i  was so  caught up  with  Sofia, Until  i  heard a  shot somebody had  been  shot  and  there  was already  a crowd  forming  around the unfortunate bastard. I ran  as  fast as i  could towards the crowd i saw the man  lying  there on the ground life less in  a pool  of  his own  blood, i  took  his  wallet  out  to  identify him but  i knew  who  he  was,  he was my  rat  Alejandro  Villareal  , Mario's Right  hand man,  that  could  just mean  he had  done  something  wrong or  they found  out he had talked  to detective (me) maybe and they  decided  to let  him off  easy compared to others. I left the scene he  was none of my  business. i headed  towards my car and i saw Her  again  there  was Sofia  waiting for me. She  asked for a ride I said yes and  took  her  home, before leaving  the car she  smirked and  said, How  does  8 o clock  sound, i was shocked for a second I wasn't  sure what she  meant  by 8 o Clock. Dinner  silly you will  pick me up at  8 and  we  will  have a  wonderful evening and  then  she kissed me. Well  Yes  that sounds amazing at 8 it will be.

 I went  home  got  ready i  felt  so  childish because i had not  been  in a  date  in forever. i went picked up  a dozen roses and  headed  to  her house. I rang  the  door bell to my surprise  it  wasn't Sofia who  opened  the door, It was Mario i was confused, i had been played  and now i was  in danger, he knew i had  been  after him for quite a long time and  now  he  was  going to get me. I pulled  out my  gun  but  he  took  the  first  shot it missed luckily for  me  his gun got stuck  it  gave me a  couple of  seconds to  run to my car, He  was the head of  a cartel  he didn't just carry one  gun   he took out a 9 mm a  took several  shots at me  two hit me  but I  still drove  off  he followed me, I lost him  and  I went  into this bar I ordered  a  bottle  of  whiskey  I'm  sure he  will be  here in  no time, I can  barely keep my eyes open everything  seems  to  begetting  darker, I just heard  loud noise  now my chest  feels  warm  and really  heavy, my blood  seems like  water  it's all over me I guess  this is  how it  all had to  end   all because of  a women  Sofia  was  the name of  perfection  But also  the name of my  trap and the cause of my death.

Blog Entry #2

 In the article, “Towards a Definition of Film Noir,” the authors Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton state “in  every  sense of the  word ,a Noir film is a  film  of death”. Right  away  from  the  first   page of  this  book  you  already have   this mood  of  death ,  and  every  single  line  that  you keep  on  reading  drags  you into  the mystery  and  you feel  trapped  in  the situation  like  if  you  became   part of  the setting and  you cant  just  turn  around and leave  you have  to keep reading until  your eyes hurt and you know  how  everything  could  possibly  end.In  the  same   Article ''Towards  the  Definition of Film Noir''   specifies that "The qualities of  film noir: ''nightmarish, weird, erotic, ambivalent, and  cruel.'' ''  Double Indemnity   has  all  those  qualities and  goes beyond.  You have  sales man ( Walter Huff )  who might  seem common like  any other  salesman  out there but  there  is  something else  about him that  even  he doesn't  know yet, and  it  is  that  he  would  do  anything for a   women  but   it  cant  be  any  women  it has  to be  ''THE WOMEN'', for  a  women  he  would  be  willing  to play  his own  agency     and  why  not get   some  cash in the process,  and  this is  when  Phyllis Nirdlinger  pops  in  the  scene,  our  infamous  Femme Fatale, She  is Mr.Nirdlinger Wife. she  is  the   young,  petite and  beautiful Wife, She  has  a  twisted  dark  mind, she   had  certain  ideas  of  her own  that  she  wouldnt like to  share  with everyone due to  the nature of them, but  finally  after  meeting Mr.Huff  our ambiguous salesman  she  knows  he is the one    but not  after passing  her  test , she lets  out some hints   as her bait  and  Walter  the  salesman  bites   them  right of the hook  not  without  getting  stuck  on them.Also we  have the Victim, Mr.Nirdlinger who  happens  to  be married  to  the  wrong person, at  the  wrong time, due  to  the wrong  reasons  which  it's a bad  business for him because  all this plot  results in  his  dead  because all  he is worth is  a  Double Indemnity. In  the  Same  artivle i've mentioned   before  "Towards the  definition  of  film  noir'' the  authors  say  that  “film noir is [crime] from within; from the point of view of the criminal.”  and  that's  exactly  what  we  see  in every  single page  of the novel, you  fell the emotions  of  Walter Huff before  he  goes  on with  his plan,  and   after  he  has done it  you feel  his anxiety and culpability, you can  experience everything  like you are  inside   the  room   looking  at him   from  a  corner in the shadows  you can  hear  is  heavy  breathing  as   he   the  thoughts invade his mind as he  feels  that  everything is  going  the  wrong  way, you  can  sense   the paranoia  at  is  fullest  its  just   everywhere, in the mood  and  setting, the suspense of  whats  going  to happen   on the next page  is   there  every  single  second  which  just makes  you   want  to   continue  reading until  the very  end of the novel.