Let's start with the plot. Really bad guy gets out of jail. He plans a heist. Gets funding from a bad guy with a good guy front. Hires other bad guys to help him pull off the robbery. Not everything goes according to the plan, and ALL of the bad guys get caught one by one. It's a great plot. The ending was most definitely ruined by the Hays Code. Sorry to say, but the bad guys don't always get caught or punished (In Bruges...) and everything isn't lollipops and daisies like the Hays Code would lead you to believe. Nonetheless, the plot grasps you from the start and has you in a choke hold until the credits start rolling.
Onto the characters. Well, the main ones anyway. (This paragraph will encompass the hooligans, hoodlums, ruffians, delinquents, goons, punks, and thugs. Not because you will be bored by too many of my words, but I don't think they deserve separate paragraphs) You have Doc Riedenschneider, who is a legendary burglar that has just been released from jail. Attaining pleasure through crime is his passion and his vice. He also seems to be a pervert. Doc is being financed by Alonzo Emmerich who is a crooked lawyer. His vice seems to be young women and greed. Dix Handley is a hooligan from Kentucky who wants the money to buy back a horse farm. His vice is the ponies. Doll Conovan is a woman who is just absolutely obsessed with Dix. Her vice is... well... Dix. These characters, as well as the ones I did not mention, make up quite the motley crew. But, these characters are developed and acted out very well and each person's vice makes the movie tick.
The next question is about the lines. Some quotes from this film are very memorable, but two of them stand out to me more than the rest.
Doc: "One way or another, we all work for our vice."
Emmerich: "Crime is only... a left-handed form of human endeavor."
Doc is saying that even if you aren't a criminal and you have a career and don't break the law, some of that money that you legally earn, is going towards your vice. Whether it is gambling or smoking or anything, you will spend money on it because all we want in life to fulfill our pleasures. As for Emmerich's statement, I'm not entirely sure what it means. In the past, left-handedness has always been associated with being awkward or clumsy or unlucky or even evil. I think that Emmerich means that these criminals have talents just like everyone else, but they use them for evil rather than good. They are not delinquents, they are just bad, intelligent people.
And T-Bone's last category is the deeply philosophical thematic undertones. This isn't your everyday gangster flick or your everyday film noir. This movie takes a look at life's questions and attempts to answer them. One theme of the movie is the quote by Emmerich that I have already talked about, so no need to type about it again. Another important theme was voiced by Doc Reidenschneider when he was in the cab. Now, I don't remember the exact line and I can't seem to find it anywhere online, but he says something along the lines of what is there to life but it's pleasures. The existentialist view makes an appearance. In this random and meaningless world with nothing to look forward to, we must make the most of our time while we have it and try to find pleasure in everything. This is also shown when Doc is getting arrested and he asks the policeman if he can smoke a cigar. He just wanted to make the most out of his situation, good, bad, or otherwise.
Now, for the part of the part you have all been waiting for... THE QUESTION!!! I decided to translate this question into French because noir is the French word for black. So, I asked, "Le changement de coeur du noir et du blanc?" This means "Change of heart about black and white?" Earlier this year, I desisted black and white. I said everything would be better in color. I hated the look of black and white, the smell of black and white, the sound of black and white, the texture of black and white, but the taste was just fine. It was noxious to four of my five senses and I just couldn't take it. But since then, we have watched The Seventh Seal and The Asphalt Jungle. Both films would definitely not be the same in color. The Asphalt Jungle just exudes noir-iness. The rain slicked streets, the hats, the flashing neon signs, I can go on and on. It is definitely a great introduction into classic film noir. As for the Seventh Seal, the black and white is very symbolic. It shows the contrast between the blackness of death and the whiteness of life. When there was a scene of Antonius Block and Death (apparently me) playing chess, the white pieces were so bright that they were blinding and the black pieces were so dark that... well they were pretty damn dark. If that film had been in color, I don't think it would have been as powerful as in pure black and white. So, back to the question, I feel that some films are better in black and white, but others could be better in color and are only in black and white because of the technology available when they were made. Once again, I refuse to give a definitive answer to my own question. I have to start coming up with easier questions.
Mama always said my posts are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.
Finally we have two epic postings in one. A Seventh Seal post which we have been waiting for weeks to see and an Asphalt Jungle post. We also have two questions. What is an imbroglio and did we have a change of heart for blanc and noir? An imbroglio is an intricate or complicated situation according to the dictionary. I certainly had a change of heart toward b&w. I usually enjoy color because it seems more realistic to me and I am used to to seeing everything in color. However both of these films are great the way they are. As a matter of fact I have had such a change of heart I watched Top Hat and never once was I disappointed at the music, dancing or black and white. It was absolutely a pleasure to see Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance and dance.
ReplyDeleteAnyway this was a thorough post on The Asphalt Jungle and a quasi-pseudo-imbroglio on the Seventh Seal. One can only sit in awe at the clever humor, flawless logic, and obvious epicness of your post. I also like the Il Duce reference you made. It was well worth the wait and I look forward to a stream of epic (and hysterical) posts flowing like the Volga from this blog.
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ReplyDeletePosts like this make the world a better place to live. Very interesting and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteA word of explanation on the use of the term "imbroglio." I used it in one of my homework assignment sheets in AP American history. The question had to do with American foreign policy in the late 19th Century and it reads thusly: Enumerate and explicate several of the imperialist or quasi-imperialist imbroglio the US became involved in during the years leading up to the Spanish-American War."
Naturally, when the students asked what an imbroglio is, I answered, "it's a "dust-up."
For some reason, T-Bone found that phrase amusing, and has adopted it as his own. I approve heartily.
N.B. I deleted my original comment, above, because I mis-spelled "imbroglio," if you can imagine such stupidity. I couldn't let that go, obviously. Rest easy though. It was due to blindness, not intellectual deficiency.
Quasi-imperialist imbroglio is still your phrase Mr. Bennett. I am just borrowing it occasionally.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely awesome as always good sir Death. I am glad that you made a post and I only wished that you would either have written a little more on this post or used some more of your own thoughts, but they weaving of this was great and I am always impressed.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will spear myself, although I hear that you play Pocket Tanks and Scrabble. May I compete for my life against you in one of these games?
I am flattered by all of the kind words and being complimented is one thing I never tire of. Especially the compliment from Mr. Bennett. That made this post well worth the time it took to type. And now we know that me being casting as death was a misnomer and Rob Astel is the true death. I would want to be Jons the Squire anyway.
ReplyDeleteI would also rather be Jons or even Antonius Block. Death is such a lifeless character.
ReplyDelete