|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Film Noir and Misogyny
Christopher comments that "the illicit noir couple, volatile and frankly sexual, operate far from the orbit of conventional morality. They begin as rebels and end up as outlaws. If and when…they attempt to circle backward, toward home and family…they quickly discover that they are no longer welcome. They discover, too, that they have been seen first as an irritant, then an ‘infection’ and finally as the manifestation of a terrible disruption on the fabric of family life." Many dressed and even sounded like men (Barbara Stanwyk a classic example of this in '40s, Kathleen Turner in '80s/'90s). Yet, ironically, at the same time, the alternative to the femme fatale in noir films was the virtuous woman who was so remarkably milquetoast that it is hard to believe that any thinking man would be willing to settle down with her. Furthermore, the femme fatale in noir, while certainly full of questionable attributes (greedy, predatory, obsessive), is often trapped in a relationship with a man who is worse than she is, so we have at least a twinge of sympathy for her, despite her darkness. In fact, the traditional family unit does not fair well in most noir films. The foundation of the entire American social system, the noir films seem to suggest, is fraudulent, corrupt and doomed to fail. Once this falls, can the entire socio-economic and political system be far behind? At its core much, but not all, noir film is politically “small 'c' conservative.” Most noir film involves a study of an American individual who can’t trust a soul, pitted against the hostile world. Common noir themes implicitly appear to be attacking the 'Red Menace,' thus reflecting many film-maker’s political conservatism. There are some notable exceptions, including the classic Force of Evil, which uses the rackets game as a thin veil to dissect the perils of the laissez-faire capitalism of America (which could help explain the resurgence of noir during the Reagan-Bush administration). Other noir films showed us petty tyrants ruling vast empires, clearly a metaphor for the American business world (the ruthlessness of the profit motive, the pursuit of filthy lucre). Finally, The Big Knife presented Robert Aldrich's vicious expose of Hollywood corruption. go back ... or continue to the next page: Style, Substance or Both?
|
|
|
Christopher
also touches on the often-explicit misogyny of many noir films, which was
evidence of a male reaction to the newly confident and assertive American woman
of the '40s, who entered the work force and didn't want to leave when soldiers
returned from the war; as a result, many women became men’s economic
competitors. Some had dumped boyfriends
or hubbies while they were at war: thus, a common motif in noir films was the
femme fatale, a promiscuous woman who was a sexual predator/emasculator.
To buy the book,
click here to visit Amazon.com