70s3. Corruption, Neo-noir, and Chinatown
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Transcript of 70s3. Corruption, Neo-noir, and Chinatown
US Cinema of the 1970s:Corruption, Neo-Noir, and
Chinatown
Prof. Julia LeydaMay 3, 2023
quiz
Describe the final scene in Chinatown in as much detail as you can: location, action, cause and effect, characters, and of course, plot. Did you expect that ending or not?
film noirfrom French “black film” because of dark imagesoriginally a group of 1940s-50s movies with dark
visual imagery and dark themes; happy endings?
not agreed upon as a “genre”; visual style / mood
postwar / Cold War atmosphere of cynicism, fear, betrayal, mystery, mistaken identity, dystopia
unlike most Hollywood movies, noirs don’t show Americans what they want to believe is true
conventions of classic film noirdark visual imagery and dark themes: chiaroscuro
lighting, night scenes, crimedisillusioned anti-hero struggles against
corruption, crimeoften detective narrative or quest for truth or
informationfemme fatale (deadly woman) uses her sexuality
to manipulate, control menex.: Double Indemnity, Gilda, Cat People, In a
Lonely Place, The Killers, Mildred Pierce, Night and the City
cultural critic Mike Davis on LA“sunshine or noir”: history of noir in Los
Angeles as a paradox, dialectic of sunshine and noir
1930s and 40s noir authors Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Chester Himes
Orson Welles called LA “a bright, guilty place”
LA as capitalism itself, both utopia and dystopia
Hollywood as “dream factory”CA as western frontier (“wild west”), sunny
agricultural paradise
neo-noir and revisionist noirfrom 1970s on: movies with dark visual styles, themesoften revise race, gender, history, sexuality, or setting still feature some noir conventions, but not all:
corruption, crime, femme fatalemood of cynicism, fear, betrayalnot always happy endingsprotagonist not heroic or even center of conflict, more
victim or dupe of outdated valuesex.: Chinatown, Klute, Blade Runner, One False Move,
Bound, L.A. Confidential, The Grifters, Sin City
corruption in US societypolitical: The Godfather, Part II (1974), Nashville (1975), All the President’s Men (1976)government conspiracy: The Parallax View (1974), Three Days of the Condor (1975)police: Dirty Harry (1971), Super Fly (1972), Serpico (1973), Soylent Green (1973)corporate: McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), Network (1976), Coma (1978), Alien (1979), The China Syndrome (1979)
Chinatown fits all of them!
critics: Michael Ryan & Douglas Kellner
[neo-noir] signaled the death of political liberalism, which found itself suddenly powerless against the economic realities of corporate capitalism and the military-industrial complex
Chinatown is a striking articulation of mid-seventies cultural pessimism
critics: Vernon Shetley the double plot
water plot (political) and incest plot (family)both involve inappropriate ownership, confusion of
public and privateNoah Cross represents unbridled capitalism and
individualism consuming everything he wants (“the future!”)John Huston: cowboy / pioneer image, “likable” strong
manwomen and Chinatown: mysterious, unknowable,
dangeroussexist and racist notions ascribed to Jake (or the film
itself?)
discussion questionsChinatown is often interpreted as a
commentary on American society in the 1970s, although it is set in the 1930s. Why do you think that is?
Do you agree with the critics interpretations of Chinatown? In what ways yes and in what ways no?
visual style: framing
framing: the way a shot is composed, and the manner in which subjects and objects are surrounded (‘framed’) by the boundaries or perimeter of the film image, or by the use of a rectangle or enclosing shape (such as a shadow, mirror, door or hallway) within the film image
interpreting framinghow does the framing in these shots
support the movie’s meanings?
relationships among the characterscharacters’ mental or emotional stateatmosphere or mood of the scene visual metaphors of the movie’ s themes
framing: doorway
framing: background
framing: mask
visual style: mise-en-scène
mise-en-scène: (Fr. “putting into the scene”) all the elements placed in front of the camera and within the frame, and their visual arrangement and composition: settings, decor, props, actors, costumes, makeup, and lighting
interpreting mise-en-scenehow does the mise-en-scene in these shots
support the movie’s meanings?
relationships among the characterscharacters’ mental or emotional stateatmosphere or mood of the scene visual metaphors of the movie’ s themesforeshadowing of events later in the plot
mise-en-scène: lighting
mise-en-scène: lighting, costume
mise-en-scène: décor, costume
mise-en-scène: décor, costume
mise-en-scène: props, decor
mise-en-scène: setting
mise-en-scène: setting
mise-en-scène: décor, position
discussion questionHow does the framing and mise-en-scene
in Chinatown express the movie’s themes of corruption and plots of water rights and incest?