An Alien to Society

Paper by Whitney Vanderford. Viewed on DVD.

For generations, films have captivated audiences with numerous genres and character types. Ultimately the goal of all films is to create a character on-screen with whom the audience can directly relate. This is done in many genres, but none quite as compelling or realistic as the alienated male first displayed in noir films around the end of WWII. As explained by Susan Hayward, in Key Concepts in Cinema Studies, this character was created as a direct result of the changing state of affairs in America at the end of the war.

“…film noir emerged from a period of political instability: 1941-58, the time of the Second World War and the Cold War. In the United States this was a time of repressed insecurity and paranoia: the American dream seemed in tatters and American national identity under severe strain. …the question of national identity was bound up with the question of masculine identity.”(116-7)

The feelings of disorder and chaos portrayed on-screen directly mirrors the maladjustment and anxiety felt in post-war America. Throughout this paper I will identify the characteristics that define the alienated protagonist. I will be using research found in scholarly sources and referencing three films: Out of the Past (Tourneur, 1947), Le Samourai (Melville, 1967), and Drive (Refn, 2011). The three main characters: Jeff Bailey [Jeff Markham], Jef Costello, and the unnamed Driver are purposefully given average names – and sometimes no name at all – to clearly demonstrate how these characters are meant to easily identify with any ordinary person who may be struggling. I will focus in particular on the representation of ethics displayed by the despondent hero, Jef Costello in the French-made noir Le Samourai by Jean-Pierre Melville in comparison with the unnamed protagonist in Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn’s recently-made contemporary noir thriller. I will draw upon similarities displayed in all three films to explain how the alienated lifestyle is defined, why it is necessary and, by using a current film in comparison with two other classical noirs, how this idea of alienation is a part of contemporary noir films. I will illustrate the ways in which the atmosphere of the film repeatedly mirrors the social and political atmosphere of the day. While the overtones may be dreary, ultimately each one of these protagonists leaves the audience with a sense of hope at the conclusion that still resonates today.

The introverted protagonist may not seem to follow any sort of traditional rules or guidelines. He lives life on the fringes of society, survives on his own, and typically answers to no one. Although the world he lives in may be cruel and uncertain, he maintains a sense of authority and composure by sticking to his strict routine and his own set of morals to guide him. Any sort of deviation from this path would cause disorder, chaos and certain death for our doomed protagonist whose fate seems to always be lurking just around the corner. Noir films in particular specialized in creating this sense of palpable angst. Within the first fifteen minutes of Le Samourai we watch over Jef as he ritualistically prepares for the crime, steals a car, sets-up his alibi, then commits a murder. I found it particularly interesting to watch his interaction with others during this interval. He seems suspicious and cautious of everyone from the beginning, only adding to the sense of impending doom that carries throughout the film. A woman smiles at him while at a stoplight en route to the garage outside of town, but Jef hardly seems to notice and is certainly not at all interested. In fact, the only woman we have knowledge of that he has any interaction with before Valerie would be his ‘girlfriend’ Jane Lagrange. However, when Jef shows up at her apartment she is not treated the way we would expect a female in her position to be. It becomes immediately clear that he is only come to confirm his alibi. He shows no emotion when he is with her, made especially apparent by his lack of reply when she says, “I like it when you come here because you need me.” The truth is, he doesn’t need her, there are plenty of other women he could manipulate to fill her position. It is only on the final trip to Jane’s apartment that Jef shows any sort of remorse or concern for causing her angst.

This lack of emotion is a staple of the despondent character and is repeated in all three of these films. Although the female may be the one reaching out for connection, the male character is often hesitant and unwilling to ultimately surrender their freedom that comes along with this alienated type of life. While this is also expressed in the relationships exhibited in both Drive and Out of the Past, no other character seems to match the level of indifference seen in Jef Costello. Drive comes the closest to portraying this same feeling, but it is obvious by the actions of Driver that he acts more altruistically by taking it upon himself to protect Irene and her son Benicio. Just like Jeff Bailey in Out of the Past striving to shield Ann from his evil life, each character holds on to something innocent they are trying to protect. Despite the hardships endured, this seems like a task that they can accomplish. While their own personal sense of innocence may be out of the question, they can still use their strengths to protect those that are weak.

As explained by Hayward in Key Concepts in Cinema Studies, “The ambiguity of this character is paralleled by the contortions of the plot, whose complexities seem unresolvable, particularly by the hero, who, until the very end, seems confused and unclear about what is happening.”(118-9) Throughout each of these films, the moral of the story is hidden until the suspenseful unravel at the conclusion. This type of climactic reveal for both the audience and protagonist follows certain guidelines. First, background information is revealed explaining the predetermined fate for the protagonist, followed by an attempt by the protagonist to regain control of his existence, and ultimately, an acceptance of fate that is made clear to us in these three films by a crucial, carefully calculated, self-sacrificing act. It seems that at a certain point in the film, a lightbulb goes on in the protagonist’s head and he knows exactly what he must do. Towards the conclusion of Le Samourai the audience is left wondering if Jef is really going to carry out his assignment to kill Valerie. It becomes clear this was never his intention after police shoot him in the club and find his gun empty of any bullets. Because Valerie represents his own death or destiny, it seems only fitting that he seeks to gain control over this in his own way. Allowing the police to kill him on his own terms also represents the ritualistic suicide, or hara-kiri, carried out by Japanese Samurai when they could not complete the task at hand. This self-sacrifice is the noblest possible course of action. By sacrificing themselves they simultaneously eliminate a source of evil while protecting something innocent. This type of act is mirrored in the other two films when Jeff Bailey sets up a roadblock to ensure death for him and Kathie and also when Driver ties up his loose ends with Irene before taking fate into his own hands by meeting Bernie for his dinner date with impending death. It is in the final act that we finally appreciate the significance of the hero’s fate and morality which has been driving him all along.

These feelings of morality are still relevant in our culture today. While these characters all suffer a sort of moral ambiguity, it is clear that they are most comfortable existing within the boundaries of their own universe, rather than trying to conform. While the actions of the protagonist may not be within the reaches of the law, they are justified in his own eyes. These characters exhibit their own code of ethics and sometimes a personal integrity that leads them to clash with society. Jef Costello of Le Samourai is the perfect example of a character existing within the boundaries of his own morality. Jef Costello exhibits the conventional features of the self-alienated protagonist. Even the bartender from Martey’s calls him “a lone wolf” when questioned about his demeanor. As discussed in class and within our text Film Noir, Jef seems to lack the emotion necessary to exist on the same level as society.

“…the existentialist hit man, Jef Costello (Alain Delon), is the consummate lone professional, but a doomed, even tragic figure. Delon…had a sculpted, hard, impenetrable beauty, cold and still, which matched the muted visual style where the colors of even ordinary objects, like banknotes or labels, were deliberately bleached out.” (Spicer, 131)

Le Samourai, as in all classic noir films, uses iconography and mise en scene to reflect the psychic state of the main character. The atmosphere created by his environment, in particular his barren apartment and colorless bird reflects an extremely dismal mindset. Once we see this contrasted with the lavish apartment of Jef’s employer, Olivier Ray, it becomes clear that the muted colors surrounding our protagonist are there to convey his lack of emotion and fixed ties.

One recurring symbol throughout the film was Jef’s use and knowledge of the underground metro. While he seemed to travel far distances and sometimes make split decisions when being followed, he never looks at a map or skips a beat. This is a literal representation of the underground life he lives. As a hit-man, Jef exists in the underbelly of society. He understands the inner workings and corruption, and seems to slowly unravel when the city begins changing on him. The same can be said of our protagonists from Drive and Out of The Past as well. Driver closely resembles a young Jef Costello with the seriousness he brings to his job. He works in a garage and as a stunt driver by day, but by night he becomes a tough, no-nonsense wheelman. Aside from the gloves, and strict rules, Driver also has an updated version of the noir trenchcoat. His silver padded jacket that he ritualistically wears everywhere has a large, yellow scorpion on the back. Ironically enough, this is also an animal that spends most of his life underground. Jeff Bailey on the other hand, is a former gambler who is trying to leave that lifestyle behind and start anew in a small town. Unfortunately, his negative past from the big city literally tracks him down, as if to ensure his doomed future.

Another factor that mirrors the psychic state of the character is the how the noir city is displayed. In Le Samourai, the best example of this would be the labyrinth of a police station we travel through when Jef is arrested on suspicion of murder. It seems that the doors and hallways go on forever, and intersect everywhere. Certainly not the most efficient way to build something that is supposed to keep criminals detained. It is clear how Jef views the general police force when questioned about the murder he just committed. He replies in a sarcastic tone, “Jef Costello’s confession to a crime he didn’t commit?” As if just saying it out loud makes it truth. The police constantly expect to gain the upper hand from Jef but he seems to enjoy toying with them too much.

The malevolent atmosphere displayed within the noir city gives insight into the common mindset felt around the world in the post-war period. After WWII, the feelings of despair and hopelessness were widespread. Each of these three films was realeased either during or shortly after a war, which explains the sense of tragic fatalism that hangs above their heads. This was displayed particularly through a distinct lack of emotion, almost as though our characters themselves are in shell-shock. This can also be explained by the cinematic use of violence. Over the years, the nature of the violence only becomes more abundant and gruesome, ranging from the small gunshot wound shown in Le Samourai to the graphic beatings displayed in Drive (and common in most R rated films these days).

The fact that all these characteristics are still prevalent in films of this genre today proves that audiences today are still reacting to this alienated protagonist in the same way. Just as though crime will always exist, so will the introverted population. The characteristic lack of emotion, set of personal ethics and fatalism are all easy to relate to for the existentialist. Although we are the most connected generation through all sorts of technology, we still lead extremely solitary lives.

Works Cited
1) Hayward, Susan. Key Concepts in Cinema Studies. Routledge. 1996.
2) Konigsberg, Ira. The Complete Film Dictionary. Penguin. 1998
3) Magill, Frank, N. Magill’s Survey of Cinema: English Language Films. Gale Group.1980.
4) Magill, Frank, N. Magill’s Survey of Cinema: Foreign Language Films. Gale Group.1985.
5) Quinn, Edward. A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms. Checkmark Books. 1999.
6) Silver, Alain and Ward, Elizabeth. Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, Third Edition. Overlook TP. 1979.
7) Spicer, Andrew. Film Noir. Pearson. 2002.


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