Women, Employment, and the Socially Anxious World of Film Noir

Paper by Oscar Ramirez. Viewed on DVD.

The 1940s were fraught with events that lead to profound social upheaval. Before even reaching the midpoint of the decade, America had already experienced some of the most far reaching transitions in its history. The country entered the decade with the Great Depression still fresh in the memories of its citizens. Soon, the bombing of Pearl Harbor forced the United States to abandon its longstanding position of isolationism, and enter World War II. The war lead to a sharp increase in demand for both military supplies and military personnel. As men departed for distant battlefields, it became necessary for millions of women to enter the workforce to fill the vacant job positions that had suddenly become available. All of this occurred before 1942. The destabilizing effect of these events was not lost on Hollywood, and it was during this time that American cinema gave birth to one of its most expressionistic movements: film noir. The subtleties in this type of film-making were able to vividly capture the zeitgeist of the 40’s; the spirit of the era. Unsurprisingly, the spirit that was captured was a spirit of anxiety. One might wonder what the driving force behind this anxiety was. By analyzing the stylistic elements, recurring themes, and archetypes in film noir, as evidenced by the film Double Indemnity, it becomes clear that the socially anxious culture of America in the 1940’s was largely caused by the empowerment, by way of employment, of women.

Of the many topics in film and cinema, film noir may be one of the most difficult to define. The term may bring to mind images of fedora wearing detectives and glamorous, but dangerous, women. While these character archetypes often do appear in these films, their appearance is not a requirement for a film to be considered noir. In fact, there are no clear cut formulas or conventions to make a film noir. The 1972 essay “Notes on Film Noir” by film critic Paul Schrader is perhaps the best piece of film literature with which to become acquainted with this subject. In this essay, Schrader defines noir and describes many of the stylistic elements commonly found in it. First and foremost, he clarifies that film noir is not a genre. He states that, “it is not defined, as are western and gangster genres, by conventions of setting and conflict, but rather by the more subtle qualities of tone and mood” (Schrader). For this reason, film noir can deal with a wide array of characters with varied professions and back-stories. This makes it possible for noir to transcend genre; all while applying the same tone and mood.

As one might guess, the tone and mood found in film noir is markedly dark. In fact, in French, the word noir means black. The dark tone that pervades a film noir is created by the consistent use of a set of stylistic elements. One of the most noticeable stylistic elements involves the use of chiaroscuro lighting. This type of lighting creates sharp contrasts between the shadows and light onscreen. Filmmakers eschewed high-key lighting and replaced it with low-key. When shooting indoors, this meant placing the primary source of light close to the ground, which would then create noticeable shadows on the walls. Jon Lewis, author of American Film, A History explains how the effect of low-key lighting was heightened even further. He explains that, “fill lights and backlights, which eliminate shadows and give scenes depth, are used sparingly”(203). Thus, the shadows were preserved for the camera.

Depending on the light source, the shadows could range from large, ominous shadows of the characters themselves, to vertical or oblique lines created by the blinds and curtains on a window. To maintain the dark tone, similar lighting techniques were also used for exterior scenes. It seems that, whenever possible, filmmakers would shoot exterior scenes for night. However, instead of highlighting the characters in the dark scene, filmmakers would often give equal lighting to both the actors as well as to the setting. In “Notes on Film Noir”, Paul Schrader explains the effect that this technique creates. He states that, “when the environment is given equal or greater weight than the actor, it, of course, creates a fatalistic, hopeless mood. There is nothing the protagonist can do”(Schrader). Through clever lighting alone, filmmakers infused their films with a downbeat atmosphere. By employing these techniques, filmmakers were able to present dark visuals onscreen. This dark style was important in setting a foreboding tone and a hopeless mood in film noir.

To add discomfort to the dark tone and mood already created by chiaroscuro lighting, filmmakers also employed odd camera angles,complex chronological orders, and voice over narration. In the book Film Noir, co-authors Alain Silver and James Ursini explain the effect created by the use of odd camera angles. They describe the use of low camera angle as inducive of claustrophobia and paranoia. This is because a low camera angle would often allow the camera to capture the ceiling. While it may be subtle, the view of the ceiling can create a feeling of encroachment; as if the world surrounding the characters is threatening to swallow them whole. As for high camera angles, Silver and Ursini state that this angle creates a sense of disequilibrium. One may be familiar with the uneasiness that can be experienced when walking along a span that is far off the ground. A high camera angle recreates this feeling on film.

The aforementioned essay by Paul Schrader explains the effect of using a complex chronological order along with voice over narration. One usually accompanies the other, and in conjunction, Schrader states that they can create a feeling of fatalism. For example, if a film is largely presented through flashbacks, the audience understands that the events depicted lead to the same eventual outcome; which in noir is usually an unhappy ending. Furthermore, the narrator knows the outcome, and is merely restating the events. Therefore the narrator also senses the presence of fatalism. These techniques make it clear that, despite the efforts and intentions of the narrator, the unfortunate outcome is inescapable.

All of these elements coalesce to form a dark style of film-making. The feelings of hopelessness, fatalism, claustrophobia, paranoia, and disequilibrium that are associated with film noir combine to create a general sense of anxiety. Alone, the anxiety depicted in film noir cannot explain what caused the feeling in the first place. However, when the common themes and archetypes are also examined, the cause of said anxiety becomes quite clear.

One of the common themes of film noir has already been mentioned. In their book Film Noir, Alain Silver and James Ursini note that one of the most common themes found in noir is what they call the Fatalistic Nightmare. This refers to the common theme of protagonists finding themselves in situations they cannot escape; which eventually culminate in nightmarish fashion. Usually, this theme is driven by another common theme mentioned by Silver and Ursini: The Haunted Past. In this theme, characters retract into the shadowy world of film noir in order to escape from something from their past. Often, they are running away from a crime they have committed.

These two themes lend themselves to the creation of the proverbial male archetype in film noir: the Hunted Character. This character can take many forms; as can the forces that hunt him. The archetype of the Hunted need not be physically pursued. Silver and Ursini explain that it may simply be that, “He [the Hunted] finds it difficult to connect with a universe which seems so… inherently absurd”. This disconnect then perpetuates the the feelings of hopelessness, claustrophobia, and disequilibrium.

The dark tone, hopeless mood, nightmarish past, and feeling of futility described thus far are universal to film noir. However, within the noir stories themselves, this is not the case. The general sense of malaise that pervades film noir is exclusively the experience of the male protagonist. The women in film noir experience the noir world much differently. To understand the role of women in these films, one need look no further than the iconic archetype of noir: The Femme Fatale. The literal translation of femme fatale from French is: disastrous woman. These archetypal characters do indeed live up to their name. Femme fatales act as modern day sirens, first attracting men with their beauty and then, metaphorically speaking, devouring them.

The reasons for this unflattering portrayal of women in film noir are explored by Sylvia Harvey in an essay titled “Woman’s Place: The Absent Family of Film Noir”; which was featured in the book Women in Film Noir. Harvey explains that in the early 1940’s, a radical shift occurred that profoundly altered the status of women. That shift was employment. However, it was not simply that women entered the workforce in large numbers that made this shift radical. It was also that women entered the workforce to perform jobs that were typically held by men. Women went to work in factories; manufacturing vehicles, aircraft, and various other items needed for war. The traditional role of men as bread winners was essentially discarded altogether. More importantly, men truly had no say in the matter. Manufacturing supplies was critical to the success of the United States and its allies in the war effort. With men fighting overseas, the labor pool became much more reliant on women to fill the open jobs. With employment comes income, and with income comes empowerment. For this reason, Harvey describes this shift as a challenge to male dominance on the socioeconomic front.

The erosion of dominance must have assuredly caused men of the 1940’s to experience some sense of disorientation. They may have pondered questions such as: with women becoming equally skilled in the labor force,what is the current role of men? And if their role in society was altered so quickly and easily, then what might the future hold? Compounding the concerns over the newly attained socioeconomic empowerment of women was the psychological threat they dually possessed. Laura Melvey explains this threat in an essay titled “ Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”. Melvey asserts that female sexuality became a perceivable threat to males in the 1940’s. She cites the onscreen fetishization of women in film noir as a reflection of this perception. Fetishization turned women into objects of male desire, thereby disarming men even further. While female sexuality has always been present, the economic threat of empowered women turned it into another aspect with which women could challenge male dominance.

The combination of these threats culminate onscreen to create the archetype of the Femme Fatale. This character is a beautiful and powerful menace that threatens the dominant status of men, and by extension, the state of society in the 1940’s. They are antagonists who subtly, and sometimes not so subtly, drive the fear and anxiety that characterizes film noir. This archetype reflects the socially anxious culture of 1940’s America.

The 1944 film noir Double Indemnity provides a clear and complete example of the stylistic elements, themes, and archetypes that, when put together, reveal female empowerment as the cause behind the socially anxious culture of America in the 1940’s. The story centers on an insurance salesman named Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), who becomes entangled in a murder plot. The plot involves a trophy wife named Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck); a woman who is eager to profit from the death of her husband. Upon meeting Walter, Phyllis quickly realizes that she may be able to use his knowledge of insurance to her advantage. After just a few short encounters, Phyllis manages to convince Walter to help her murder her husband; assuring him that afterward they will be able to collect the insurance money and run away together. Walter and Phyllis succeed in killing Mr. Dietrichson, but their plan quickly unravels once Walter’s insurance company begins to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr. Dietrichson’s death.

A climactic scene near the end of the film neatly concludes the main conflict of the story, and includes great examples of the elements, themes, and archetypes that are common to film noir. More importantly, these examples reinforce that female empowerment was the cause of social anxiety. The scene takes place at the Dietrichson home. Walter is there to confront Phyllis about his involvement in the murder plot. The two meet in the dimly lit living room. All of the lights in the room are off and the only source of light comes from the neighbors house, through the blinds on the windows on the right side of the room. The other side of the room is almost completely black. The blinds cast oblique shadows on the wall in front of Phyllis. Much like the nature of the conversation the two are about to have, the room is dark and foreboding. It is an appropriate tone for what is about to occur.

Walter and Phyllis sit in couches across from one another; similar to the first time they met. Walter notices the similarity, and comments about how while he was talking about auto insurance and thinking about the anklet she was wearing, she was already thinking about murder. Walter tells Phyllis he has realized that she used him for his knowledge about insurance, and that he is aware that she has been seeing a man named Nino Zachetti. This man, Walter explains, provides him with a scapegoat on which to pin the murder on. Phyllis asks what that means for her; a question that Walter calls silly. He alludes to the punishment for murder: the gas chamber. Phyllis asks Walter what he thinks will happen to him if she decides to talk about what really happened. Walter tells her that people find it difficult to talk when they are under six feet of dirt; thereby revealing what he intends to do to her that night. He has figured out Phyllis’ MO; her method of operation; which is to find suckers that will kill each other one after the other. At this point, Phyllis drops all pretenses and does not deny his accusations. Realizing that the time has come to do what he is there to do, Walter proceeds to close the curtains on the windows. However, as soon as they are closed, Phyllis shoots him with a gun she had hidden in the chair she was sitting on. She has hit him in the shoulder. Walter walks over to her slowly and takes the gun from her hands. Phyllis tells him she has just realized she loves him. She asks Walter to hold her. He tells her goodbye, and shoots her twice as they embrace one another.

This scene has a classic film noir style. The lighting is chiaroscuro, and fills the scene with a sense of hopelessness. The overall darkness mimics the themes; which are a haunted past and a fatalistic nightmare. Walter is attempting to escape the past. Albeit, it is a recent past (his murder of Mr. Dietrichson). However, the setting suggests that his efforts may be futile. When Walter mentions their first meeting, it is evident that Walter feels that he was preyed upon by Phyllis. He likens her to a hunter; one that used an anklet to trap him. Walter fits the archetype of the hunted character; making Phyllis the femme fatale. It is made clear that Phyllis, with her lust for money, has no qualms about consuming men in her pursuit of financial freedom.

The stylistic elements, themes, and archetypes present in Double Indemnity illustrate what a film noir is. However, the fact that these elements, themes, and archetypes appeared so frequently in the noir films of the 1940’s is enough to suggest that there was an uneasiness among the American populace. The frequent depiction of women as the primary antagonist suggest that this uneasiness centered around women. To find the cause of this shift in attitude towards women, one must look for the differences of women before and after the shift. By doing so, one would readily notice that the most significant difference was the sudden employment of women in positions that were largely held by men prior to the war. The effect was emasculating, and created a socially anxious culture in the 1940’s. A culture that was captured vividly by the film noir of the decade.

Bibliography

Harvey, Sylvia. “Woman’s Place: The Absent Family of Film Noir.” Women in Film Noir. By E. Ann. Kaplan. London: British Film Institute, 1998. N. pag. Print.

Lewis, Jon. American Film: A History. New York: W.W. Norton, 2008. Print.

Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Women in Film Noir. By E. Ann. Kaplan. London: BFI Pub., 1998. N. pag. Print.

Schrader, Paul. “Notes on Film Noir,” Film Comment 8 (Spring 1972).

Silver, Alain, James Ursini, and Paul Duncan. Film Noir. Ko?ln: Taschen, 2004. Taschen.com. Taschen Books. Web.