Noir Woman and the Response to Newborn Freedoms

Paper by Hilarie Haynie. Viewed on DVD.

During World War II, men were sent off to war, leaving the women to tend to the children, household responsibilities and more often than not the workload as well. The ending of World War II made for a struggling transition period especially for women- who had been gaining more independence than ever with their husbands not in the picture, but being left to fend for themselves. Wanting to branch out from the politically correct lifestyle, during this time we see the shift with women in film- becoming the Femme Fatale and the manipulative, smart, under minding beauty in Film Noir pictures, instead of the type casted “perfect home-maker”. In this paper, an argument will be made, that women in the classical Film Noir period, was a drastic change from pre-war films and is directly linked to women’s gain in independence during World War II. First, an attempt will be made to rationalize the theory that the women during World War II, took over the care of the entire household from the men as they went to war. Secondly, an attempt will be made to argue that the Film Noir genre has a certain mood in which the World War II period impacted, including a women’s response to their newborn freedoms. Finally a statement will be made that the anxiety felt after World War II, was more vitally connected to ones loss of self- identity than anything else.

In 1942, when the United States interfered into the war going on in Europe, many things changed in America. Men left their households to fight, a heroic agenda indeed! The mothers and wives at this time delved into the household responsibilities, and naturally took command. Many women worked in defense plants and volunteered for war related events. A “We Can Do It” attitude, convinced women (if only for a short while) that they had as much value as men could have pertaining to the household. Women became cooks, and took care of the household finances, running errands, and making sure the car got into the shop. For a short while, these women gained an independence and togetherness like never before.

As the war raged on, men died, leaving widows. We dropped the atomic bomb(s), and captured in essence the true meaning of “savior” as the United States had depicted itself. We had seemed to help win the war and without this great country, history may have not turned out the same. With every statement made in history, a statement is also made in film. During the war, great pictures were being made, using our real lives as characters, and our husbands and fathers in war, the background.

When the war ended in 1945, a relentless echo of cheers filled the hearts of many Americans. Wives would get to reunite their families, and men would come home again to a warm meal and their jobs at last. Women, it seemed overnight would resume their duties as quiet housewife, leaving their jobs and volunteerism. Women who wanted to keep their jobs, were forced out by men re-entering the workforce. Even though the War needed women, it seemed that all the while an equality for women would still not be fully met. Because of this, women had gained independence and lost it within a very short period of time. How women looked at other women in film changed as well. Instead of ‘needing’ a man, in a sense the Film Noir genre showed a women who ‘uses’ men. This indeed attracted many women to the Noir genre. This fact also meant that women could live through the eyes of fictional character, while still understanding in one way or another, the need to rise up against men, or society in general. Getting what she wants in the end, seemed like a great story for women of the Post World War II period. By rejecting conventional roles of loving wife and mother, the film noir women, takes a more progressive approach. The World War II women could, in a way, keep their identities as progressive, while still abiding by the status quo in societal roles. In 1945 when the war ended, a year of cheerful response and adoration of men came about. After about a year, the panic of “what’s next?” for American citizens, made a scar on the movie industry. After much success financially during the war, the movie industry began to struggle. Film Noir however was one spectrum of the industry that caught attention and continued on.

The Film Noir genre has a certain undeniable mood that strikes us, as viewers, to be a spectacle of sorts. With the men’s attraction to crime and violence and the women’s attraction to the women’s role and struggle for escape from everyday plainness, we can see the outcry for these films post war. Double Indemnity (1944), was one of the first Film Noirs to be the catalyst to start the Film Noir obsession. This film was made during World War II and shows a women trapped in a marriage with a man who doesn’t even want her. We don’t see the anxiety factor as much here because we (the Americans) had not yet dropped the atomic bomb- the cause of so much terror for the world. The dropping of the atomic bomb raised questions about morality and fear of retaliation. Men especially gained an anxiety of going back to war, and having to protect Americans from an invasion.

The movie Out Of The Past, portrays men’s fear a little bit more, as our Femme Fatale has left her high societal lover and is being followed by a man hired to bring her back to him. Escapism here is prevalent. After our lead male role and hero falls in love with the Femme Fatale, they escape to San Francisco, trying to free themselves from the hardship of the real world and the realities that they may encounter if they returned. Much like the women in America, post-World War II, our Femme Fatale is trying to be something which she is not truly in touch with- “the good wife”, or in this instance “the good lover”, of our villain played by Kirk Douglas. With great satisfaction, this women who we want to like and trust in the beginning, turns on our hero and plays it safe for herself. We also see this struggle with women in the late 1940’s early 1950’s, as trying to not be too selfish, they give first to their families and lastly to themselves. The alter ego of women is portrayed in these film noirs.

We can watch and identify in some ways with these women, and even in some ways want to be them- smoking in a bar with a beautiful dress on, knowing we could get whatever man we wanted in the snap of a finger. This outward confidence, may be hiding an inward fear, but the fear that is inward can be felt by the audience of that time and related to. In Out Of The Past, we see Ann, the modest and mutually respected girlfriend of our hero. The opposite of Kathie, Ann is respectable and a moral rock, which our hero slowly makes his way back to. The movie shows both kinds of women here. The typical housewife could relate to Ann, yet want to be more like Kathie. While the 1940’s men may want Kathie, yet always come back to Ann, as she is more attainable and reliable. Men’s anxiety towards things that are different after the war, may keep him uninterested in change.

Because in Film Noir, the American dream of white picket fences fails, and crime and corruption succeeds, we are especially intrigued by this genre. Because after the war, many people could relate to the possibilities of things not always being right, and that wrong surly can exist (Nazi Germany), the American people lusted for a significant escape from their realities. Film Noir gave them this escape. The impact of the War gave many strengths to people during the war, which post war were taken away. For women, they had their newborn freedoms, which gave them independence and strength. The identity in which they had become accustomed to during the war was stripped post war, by men arriving back home to take over these positions yet again. For men, the responsibilities of war weighed heavily on them, and as they returned home to the head of household duties. A women saw herself as independent, yet could not show this, and men saw themselves as fearful yet could not show this. And so the actual American dream for most Americans during this transition period, may have been a false reality.

In the classical Noir Films, we see that many characters are also living a false reality. In Out Of The Past, we can see this false reality for our characters. Jeff Baily, our hero, seems to be escaping his past and ridding himself of the old Jeff, as do many war heroes returning from battle. Trying to be “normal” in a small town, may not have the satisfaction Baily thought that it might. Many American soldiers feel this angst when coming home from war, as a double edge sword; happy to be back with loved ones, but uncertain of their roles. This is where women play a large role as well. In society, women are the nurturing, loving “Ann”. The women takes care of her husband, even while dealing with her own personal struggles of the time. In Out Of The Past, it was Ann who listened to Baily tell his story of Kathie and the love they shared. It would be hard to accept as a modern women, these lines of history being told. A Women of our time might not be as willing to understand his past. However in the classical Noir time period of the 1940’s and 1950’s, women still held their breath and swallowed their resentments.

Alienation and loneliness captures the essence of many Film Noir pictures. Dark streets at night, and a man in a trench coat walking casually, picturing the crime he has to solve in his mind, re-playing it over and over. This picture of a grim life, may be a reality inside of many post war males and females. War in Film Noir is depicted more as a war within our culture and status, than an actual war among nations. The war within ourselves so to speak. During World War II, many producers and film directors, fled Nazi Germany, coming to America to work on Film Noir pieces. This influence is surely to have effect on the film itself. Exaggerating the lighting and shadows in Film Noir, make the pieces quite dark and mysterious. These moody atmospheres were first introduced by these fleeing Germans and became the style of Noir. Interestingly enough, it would be these films that would become most relatable to the post-war American. Eventually the American women began to accept her lifestyle once again as housewife, and into the 1950’s a different style of women emerged, as happy, non-war volunteering, accepting, rational, and beautiful housewife. This change in trend from our anxiety ridden, internal war-raging feminist to idle, all- American wife and mother, also changed the film industry. The decline in Film Noir during the late 1950’s had an impact on the movie industry and in 1959 only three Films Noirs were released.

The hardships of war took years to overcome as a women in America. The even more relatable topic would be the internal struggle of women after war. War is synonymous with hurt and anger. War is also synonymous with making money. The movie industry made money during the war and even directly afterwards, but at the cost of having a happy society, Film Noir had to mold somewhat from its original structure. The mood of the American people coming into the 1960’s was not a grimy street scene of dead bodies anymore. The American women’s psyche may be over ruled by the societies need for improvement.

The pattern for women over the course of World War II and afterwards, was much like a rollercoaster. The war gave women a sense of purpose and taught them independence by forcing them to take over their husbands roles. Many quickie marriages happened before the war, leaving newly-wed women to fend for themselves. Working and volunteering for the war gave purpose to a women’s life. From 1942 to 1945, women played a large role in society. In only three years, some women had learned a craft or skill that would be useful for years to come. When the war ended, a purpose was lost in the eyes of many housewives. Returning to the position of second in command, many lost their jobs to men returning from war. The struggle to fit into their modern post-war roles, batted heads with the need for independence. Escaping this struggle is where Film Noir came into play. Seeing the independent Femme Fatale, gave an internal flame to women all over America, and no doubt the world. This flame would not burn for long, and without oxygen, would soon fizzle out, as did the classical Film Noir period.

We may give too much credit to movies and the roles they play in our lives, however, try and remember a time in your life when a certain film or TV show wasn’t raising an eyebrow, or discussing topics which a family dinner may not discuss. As modern Americans, we can try to analyze the classical Noir Film period and the impact war had on it, however the true feelings, will never totally be captured again. These are in essence buried with the past. The mood of the Film Noir in black and white, is a rare commodity, which we in society will never be able to re-capture. The tone of the time period, played into the heart of the Film Noir movies, which in turn played into the minds of the audiences. Women’s characters in Film Noir, effected women’s history of the 1940’s and 1950’s and shed light on topics which women were not capable of discussing at the time.

Bibliography

-Friedman, Lester. An Introduction to Film genres, WW Norton and Company, London, New York. 2014
-Lewis, Jon. American Film: A History, WW Norton and Company, London, New York. 2008
-Film Noir: Everything You Need to Know About Post War America, Jan 16, 2013, www.salon.com/2013/16/film_noir_tells_you
-Male Anxiety and Film Noir, July 1, 2007, http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/male-anxiety-and-film-noir.html.
-American Women in WWII, www.nationalWW2museum.org.