Ace In The Hole: The bottom line of humanity

Paper but Junkai Ling.

Moral Ambiguity and Antiheroes is the theme I choose to focus on In this paper. I will
choose the movie “Ace In the Hole” (Billy Wilder, 1951) to analyze and discuss this theme. The character of the morally ambiguous protagonist in film noir is usually a person with a special professional status,he may be a detective or a journalist, but regardless of the occupation setting, the morally ambiguous protagonist in film noir will have one thing in common, that is, unemployment and poverty. Poverty in life and dissatisfaction in the workplace make a person with deep desires become greedy in the face of easy benefits, so as to make unethical actions. At the same time, his heart will suffer from this, but also become eager to get benefits, and finally self-destruct under the double oppression. In the film “Ace In the Hole 1951”, director Billy Wilder created the character of an unemployed journalist named Chuck for “an irresponsible, hard-boiled journalist”(The Observer 2013). the theme of the film is that opportunist journalist Chuck deceives people and victims trapped In a cave for profit, challenging traditional notions of heroism, because normally, when a person is trapped, onlookers come to his rescue, but in the film noir Ace In the Hole 1951, On the contrary, the victim is turned into a tool for profit by the protagonist Chuck. This anti-hero image has an impact on the public moral concept at that time, because the film reveals the moral corruption of the press and the consumer psychology of mass media on tragic events through the life of a trapped person is far less important than the attraction brought by the trapped person.

The sequence I chose to analyze started at 50:01 seconds of the film, at which point the general plot had been introduced. Gus, the local sheriff, negotiates with Chuck. The first thing we see is director Billy Wilder using the Jump cut as Chuck enters the restaurant. In addition, the background is also detailed, with a constant stream of guests. Before Leo was trapped, the business of this restaurant was very bleak, but after Leo was trapped, people came and went here. Gus is not satisfied with Chuck’s self-assertion, but the calculating Chuck seduces Gus with fame, and Chuck will paint Gus as a great image in the newspaper in order to keep Gus successful in the next election. The sequence begins with Gus sitting on the far left side of the table and Chuck on the far right. When Chuck mentions that he will help Gus with his campaign, the camera focuses on the food at the table in the form of Deep focus, implying that the stranded
Leo is the food on the table. Gus and Chuck sit tight together after the Continuity editing, and the
seating changes in this scene suggest that Gus is convinced by Chuck. When Gus asks Chuck
what he needs help with, Chuck’s movements and expressions change immediately. He looks
aggressively in front of the camera and demands Gus only allow him to visit Leo alone and
monopolize access to the entire area. When Chuck says the line “This is my story,” he becomes
violent and vicious, like a Wolf who doesn’t want to share his meat with others. This tone detail
is enough to show that Chuck is always a mercenary opportunist, he is not angry at Gus for his
rudeness, he is only angry and worried that someone else may take his job. Then Sam, a third
party, appears from the back of the scene and mentions that Leo can be rescued within 12 hours
if he supports the collapse site. As soon as Sam has said that, Chuck and Gus immediately
suggest that they should change the rescue method. Chuck asks Sam how long it will take to
rescue with a drilling rig. When Sam says it will take a week, a smile breaks across Chuck’s face,
because he knows that if the rescue operation can be extended, he can use the extra time to make
more money, so he and sheriff Gus force Sam to use the rig to rescue, ostensibly for the safety of
the workers. In this dialogue, we can also observe the character’s seating changes, Sam initially
sits across from Chuck and Gus, which means that Sam follows his work ethic to save Leo as
quickly as possible, but Gus threatens Sam with a job offer. Director Billy Wilder also cleverly
uses the camera to deal with the change of stance of the characters, first passing a guest in front
of the camera to block the view of the audience, and then when the obstacle in front of the
camera disappears, the original antagonistic Sam of Chuck and Gus sits down beside them to
make his position clear. Chuck tells Sam that as long as he complies, he will portray him in the
newspaper as a warmhearted worker, while taking a meaningful sugar and immediately pouring
it into Sam’s coffee cup, a detail that implies that Chuck and Gus force Sam to join them. And
make sure Sam gets the “Sugar” too. This sequence is about transactions, Leo’s life and his value
being traded and enjoyed as food on the table, and the meaning is to show that interests and
opportunities are far more important than conscience and bottom line. The above scene proves
that Chuck is an anti-hero, and his moral sense is ambiguous. When he knew that using
traditional rescue methods would shorten the rescue time, his first consideration was not to save
Leo, but to calculate how to extend the rescue time in order to make as much money as possible.
He will squeeze Leo’s life to the limit until Leo dies.

That scene serves as a pivotal moment in the film, foreshadowing its tragic conclusion
while reinforcing the central themes of the anti-hero and moral ambiguity. According to the
information from the text:”Less sympathetic heroes are inconceivable”(Nathan 2007), once
Chuck brings Sheriff Gus and rescue team leader Sam onto his side, Leo’s fate is sealed. Chuck
transitions from an opportunistic journalist to a puppet master, controlling not only the narrative
but also the very people who should have been responsible for Leo’s rescue.It is not the collapsed
tunnel that traps Leo, but rather Chuck’s ability to exploit media influence to gain control over
those in power and the public.

The film’s exploration of anti-heroism and moral ambiguity is embodied through Chuck’s
actions toward Leo. Initially, Chuck appears to be a heroic figure—he discovers the trapped Leo,
reports the incident, and ensures that rescue efforts begin, demonstrating his seemingly altruistic
instincts. However, as the story unfolds, Chuck’s true motivations emerge. Realizing the
sensational appeal of the incident, he seizes the opportunity to capitalize on the media frenzy,
prolonging the rescue efforts to serve his own ambitions. His willingness to manipulate the
situation for profit, even at the cost of Leo’s life, reveals his darker, self-serving nature.
Ultimately, Chuck does not see the disaster as a humanitarian crisis but as a profitable spectacle,
solidifying his role as a morally ambiguous anti-hero. Chuck’s eventual fate is also death. As he
faces the dying Leo, he realizes that his actions were immoral, but he no longer has the chance to
save him. He then forces Lorraine, who has feelings for him, to stab him. In his final moments,
he returns to his former office, confesses the truth, and collapses before his boss, dying as a form
of atonement. Chuck’s self-destructive ending “has all the wrenching inevitability of Hamlet’s
or Lear’s demise”(Coe 2021).

The ideology of “Ace In the Hole 1951” is directly tied to my chosen theme of moral
ambiguity and the anti-hero. The film embodies an ideology of profit-driven opportunism, where
personal gain takes precedence over ethical considerations. Initially, Chuck genuinely intends to
help Leo, but as an opportunist, he soon realizes that the media frenzy surrounding Leo’s
entrapment can secure his career advancement. Abandoning his principles, he manipulates the
truth and colludes with local authorities to prolong the rescue efforts solely for profit. At this
moment, in Chuck’s eyes, Leo is not merely trapped in a collapsed cave; instead, the mine itself
becomes a metaphor for a goldmine of opportunity, and Leo is the gold. The film “Ace In the
Hole 1951” normalizes media exploitation and unethical actions for personal gain. Its core
narrative revolves around how one man’s misfortune becomes a source of entertainment and
profit for thousands. Chuck, in his pursuit of power and success, disregards the truth and
morality, fabricating sensational news. Everyone except the victim exploits Leo’s tragedy for
their own benefit, while the public eagerly participates, driven by herd mentality. As an anti-hero
protagonist, Chuck initially intends to help Leo, but once he realizes the attention and profit the
incident can generate, he abandons his principles. Refering on the information in the resources,
we can confirm that:”This movie indictment of exploitation, opportunism, doctored
intelligence, torture for profit, insatiable greed, and shady journalism”(Coe 2021).

In conclusion, my analysis and discussion of the scene and “moral ambiguity and
anti-hero” in the film “Ace in the Hole 1951” is to focus on how filmmakers can map the
dilemma and social problems in reality by adding ideology to their films. In this modern society,
people are greedy for media and rights due to the rapid development of society, and they also feel
nostalgia for morality and kindness. The anti-hero protagonist Chuck is like a microcosm of the
people in modern society who are “thrill- seeking opportunists”(Nathan 2007). They want to
gain benefits by all means, but find it difficult to face the immoral behavior they commit. In the
end, they chose to ignore his own SINS by focusing all his attention on money and fame.

Work Cited

The New Review: Television: Wednesday 27: Picks of the Day: FILM: Ace in the Hole Sky
Movies Greats, 6am/3.35pm (Billy Wilder, 1951), The Observer (London), 2013 The New
Review: Television: Wednesday 27: Picks of the Day: FILM: Ace in the Hole Sky Movies
Greats, 6am/3.35pm (Billy Wilder, 1951) – Santa Barbara City College

ThThe dawn of American clickbait: Why Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole–a flop on its release 70
years ago–is a magnificent takedown of the shameless voyeurism that fuels tabloid news, Coe
Jonathan, 2021 The dawn of American clickbait: Why Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole–a flop on
its release 70 years ago–is a magnificent takedown of the shameless voyeurism that fuels tabloid
news – Santa Barbara City College

Ace in the Hole, Lee Nathan, 2007 Ace in the Hole – Santa Barbara City College