Film Noir and ‘Out of the Past’ (Jacques Tourneur, 1947): USA

Paper by Shawn Hensley.

Film noir motion pictures, such as Out of the Past, created during the height of tension between the American genders in the 1940’s, mirrored mythological stereotypes men had of women during this post war era (Kaplan 47). Directed by Jacques Tourneur in 1947, the film Out of the Past exemplifies these views of women in its characters Ann Miller and Kathie Moffat. As seen in Out of the Past as the “nurturing woman” of film noir, Ann Miller portrayed the conventional idea and image men believed the ideal homemaker should fit. These nurturing women of film noir serve not only as the passive, gentle, sexist view of the female sex of the 1940’s, but as an antonym of noir’s opposite leading ladies, the femme fatale making them all the more evil. Femme fatales like Kathie Moffat were the opposite exaggerated view that many American men had of the now working class woman. These femme fatales were ambitious, sexual, independent, self-absorbed, and malicious reflecting the ill feelings some soldiers felt coming home to women who replaced them in the work field and or had found new partners (Kaplan 94). Carefully placing these 1940’s stereotypes of what women should be and what they have become side by side in Out of the Past, worked as a mutualistic relationship that further purified the nurturing woman and darkened the femme fatal. Using specific cinematography to create the noir form of Out of the Past deepens these radical views the audience see of Ann and Kathie. Although these editing techniques mainly worked to the director’s advantage in portraying his nurturing woman and femme fatal, they also served as creative subtle ways of alluding to and including “obscenities” prohibited by the unconstitutional Production Code of the time (The Motion Production Code). The portrayal of these two opposing female leading roles in Out of the Past show two very different depictions of the 1940’s male views of women, but one common underlying theme; if a woman is not the obedient, idealistic, pure homemaker like Ann, she automatically becomes labeled as an evil, dangerous threat to the men around her who must perish as a result of her strong, independent character.

Out of the Past female character Ann Miller is portrayed as film noirs “nurturing woman.” The nurturing woman can be identified as a loyal, obedient, trustworthy, woman who would provide a long lasting stable relationship. “Women in Film Noir” edited by Ann Kaplan, describes that the nurturing woman gives love, understanding, asks very little in return and is generally visually passive and static (Kaplan 96). Ann demonstrates many examples of her loyalty to Jeff throughout the movie. In the very beginning of the film you see Ann’s loyalty to Jeff portrayed when she disobeys her parents and goes to Lake Tahoe with him. She puts Jeff before anybody else in her life. Ann readily accepts his story of being caught up with another woman and doesn’t question it. Ann confesses her ultimate trust in Jeff when she questions him about the murder while at night in the forest. She tells him that people have been saying he killed a man. Jeff asks Ann, “You believe everything I say don’t you?” Ann replies, “Everything you say to me I believe” (Out of the Past 1947). This blatantly shows Ann’s willingness to be fully committed to Jeff. The characteristics chosen to portray the nurturing woman are casted as being dull, boring, and safe. The nurturing woman is never the leading female role in film noir. This all loving seemingly perfect woman was the typical image men held of woman before World War II. However during the war woman were recruited from being dainty housewives to missile building machines. The classical image of woman in America was exchanged for a far more dangerous, and evil portrayal.

Feeling betrayed by women, men returning home from the war had the exaggerated connotation that woman had become evil. Men felt they had been betrayed by woman who left them or who had replaced them in the workplace. Kaplan reiterates, “The attitudes towards women evidenced in film noir- i.e, fear of loss f stability, identity and security- are reflective of the dominant feelings of the time” (91). Corresponding, men developed the exaggerated view of women becoming liars, thieves, and even murderers. America on Film, by Harry Benshoff and Sean Griffin, explains why film noir came to be; “A type of filmmaking which became known as film noir arose in the late 1940’s and seemed to reflect directly on these tensions” (Benshoff and Griffin 232). This displaced view of women was film noirs leading female role, the femme fatale. Out of the Past’s femme fatale character is portrayed by Kathy Moffat. Kathy plays a very dark role abusing men from one to the next. She is powerful and seductive to obtain what she wants. The femme fatale is never tied down to just one man, she is wild and independent. Out of the Past makes it blatantly obvious that Kathy Moffat is the dark femme fatale character exemplified by her dubious actions throughout the movie. Kathy’s life of sin from ranges from stealing $40,000, to her killing three men and also the indirect deaths of two other men. When Jeff’s ex partner uncovers their secret affair Kathy justifies shooting him in order to keep it a secret. The femme fatale is only looking out for herself holding little regard to human life or the law. Kathy demonstrates this by betraying both of her former lovers Whitt and Jeff. First, she lies writing an aphidavis claiming Jeff killed his former partner, then in the end of the movie she shoots and kills her former lover Whitt. The femme fatale is nothing but pure evil. Film noir doesn’t only exhibit the femme fatale through her dubious actions but also by carefully placed cinematography.

Out of the Past uses key cinematic elements to develop the femme fatale’s (Kathy Moffat) evil nature and to violate the production code. “The use of firearms” and “Technique of committing murder by whatever method” are strict regulations of the production code that the film violated (Production Code 215). Kathy violates both of these regulations by using firearms and killing men on multiple occasions. To express such an evil, dark character, film noir uses low lighting and dark elements visually bringing this character to fit its reputation. In Out of the Past Kathy appears in the film mostly during the night time. There is a particular scene where Kathy and Jeff are on a date at the beach during the night time. Kaplan explains, “The visual style conveys this mood through expressive use of darkness: both through shadows and claustrophobic compositions which overwhelm the character in exterior as well as interior settings” (Kaplan 91). Kathy Moffat is a slim, pretty, tall, dark haired woman fitting the stereo-typical image of film noir’s femme fatale. The femme fatale is a very sexual character, as is Kathy Moffat. Iconic cues such as makeup, jewelry, legs, and cigarettes build up this sexual reputation (Kaplan 93). One scene in Out of the Past that conveys this sexuality is when Jeff gives jewelry to Kathy in the bar in Mexico. Majority of Kathy’s appearances throughout Out of the Past are during the night, revealing the darkness that surrounds her. Iconic cues such as her clothing style and use of shadows conveys Kathy’s evil spirit. Kathy’s less conservative style of dress helps to show off her independent, rebellious attitude. Out of the Past makes use of shadows on the wall to illustrate a fight scene. Using silhouettes, shadows, mirrors and reflections indicates men’s lack of both unity and control (Kaplan 91). These visual cinematographic hints not only help audiences to better understand the femme fatale but also the nurturing women.

The nurturing woman is the opposite of the femme fatale. Therefore the iconic cues used to convey her are usually opposite of those used to convey the femme fatale. As in Out of the Past, Ann is mostly shown during the daytime where she is fully lit. Bringing bright lighting to Ann reflects her good nature. “The strength of these women is expressed in the visual style by their dominance in composition, angle, camera movement and lighting” (Kaplan 93). One scene in Out of the Past which this is reflected on Ann is while she and Jeff are riding in the car. Ann is angelically lit giving off the impression of her innocence. Showing Ann in nature both in Lake Tahoe and in the woods conveys her calmness and safety. These iconic cues help the audience to grasp Ann’s innocence and purity as the nurturing woman. Even though the nurturing women holds the “ideal” image men had of woman she cannot be victorious in film noir.

Neither the femme fatale nor the nurturing women can be victorious in film noir. The femme fatale will always pay for her independent spirit, by either being severely punished or death in the end of the movie. Kathy Moffat ends up in a shootout with the police killing Jeff, one police officer, and coincidently getting shot herself. Kathy Moffat pays for her evil ways with her life, as so many femme fatales in film noir do. As for the woman in film noir you are either a fem fatale or the nurturing women, there is no middle ground. The other woman seen in Out of the Past is Meta Carson Eel’s secretary. She is also a femme fatale because she tries to set Jeff up. Jeff ends up dying from the wrath of Kathy, therefore leaving Ann alone and hopeless. There are no true heroic victors in film noir.

Film noir’s Out of the Past is a direct coalition with societies displaced views men held of woman in the 1940’s. Though the “femme fatale” and “nurturing woman” didn’t accurately describe woman of the time, film noir demonstrated the heightened tensions men had of woman in the 1940’s. Men felt threatened by woman’s new independence and in return came film noir. Although tensions between genders cooled down in the 1950’s film noir didn’t die in the 1940’s. It was revived in the 1980’s and is still a prevalent film genre today. Jacques Tourneur’s Out of the Past is a prime example of film noir.

Works Cited

Doherty, Thomas. The Motion Picture Production Code. 1930. Print

Harry M. Benshoff and Sean Griffin. America on Film. 2nd Ed. Malden, MA: Wiley-
Blackwell, 2009. Print.

Place, Janey “Women in Film Noir,” in Women in Film Noir. Ed. E Ann Kaplan. London:
BFI Publishing, 1998, 47-68. Print.