Tagline: High school was easy. But college is a whole different ANIMAL.
Rather than actually write a review, I've decided to just copy and paste a random college paper I wrote some years ago, which has absolutely nothing to do with this terrible, terrible movie. Enjoy -
The… More
Tagline: High school was easy. But college is a whole different ANIMAL.
Rather than actually write a review, I've decided to just copy and paste a random college paper I wrote some years ago, which has absolutely nothing to do with this terrible, terrible movie. Enjoy -
The various motifs used in noir films place emphasis on certain elements of the film. The use the Asian theme often portrays exotic locales and a sexually charged environment. Over time, as noir films have gone on, there have been changes in the meaning behind what the Asian theme represents. While some noir films may depict Asian settings, designs, or items as something of interest or having appeal, others may associate that theme with corruption and violence. Even as these changes have occurred, the use of the Asian aesthetic still indicates a mysterious appeal based on the foreign nature of the theme.
The Asian theme can be traced back to early hard-boiled stories written by Dashiell Hammett. There is no definitive film to show how the combination of the Asian theme and noir films came about, but there is enough evidence to suggest that film noir has a deep affinity with the Far East. There is constant use of an Oriental item or an Asian setting to inspire a certain way of thinking for that particular film. The portrayal of various Asian related themes in early noir films was not necessarily stereotypical, but it definitely shows the naïve sort of thinking that went along with the use of a foreign locale or object. In a way, the limited sort of thinking filmmakers used in association with the portrayal of Asian settings as somewhere foreign, exotic, and mysterious, led to the continual representation of Asian themes to be seen in that way.
In a noir film, the use of an Asian setting portrays a mysterious but enticing location for characters. In a book written by James Naremore, entitled More Than Night: Film Noir in its Contexts, there is a specific chapter pertaining to the use of settings outside of Europe and America for noir films. In this chapter, Naremore has this to say about the use of an Asian setting, ?If the Far East was repeatedly associated in film noir with enigmatic and criminal behavior, it was also depicted as a kind of aestheticized bordello, where one could experience all sorts of forbidden pleasures.? Naremore?s writing supports the idea that an Asian setting is a sort of place that is dangerous yet enchanting. In a noir film, setting the story in an Asian location would make it appear that almost anything could happen.
A key example comes from the noir film The Lady from Shanghai (Welles, 1948). In this film, the ending scenes are set in San Francisco?s Chinatown. During these scenes, Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth?s characters make their way into a Chinese theater in order to hide from the authorities. Within this scene, the revelation that Rita Hayworth is an evil character takes place. All the while, the audience continues to enjoy the performance on stage, as the authorities quietly patrol the area. Within this Asian setting, we have the portrayal of a foreign locale where people have come to be entertained, while at the same time criminals and their pursuers are amongst them, soon to be involved in further dangerous activities. This specific instance shows the mix of appeal and danger.
Even Rita Hayworth?s character in the film shares a point of view on the Asian setting. Her character, Elsa Bannister, claims to be a White Russian born in Macao, ?the wickedest city in the world.? That is all the film lets the audience learn about her character?s past, but it comes with subtle hints. This once again shrouds an Asian environment in mystery. It is almost something of a mythic quality.
Various uses of Asian items and designs also came about in many noir films. The use of these elements can highlight certain aspects of the story or of a character. The film Laura (Preminger, 1944) contains many oriental design patterns within the house of the Laura character. Since Laura is supposed to be a dream-like woman, whom everyman desires, it is fitting that a theme meant to convey an appealing sense of mystery is used to detail her own surroundings, further adding to the mythic quality of the character.
Dashiell Hammett?s 1930s detective novel, The Maltese Falcon, and its various film adaptations, also contain some uses of the Asian theme to enhance the story. As Naremore describes, ?The Maltese Falcon involves a search for an Orientalist object, and the 1932 film adaptation contains a scene in which Sam Spade receives an important clue to the mystery of who killed Miles Archer from a resident of Chinatown.? Once again, the use of an object of Oriental origin conveys the idea that the object has a shadowy past that has caused conflict, and its reappearance will create new conflict. The fact that Spade receives a clue in Chinatown also shows how the Asian setting can once again be seen as a place where someone
can find anything.
As time went by, the use of the Asian theme changed. The change came about because of current affairs. The film noir period did take place during World War II and the Cold War. As Naremore states, ?Propaganda images of sadistic Asians persisted through the cold-war decades, when china became communist and America became involved in a series of military adventures throughout the Asian Pacific.? This kind of sentiment made the use of the Asian theme lead away from the mysterious appeal and more to a notion of pure evil and deceit. Because of this, the use of the Asian theme to portray an exotic locale or highlight the mystery and danger of an object or character would fade away for a time.
In 1974, the release of Chinatown (Polanski, 1974) brought back the association of ?noirish? films with Asian ?exoticism.? The film takes place in 1930s Los Angeles, and the Asian district, Chinatown, is associated with mystery, violence and perverse sex. Jack Nicholson?s character purposely never discusses the exact events that occurred when he worked in Chinatown years ago. The audience is led to believe that he is troubled by inner demons because of the events that occurred there. Other references made to Chinatown indicate the helpless nature of that particular setting. By the end of the film, after a killing has taken place, as much as Nicholson?s character wants to become involved in the situation, he is told to go home and is consoled by the fact that there is nothing he can do at that point. The film portrays Chinatown as a corrupt area controlled by the Los Angeles Police Department and the city?s wealthy class. Nevertheless, Chinatown is one of the more modern noir films to restart the use of the Asian setting as a dark and mysterious place.
While noir films are no longer as much of a presence as they once were, some films with noir qualities continue to play with the use of the Asian theme. In the 2006 film Brick (Johnson, 2006), an homage to stories written by noir authors akin to Dashiell Hammett, the femme fetal character wears a dress of Oriental design early in the film, indicating that nothing but trouble will be had by association with her. The continued presence of the Asian theme suggests that one can always be clued into the symbolic meanings behind it.
Over the years, the Asian theme has been a part of many noir films. In any number of these films, the use of Asian qualities can associate itself with mystery, deceit, sexuality, conflict, and violence. The scenes may have changed between these films, but the theme always symbolizes a certain quality to enhance the plot or characters.
