“Blade Runner”

       

       “Blade Runner” directed by Ridley Scott is a fascinating film which depicts the futuristic sci-fi version of Earth in the year 2017; where the human population has expanded out across the universe into space Colonies.  Advancements in science and technology lead to the creation of Replicants, beings which replicate the appearances and functionalities of humans, but with advanced strength and armor.  “Blade Runner” closely mimics the feel and style of George Lucas’ “Star Wars,” but in a more dramatic noir way.  The film takes the classic noir feel of the 1950’s and places it in “Star Wars”-like urban environment.  The use of urban environment and noir character type of the private eye helps to exemplify the noir style used in “Blade Runner”.

       The use of an urban environment is very prominent throughout the classic noir era.  “Blade Runner” issues a new form of an urban environment which mimics that of a city.  However, the urban environment in this film is set between huge futuristic buildings with large car-like ships that fly, and with a large mix of multi-planet people and beings.  With heavy neon lights, wet streets, and crowds of people, the urban environment in the film progresses the noir feel.  However, the city also contains areas that look very slummy and run-down with sparse lighting and crowded streets.  The use of heavy rain as well as the run down city streets gives the viewer the feeling that even in this advanced futuristic world there is still poverty and bad areas within the city.  The heavy rain and dark city nights embody similar feelings derived from the city of Vienna in “The Third Man” as well as the city in “Laura.”  Both noir films have similar urban environments to “Blade Runner.”    

       “Blade Runner” introduces us to our re-instated private eye Rick Deckard, who is a seasoned hunter of the Replicants and the top choice for Blade Runner duty.  Deckard exhibits the typical behavior associated with the noir private eye, with his witty lines and tough exterior he gives us the sense that he is always one-step ahead.  Rick Deckard portrays similar characteristics to both Holly Martins and Mark McPherson.  Deckard has the smart level headed thinking of Holly Martins as well as the stick-to-itiveness to see the case to the end.  Deckard also exhibits the tough qualities of Mark McPherson.  We see Deckard multiple times either fighting or shooting Replicants with hero-like courage.  Both Deckard and McPherson also love to drink, in both films the men can be seen drinking heavily across a few scenes.  Deckard exhibits the private-eye in a new futuristic light.  Just like Martins and McPherson, Deckard also has a love interest in the movie.  As the film proceeds, we see Deckard as he starts to fall for a Replicant named Rachel.  Deckard meets her while working on his case, just like Martins and McPherson did.  Rick Deckard is a somewhat new-age private eye, who exhibits qualities much like characters we have seen before.  “Blade Runner” embodies qualities similar to the classic noir but in a new light, using updated camera and film effects.  Overall, the film brings to light a unprecedented sci-fi drama which closely mimics the feel and qualities of a classic noir but in a new-age “Star Wars”-like universe. 

Taxi Driver

       

       Taxi Driver is a powerful film with heavy symbolism and dark underlying messages.  The symbolism and dark overtones revolve largely around the deteriorating character of Travis Bickle.  In the film we see how the city negatively effects and grows on Travis and how he deals with the evil that surrounds him.

       Throughout the film we see Travis’ character change as the city pulls him down deeper and deeper.  The city’s effect on Travis starts shortly after Travis gets his job driving a taxi.  Travis narrates telling us that he drove all over the city, accepting passengers going anywhere in the city.  He then proceeds to tell us that he works sometimes seven days a week with little to no sleep.  It is here that we start to see the city life pulling Travis’ character down.  Having just been honorably discharged from the Marines, Travis was looking for a job to spend all of his time on.  He is looking for an escape from reality, either through working or drinking.  Travis’ involvement in Vietnam has left him somewhat without purpose.  This purpose is what Travis wishes to reclaim.  We start getting hints throughout the movie of what Travis’ new purpose is going to be.  He is always talking about the “scum” which overpopulates the city.  It is mentioned multiple times that he wishes he could just “flush all of the scum out of the city.”  We start to see how the city is pulling Travis down, and how he is becoming more racist and hostile towards city patrons he sees.  After hearing from a fellow taxi driver that Travis should carry a gun, the wheels in his head start to turn, and Travis ends up buying a gun.  Travis buys multiple guns after meeting a man in his cab who is going to kill his wife because she is cheating on him with a black person.  With messages around Travis saying “We are the people,” and a constant reminder of taking matters into one’s own hands, Travis finally is prepared to eradicate the people he sees as “scum.”  We see the full blown effects of the city on Travis’ character when he is standing watching Senator Palatine’s speech.  He is wearing thick aviator sunglasses, his Vietnam jacket (which presumably has his guns hidden up the sleeves), and has cut his hair into a mohawk.  After shooting Sport, and decimating practically every male inside the brothel, Travis feels he has re-found purpose through saving Iris’ life from evil and protecting her innocence.

       After the shooting at the brothel we find out the Travis was successful and that Iris returned home and was continuing her education.  Travis survives the ordeal regardless of being shot twice, and continues to drive a taxi.  We see Travis’ transformation of a life without any purpose, to a life with purpose after he leaves Betsey on the sidewalk and drives away.  His old life (before the shooting) has been shed, and his new life (of purpose) has begun.

“Klute”: Paranoia and Surveillance

     

       “Klute” was directed by Alan Pakula and was released in 1971.  The film touches upon both the themes of paranoia and surveillance.  These themes both represent the actions infringed on Bree Daniel’s life.  They help to drive the plot as well as give the viewers a sense of reality felt by the characters in the film.

       The theme of paranoia is used throughout the film to not only place the viewer in the film but to help convey the feelings felt by Bree.  The theme of paranoia mostly centralizes around Bree’s character and at the end of the film, Peter Cable’s character too.  The cinematography in the film portrayed the theme of paranoia very well.  There are many shots which place us in the eyes of the stalker giving us a first-person point-of-view.  This is also used to give the viewer the sense of uneasiness and displacement.  Another component which drives the theme of paranoia is the music which plays as we encounter the first-person shots viewing Bree.  The music that plays is very eerie and shaky.  It comes in slow and gets louder as the scenes climax.  The music helps to give another sense of unsettlement.  The music is usually accompanied by dark shots of rooms or hallways with sparse lighting using the darkness to convey the feelings of paranoia.  We can see paranoia in the character of Peter Cable at the end of the film when he confesses that he killed Thomas Gruneman because Peter thought he was going to tell employees about the run-in with the prostitute Arlyn.  Paranoia is a major reoccurring development in the film and is contributed to the feeling’s felt by Bree Daniels and Peter Cable. 

       Surveillance is another theme which is very prevalent throughout the length of the film.  The use of surveillance revolves largely around the two characters of John Klute and Peter Cable.  However, John Klute’s use of surveillance on Bree is different from the type of surveillance used by Peter.  Klute uses his surveillance to help Bree in finding the man who seems to be stalking her.  Peter Cable uses surveillance to stalk Bree and scare her.  Both men use tape recorders to capture Bree’s voice but the intentions behind each man is different; one being malicious and one being helpful.  Peter recorded Bree both times they met.  John recorded Bree’s phone calls on various tapes.  Both men use recordings to surveil Bree.  Surveillance and paranoia go hand-in-hand in the film because they both play off of each other.  The theme of surveillance contributes to the actions infringed on Bree’s life by Peter Cable and John Klute.  “Klute” utilizes many shots and scenes which play with themes of surveillance and paranoia as they relate to the life of Bree Daniels.

“Kiss Me Deadly”

     

       Kiss Me Deadly by Robert Aldrich is a film noir which incorporates many ideals of the growing 1950’s modern era.  There are many different scenes, moments and themes in the movie which justify the influence of the modern era. Kiss Me Deadly carries film noir into the 1950’s expanding the narrow traditional noir standards into a realm of modern thought and idealism

       The mise-en-scène of Kiss Me Deadly holds the largest influence on the use modernism in the film.  There are many scenes where the mise-en-scène describes the shift towards a more modern view of thought.  The use of technology in the film helps exemplify the thoughts and motives of the 1950’s era.  The first scene displaying the use of new technology was the cars that were passing by Christina as she stood on the road in nothing but a trench coat.  After Hammer stops and Christina gets in the car, we get a better look at the new age of automobiles.  This wasn’t the typical black Al Capone low-riding mob car which was used throughout many film noirs.  The cars in this film were of its time, with extenuated features and attractive curves; it is even mentioned by Christina in the movie how cars are a reflection of the driver.  This is an exact reflection of modern thought towards automobiles as “pieces of art” with flashy colors and chrome paneling.  Another use of technology which exemplified the new American modern age was the electronics which Mike Hammer used to conduct his business.  In the apartment we can see personal camera’s lined against the wall, a portable type-writer, and an answering machine built in to the wall.  The mise-en-scène in scenes displaying Mike’s apartment are also very modern.  The furniture as well as the architecture was much different from the typical noir, with high ceilings, bright lighting, and open shots.  Another example of this new modern shift is the use of the box in the film.  The box is used as a representation of the modern times by the themes surrounding it.  The box represents the hostility of the Cold War and Communism. The box held radioactive material which may or may not be nuclear, but is supposed to represent the apocalyptic end that comes from the use of nuclear weaponry.  Overall, the film incorporates many ideals and themes of the new 1950’s era.

            Kiss Me Deadly is a classic film noir which captured the advancing age of the 1950’s and depicted it through the use of technology and symbolism.  Through the use of mise-en-scène the director was able to portray the growing modern age.  Though confusing at points, the film is very smart leaving you with a jaw-dropping ending.