Dennis Hopper has described film noir as “every director’s favourite genre”. Discussing the importance of intertextuality to the style, structure and themes of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Sin City
In this presentation I’m going to cover these aspects, first looking at Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), before moving onto Sin City (2005). I’ll occasionally be referencing other films and works as I progress.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a film that’s part live action part animated. It’s as much a tribute to the golden age of animation as it is to the 40’s film noirs. It is a testament to the versatility of the genre that these two elements can blend together well. The screenshot of Dumbo behind the Venetian blinds, is a personal favourite of mine to illustrates this point. The entire premise of this movie is based on intertextuality, the joy of seeing classic cartoon characters interacting with a ‘real’ world. But as this is a Noir based presentation and I’m prone to digressing I shall attempt to keep the focus away from the Tex Avery inspired madness and more on the Noir aspects.
In discussing the style we’ll take a look at the scene where Eddie enters the Ink & Paint Club. From the first frame it reads as pure noir, the dark alleyways, night time Los Angeles and the classic Detective get up. And that is one fine looking coat he’s got there. We instantly have an idea of what type of character/personality Eddie Valiant is going to be. Eddie is seen drinking from a bottle he keeps in his gun holster. Symbolising his focus has changed from solving crimes to alcoholism. We have shadows abound, reminiscent of the classic Era noirs which were themselves harking back to the German Expressionist films of the 20’s. We get a look at Eddies personality: His temper gets the better of him, much like Jake in Chinatown (1974) a parallel I‘ll get into further later. He is also similar to Philip Marlowe in the sense that he is wise and weary to the world of Toons, able to predict the gag when he orders Scotch on the Rocks. We are greeted with a black and white Betty Boop reduced to a barmaid since times have moved on and we get the first glimpse of Valiant’s humanity. Then Jessica Rabbit enters the scene.
One could argue she is the ultimate femme fatale, incorporating elements of others into her design: her hair is an exaggerated version of the style made famous by Veronica Lake, her outfit is much like Rita Hayworth’s in Gilda (1946) while her face and expressions are similar to Lauren Bacall‘s. The performance itself is a reference to Red Hot Riding Hood, the cartoon character she’s based on in the novel. An element in some Noirs is to have two women in the protagonists life. Firstly, the safe, reliable woman who cares for him, he could settle down with her and live happily ever after (represented by Deloris in this case). The second is normally able to manipulate the lead exploiting his lust and desire, filling his head with the fantasy of escape. With Jessica being a cartoon she is able to blend all of the elements of her predecessors to embody this idea in an almost Plato-esque pure form.
Before moving on to the structure of the film I’m going to look at clips from the scene in Eddie’s office that doubles as his apartment. We have a classic Noir shot of the private eyes shadow framed in the clear glass of his door. Valiant then places is hat upon a Maltease Falcon referencing one of the most famous Noir tales. The mise en scene in this scene is important. On his brothers desk covered in dust we see a number of items. A Bettie Boop doll, illustrating his brothers affection for the cartoons as well as Eddie’s old passion for working with them. A magnifying glass and glasses, which can symbolise Eddie’s brother looking at things with a different perspective, paying attention to the smaller details (reinforced with the pens and notebook). Lastly, a pipe similar to that made famous by popular images of Sherlock Holmes, a detective of a different era. These items combine to create an image of a much more reserved and collected detective a stark contrast to the brash, heavy drinking detective that Valiant has become. In fact, it is only when he finishes a drink and his glass is clear that he is able to see his first clue. Something he previously overlooked. He then reaches for a magnifying glass and starts the process of quitting his drink and becoming a better Detective. It is these intertextual references and symbols that we already recognise that serve to reinforce the narrative.
This film owes a lot to Chinatown. Eddies first job his what seems to be a simple snoop job, much like Jake. The Patty-Cake joke is one example of how this film subverts expectations. Similar to the scene with the notepad at Jackie Treehorn‘s house in The Big Lebowski (1998). Eddie does not want to return to Toontown yet is self aware that he’s tied to it, as evident by his line ‘I always knew I’d get it in Toontown.’ He his similar to Jake in the way the entire case is right under his nose but he just cant put it together. His anger is also a distraction and frequently hinders him from realising where the Will is. Like the California Water Wars in Roman Polanski’s film, the villains goal is also from the history books, this time the Great American Streetcar Scandal. In fact this plot was originally going to feature in the third of the Chinatown trilogy. Another parallel is the Femme Fatale. Both aren’t these manipulative fiends we are led them to be. With Jessica the stereotype is subverted so she is absolutely devoted to her husband. Though god knows why with a body like that she could have any man she wants. The use of reincorporation is also important here, Judge Doom telling the weasels off for laughing and forewarns their eventual fates. Eddie even hints towards the twist at the end remarking to Roger ‘I don’t know who’s toonier you or Doom.’ Similar to the Dude in The Big Lebowski solving the case with a passing comment.
In terms of themes this film is as rich in subtext as any of the classic era Noirs. For instance aforementioned Ink and Paint club appears to be based upon the Cotton Club. A place where Black people were able to perform and work but not enter as customers. It is not surprising then to see the crows from Dumbo, a close to the knuckle portrayal of Afro-Americans performing as Jessica’s backing band. Eddie seems to host a racial hatred for Toons frequently using the word as a racial slur. He hates people believing he works for them. However when he encounters one in need he still upholds a sense of justice and takes action. The Toons can be represent a number of minorities, or under classes. With the Cloverleaf subplot you see the authority figures as corrupt. Eddie has a level of genre savvy which helps him on a number of occasions. This self awareness of your world aiding your survival appears to be quite common in a lot of post-modern texts. A sentence certainly relevant when talking about Sin City (2005).
Based upon Frank Miller’s graphic novels Sin City is a world dominated by Noir. Things that were stylistic elements or common themes of other Noirs are gospel here. In this world it is always night, All the authority figures are corrupt and nearly everyone is dangerous one way or another. You only need to look at the opening scene to get a feel of the tone. Everything that has defined this genre in the past is there but pushed into the extremes, it’s hyper real. The film is stylised by it’s stark contrast of black and white. During the Italian renaissance era a term called ‘Chiaroscuro’ was used to describe art that utilised strong dynamics between light and dark to reinforce depth and tone. While in part influenced by the pulp comics that were mainly printed in black and white I feel it is this technique that makes the film stand out.
While at first glance characters like Marv might not seem to be the typical Noir protagonist underneath his brute exterior he displays a number of the archetypal features. He his smart, evident by his line regarding the polices arrival, his ability to solve Goldie‘s murder and by preventing Kevin from hopping around. A heavy drinker, displayed by his heavy drinking. He aims to protect and avenge the innocent, while happy to kill a man as a rule but he wont hit ‘Dames’. Even though Marv is mentally unstable he still upholds a level of honour. The choice of Mickey Rourke for the role is also crucial, as an actor with a troubled past we get a sense of that through the performance much like Downey Jr. in Iron Man (2008). This is something the 40’s noirs did, by casting old gangster actors they were able to carry the audiences perceptions of them adding depth to the new characters being performed. Marv finds a level of comfort in Lucille. She takes care of him in her own way while his interactions with Goldie start him on a path that ultimately leads to his death. I wouldn’t say she’s a femme fatale though, she seeks Marv out more out of desperation than anything else. The name of Marv’s tale ‘The Hard Goodbye’ is of course a reference to the Chandler novel The Long Goodbye (1953). His bandages have all the connotations wounding does in film language and possibly serves as a tribute to Chinatown, with a cross over his eye representing Roark and the church. The church here is shown to be twisted and wicked, Marv shooting at the statue reminds me of the scene where bandits shoot the church bell in For a Few Dollars More (1965) and brings to mind the same connotations. Salvation isn’t there, those morals and ideals don’t hold up in this world. His conversation with Lucille reveals that he knows his time is limited, that this might be the last thing he does. Illustrating that self awareness of his fate. All the citizens of Basin City are doomed, trapped in this exaggerated criminal underworld.
The film uses a number of narrative elements that are often associated with Noir. The voiceover is prevalent in all of the tales. The events aren’t in chronological order. All of the main stories in the film feature a number of similar themes. The main characters are all men who driven by a woman leading to a corrupt element of the authorities, the ones supposedly in control, keeping the peace to be revealed. The men’s drive to protect women is mocked explicitly in The Big Fat Kill section of the film when Gail refers to the Old town girls as ’Helpless’ and ’Little’ However, the girls of Sin City tend not to be bad but merely drawn that way. Clichés and plot devices we have seen in other movies and texts before run rampant here, this worlds consumed by them. They are pushed to the limits with characters surviving by the skin of their teeth. Police Badges stop bullets, guns jam and a villains poorly timed monologue aid our heroes in their plight, allowing them to wade on committed to their goals. Wearing its influences firmly on its shoulders it relishes wading through its post modern environment and like Who Framed it would be impossible to exist without the history of the medium behind it.
Film noirs very makeup is intertextual. The look of the genre was aided by Chiaroscuro a Renaissance approach to light and a heavy influence of German Expressionist cinema. Depression Era America led to a rise in crime and gangsters. The Legion of Decency were not happy with these people playing the role of hero. As a result the same styles and performances were switched to the side of good. This combined with more grittier crime novels that was emerging gave us the tone. By it’s very nature film Noir is built on what came before it, it is these foundations we understand and interpret that allow film makers to toy with our expectations. The subversion and play with these established themes and styles allow scope to continually stretch and push the genre. In summary I’m inclined to agree with Dennis Hopper it very well good be.
Carl
Bibliography
Books
Chandler, R. (Re-issue 2008) The Long Good-Bye, Penguin. Originally published in 1953 by Hamish Hamilton
Duncan, P (2007) Bogart, Italy: TASCHEN
Duncan, P. (2000) Film Noir, Films of Trust and Betrayal, Great Britain: Pocket Essentials
Powell, J. (1998) Postmodernism For Beginners. New York: Writers and Readers Publishing, Inc.
Silver, A & Ursini, J. (1996) Film Noir Reader. Limelight Editions
Films
Altman, R (1973) The Long Goodbye
Coen, J. (1998) The Big Lebowski
Hawks, H (1946) The Big Sleep
Huston, J. (1941) The Maltease Falcon
Leone, S. (1965) A Few Dollars More
Miller, F. Rodriquez, R. (2005) Sin City
Polanski, R (1974) Chinatown
Vidor, Charles (1946) Gilda
Zemeckis, R. (1988) Who Framed Roger Rabbit
