The Big Sleep - Crime fiction conventions? (1 Viewer)

[ameh]

And how is it displayed through film techniques and the context,


I'd be gratfeul for ANYTHING! - I have an assessment on Monday

 

[monique66]

yeah, that'd be good...i have the same assessment, i wonder if anyone else out there does the same movie...its a big sleep...

 

[ameh]

stupid thing is worth 20%
omg. oh well

 

[ishq]

we have the big sleep too....and we're still watching it....but our assessment is a seminar...collecting visual and written related material and presenting it visually. BUT THE MOVIE IS SO CONFUSING! there is a new person introduced every millisecond! i hardly get over understanding one murder and BOOM some other dude dies! aah! what to do?

 

[monique66]

i totally agree it is the most confusing movie of all time!

 

[McLake]

OK, the big thing about "The Big Sleep" (TBS) is "Film Noir" (FN). FN is the idea of using the constrast of black and white to portray ideas or emotions in a film. In TBS FN is used to portray good and evil, with the good characters often in good light, and evil cahracters or acts in bad light. Light is also used to obscure or reveal clues and identies of criminals.

Another techniques is "signposting". TBS contains several shots of "signs", the door to the house, street and shop signs, as well as the sign to Marlowe's office. These are used to help the viewer locate themselves within the plotline, and serve as good ways to break the scenes.

Context is easy. Talk about the time period, and what the means about the type of places the characters go to, the type of crime invloved and the issues that are and aren't disscussed.

Ask for more if you need it ...

 

[ameh]

ok im mostly confused about values, I know film noir is a style and an e.g. of that would be TBS, context: I guess I could bring in World War 2 and the cynicism surrounding..but values?!

 

[McLake]

OK, values genrally come from the context. So some of the values in TBS are: respect for women, the way they talk about sex in public, and the value of human life. Values are harder to pick out, but they are there. And they are put in by the composer to normally to either enhance the story, make a statement about the films content, or reveal a deeper motive for a character.

 

[ameh]

ok thanks, ive got a pile of notes to get through b4 tomorrow =S

 

[fioreviola]

Not sure if 'respect for women' is a value in the big sleep. Marlowe is chivalrous certainly, however many of the women portrayed in the film are corrupt femme fatales. Marlowe will often repel advances, for example how Marlowe continually repels Carmen's advances. It has actually been argued that Chandler was a misogynist.

Other thing, WWII is a bad context to use. The book was written in 1939, the film was based on it. Neededless to say WWII happened after Chandler wrote the story. For context it would be better to use the emerging capitalist American society and the growth of industrialisation (which lead to larger cities).

Chandler's main values were - anti-capitalism, anti-corruption. He despises the wealthy. It should be noted that Marlowe is an honest, small time private eye facing a world of corruption and violence.

Obviously you don't have time but a great way to understand the movie is to read the book. It makes it much easier to understand what is going on.

 

[ameh]

my teacher mentioned TBS doesnt have any femme fatale, only dangerous women with characteristics of ff + shot during the war...

 

[McLake]

Not sure if 'respect for women' is a value in the big sleep.

That is meant as a lack of respect, just to clarify ...