The brain trust says:
"ScootiePuff Jr. suuuuuuccckkkks....."
(thanks to futurama)
----- Original Message ---- From: Kevin Burton Smith <
kvnsmith@thrillingdetective.com> To:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, December 9,
2007 8:34:28 AM Subject: RARA-AVIS: KISS ME DEADLY (May the
Force Be With You)
I wrote:
> I can't think of
> > any "essential aspects of the style"
that
> > KISS ME DEADLY invented.
> >
> > Care to give us an example? Any
example?
> ************ ********* ********* ********* *********
******
And Patrick replied:
> The fat scrolling credits at the beginning
used
> effectively later by Star Wars.
Ah, yes, that classic of film noir: STAR WARS.
> The repeating stair
> angels which may have been borrowed from Hitchcock
but
> certainly not used as heavily as in KISS ME
DEADLY.
> Here they're used like the venitian blinds and
fan
> shadows were in Curtiz' CASABLANCA. They're also
very
> reminiscent of Escher's art work. Watching the
villian
> through his shoes was used by Hitchcock again
in
> STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, but here it's used to put
the
> viewer in the position of Hammer in a drugged
and
> beaten state and it continues right up until the
pool
> party where we begin to see their faces. KISS
ME
> DEADLY is full of fine noir camera angles and
very
> effective use of black & white.
Gee, no film noir had ever done that before.
> Velda is also depicted
> in a powerful way. Hammer is almost pimping
her.
> There's no whore/angel thing here as there is
with
> Jane Greer in OUT OF THE PAST. Velda is a broad
in
> broad strokes. The scene of her dance pactice is
a
> very expressive touch of how she sees herself. That
we
> can see the sweat on her is really
effective.
>
But if most of the elements you mention were used in other
films
previously, how could they have been invented in KISS ME
DEADLY? And
while the film does make use of many by-then established film
noir
elements, some quite effectively (and which you cite), you're
over-
praising the film, I think, for the wrong reasons.
What power it does weild lies more in its brashness and
audacity of
narrative; not for the most part its use of film noir style.
Stair
angels (sic)? Gimme a break. I think more people probably
noticed the
the end of the world at the conclusion of the film. Talk abut
a sequel-
killer.
> Sure, OUT OF THE PAST, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS
TWICE,
> DOUBLE INDEMNITY, CASABLANCA, THE MALTESE FALCON
are
> better movies than KISS ME DEADLY, still not
many
> modern noir films come close to capturing KISS
ME
> DEADLY's essential persepctive even though
their
> stories may be better and their casts
more
> accomplished.
Hmmm... it does have a darkness about it, and certainly uses
many of
the common stylistic touches of the day that have since
become
associated almost exclusively with film noir, but I'm not
sure
CASABLANCA qualifies as noir in the sense most people here
understand
the term. I love the film myself, but I don't think of it as
noir.
What does the Brain Trust say?
Kevin Burton Smith
Thrilling Detective Web Site Fall 2007 Issue
New fiction from Helms, Blackmoore, Alexander, Harwood and
SPILLANE!
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