Big Sleep and Chinatown: Depictions of Noir

¶ … Big Sleep and Chinatown: Depictions of Noir in Hollywood

Film noir rose to prominence in the late 1940s and was initially described as "murder with a psychological twist" (Spicer, 1). Film noir helped to introduce audiences to a new genre that had distinct trademarks and themes. The Big Sleep, directed by Howard Hawkes and based upon the eponymous Raymond Chandler novel, helped to cement and define the genre. Similarly, Chinatown, directed by Roman Polanski, helped to redefine the genre, while at the same time, maintaining several aspects of classical film noir. The Big Sleep and Chinatown, though filmed nearly 30 years apart, are definitive films of the film noir genre, helping to establish the role of the hard-boiled detective in the genre, and adhering to the "murder with a psychological twist" trope.

The term film noir was first utilized by French film critic Nino Frank to describe four recently released crime thrillers including The Maltese Falcon (1941), Murder, My Sweet (1944), Double Indemnity (1944), and Laura (1944) (Spicer, 2). Crime films, and subsequently those films in the noir genre, shared a similar "iconography, visual style, narrative strategy, subject matter and characterization" (4). It is estimated that approximately 20% of noir films that were produced between 1941 and 1948 were direct adaptations novels written by "hard-boiled" authors such as Dashiell Hammet, Raymond Chandler, and James M. Cain. Within film noir, good and evil are intrinsically intertwined and often merge into one another (Borde and Chaumeton, 12).

The Big Sleep stars Humphrey Bogart as the "hard-boiled" detective Philip Marlowe. In the Chandler novels, Marlowe was a "lone outsider, who lives in a cheap, comfortless flat free from family ties" (7). Marlowe was also depicted as being independent, incorruptible, intelligent, tough, hard-drinking and good with his fists (7). Similarly, Bogart's depiction of Marlowe, helps to further propagate the serialized depiction of his character. In The Big Sleep, Marlowe has been hired by General Sternwood to help resolve his daughter's gambling debts. In the process, Marlowe uncovers a series of illegal activities, including several murders, corruption, and is continuously risking his life for the "femme fatale," in this case, Vivian Sternwood Rutledge. Howard Hawkes employs several elements that help to characterize The Big Sleep as film noir. Because the film is shot in black and white, the contrast between light and shadow, chiaroscuro, is further heightened. The contrasting shadows help to create an air of suspense within the film. Like many noir films, The Big Sleep employs a complex narrative. While Marlowe is initially hired to help resolve Carmen Sternwood's debts, her sister, Vivian, suspects that her father's true motive for hiring Marlowe is to help find his friend Sean Regan who has suspiciously disappeared. In the process of the investigation, Marlowe uncovers that Carmen's debts are linked to pornography, a subject which is only alluded to due to the production codes that were in place at the time (Spicer, 37). Sex is a common theme in film noir. In many noir films, many of the characters are "trapped through fear and paranoia, or overwhelmed by the power of sexual desire" (4). In The Big Sleep, Carmen has become trapped by Arthur Geiger, a bookstore owner, who also runs a pornography racket; Carmen is intent on recovering photographs that she fears may become public. Furthermore, Marlowe becomes enamored with Vivian, who continuously lures and endangers Marlowe's life.

Chinatown is a contemporary version of film noir. Chinatown is not an adaptation of a classic "hard-boiled" novel, but rather a unique interpretation of Los Angeles in 1930s Los Angeles. Jack Nicholson plays J.J. Gittes, a private detective who is initially hired to perform marital surveillance on Hollis Mulwray, the chief engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Unlike Philip Marlowe, J.J. Gittes is "cool, insolent, glamorous, and successful" (Spicer, 139). Gittes, also employs two assistants, who help to investigate ongoing cases. Unlike The Big Sleep and other classic noir films, Chinatown is filmed in color. Due to this fact, the use of chiaroscuro becomes nearly impossible and the audience is forced to rely on the quality of the characters' moral fiber as opposed to the suspense that would usually be found within their environment. However, Chinatown does not stray from the complex narratives usually found within the genre. While Gittes is initially hired to perform surveillance on Mulwray by a woman impersonating Evelyn Mulwray, he uncovers a larger conspiracy surrounding the Mulwray family. Chinatown has been praised for its depiction of the California Water Wars; the fight over water is a motivating factor in the death of Mulwray within the film. The dispute over water and land rights, and Gittes investigation thereof, help him to uncover the dirty truth behind the founding of the Department of Water and Power, as well as the egregious family secret that has haunted the real Evelyn Mulwray (Polanski). Because Polanski does not have to adhere to the production codes of the 1940s and 1950s, sexual themes are not alluded to, but rather blatantly depicted. One of the most shocking revelations in the film is Noah Cross's (who helped to establish the Department of Water and Power alongside Mulwray) incestuous relationship with his daughter, Evelyn Mulwray (Polanski). Though Evelyn tries to escape the clutches of her father, and tries to keep her daughter/sister away from their father, her and Gittes's attempts are futile as Evelyn is ultimately killed and her daughter/sister is taken away by Cross who is never punished for his crimes.