Friday, October 27, 2006
Week 9: Film Genre II
Killer's Kiss
Country: USA
Year: 1955
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Length: 67 min
Language: English
Awards: Best Director (Locarno International Film Festival)
Synopsis: Davey Gordon saves a lady dancer from her boss and finds himself more than he asked for.
Critical Comment:
Stanley Kubrick is a renown director for his noir films. Killer's Kiss was amazingly produced, financed, edited and shot by himself which makes Killer's Kiss such a well respected film.
Killer's Kiss as a film noir has set its stylistic conventions within the genre that is recognisable. Killer's Kiss was shot with using the motives of extreme bright lights, complete darkness and large shadows. These lighting effects gives Killer's Kiss the mood of secrecy, revealing something that is hidden, vouyerism and naked exposure. There are also grim imageries in the mise-en-scene for example the infamous showdown between Davey and Rappalo in the mannequin factory. The mannequins in my reading represents the female and the sort of feminism which is the central theme for the femme fatale. Killer's Kiss being Kubrick's second feature film was probably getting into the idea and the characteristics of the femme fatale. This film brings out an interesting meaning of woman as objects which I would discuss much later on.
Other recognisable conventions of the film noir that can be found in Killer's Kiss is the voice narration of the main character. The narration of Davey in the beginning tells us the deeper feelings and shows the frustration that is kept inside him as he paces around the train station. Such feelings exposes the character to us as though we are intruding his inner thoughts. In reverse psychology, it gives us the fear of our thoughts being revealed to others. This goes very well togethetr with the lighting effect that 'reflects' on our human nature to hide something in the darkness.
The central aspect that I find in Killer's Kiss and to most film noir as a genre is the presence of the femme fatale. In Killer's Kiss, the femme fatale is Gloria. As the word fatale implies there is danger of death when one gets mixed up with these characters. If we examine from the narrative, she alone could be blamed for causing the death of two men. Davey's manager, Albert and her boss Rapallo. Her ability to do so is because of her ability to mislead men with her 'love'. Her appearance as a meek, delicate and fragile figure gives the impression of dependency to the strong, masculine and protective features of the male, which Davey and Rappalo were able to provide. However, what both men don't realize is that they have become dependent on her
existence as a female and are willing to kill each other in order to preserve their dependcy for her. Albert was 'killed' because she misled Rappalo to belive that Albert was her runaway lover. Rappalo himself was killed by Davey who did it either out of vengence, jealousy or as the explanation given in the film, self-defense. Gloria have manipulated these men and toyed them to killing each other even when it is not within their nature. The menacing Rappalo who runs a considerably shady business when confronted by Davey after Gloria's kidnap confessed that murder wasn't his intention.
Love in Killer's Kiss is not the romantic experience between man and woman. To the femme fatale like Gloria, love is a tool and 'it is foolish to confuse love with pity'. We have seen how love can be fickle. Love, in Killer's Kiss, can be turned into obession and jealousy and even money.Rapallo became obsessed with Gloria and is 'mad' about her that he is willing to be her 'slave' and 'suffer to know how [she] feels'. Rappalo is also willing to command his thugs to commit murder out of 'jealousy' for Albert. A pretense of love can also bring in money when Gloria's sister, Iris, marries herself off just to pay the bills for their father's medical care.
Although love can be used as a tool, Killer's Kiss does not paint a completely dark picture of this wonderful feeling. Iris is willing to die for love (for her father) while Gloria returns to Davey for the happy ending even after she sold him out just to survive (although this scene is questionable for its reason of insertion by the director). Davey's love for Gloria appears genuine and is strong enough as a conviction to come and her save her personally.
In Killer's Kiss there is the question of woman as objects. Objects do not bring out any anxiety or fear, man prize over objects and cherishes them. The idea of woman as an object that pleases
man with love, feeds his obsession to do anything with her and then to discard her just like any other object. Rappalo is confused between the difference of his love for Gloria and his treatment of Gloria (and other women) as objects. He runs a 'human zoo' which gives the impression of women being locked up in a cage and leashes them out as dance partners for the right price. His monologue about how he 'spoiles everything' he touches when he barges into Gloria's room also implies that Gloria is just a thing rather than a person to him. Lastly, the mannaqeuin warehouse is a symbolic mise-en-scene that reflects heavily on the idea of woman as objects. Notice also how Rappalo gladly hacks away the mannaqeuin that Davey throws at him in order to reach him. This could be a sign that Rappalo would easily discard any woman that stands in his way when there is something else at hand (killing Davey).
Readings:
Country: USA
Year: 1955
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Length: 67 min
Language: English
Awards: Best Director (Locarno International Film Festival)
Synopsis: Davey Gordon saves a lady dancer from her boss and finds himself more than he asked for.
Critical Comment:
Stanley Kubrick is a renown director for his noir films. Killer's Kiss was amazingly produced, financed, edited and shot by himself which makes Killer's Kiss such a well respected film.
Killer's Kiss as a film noir has set its stylistic conventions within the genre that is recognisable. Killer's Kiss was shot with using the motives of extreme bright lights, complete darkness and large shadows. These lighting effects gives Killer's Kiss the mood of secrecy, revealing something that is hidden, vouyerism and naked exposure. There are also grim imageries in the mise-en-scene for example the infamous showdown between Davey and Rappalo in the mannequin factory. The mannequins in my reading represents the female and the sort of feminism which is the central theme for the femme fatale. Killer's Kiss being Kubrick's second feature film was probably getting into the idea and the characteristics of the femme fatale. This film brings out an interesting meaning of woman as objects which I would discuss much later on.
Other recognisable conventions of the film noir that can be found in Killer's Kiss is the voice narration of the main character. The narration of Davey in the beginning tells us the deeper feelings and shows the frustration that is kept inside him as he paces around the train station. Such feelings exposes the character to us as though we are intruding his inner thoughts. In reverse psychology, it gives us the fear of our thoughts being revealed to others. This goes very well togethetr with the lighting effect that 'reflects' on our human nature to hide something in the darkness.The central aspect that I find in Killer's Kiss and to most film noir as a genre is the presence of the femme fatale. In Killer's Kiss, the femme fatale is Gloria. As the word fatale implies there is danger of death when one gets mixed up with these characters. If we examine from the narrative, she alone could be blamed for causing the death of two men. Davey's manager, Albert and her boss Rapallo. Her ability to do so is because of her ability to mislead men with her 'love'. Her appearance as a meek, delicate and fragile figure gives the impression of dependency to the strong, masculine and protective features of the male, which Davey and Rappalo were able to provide. However, what both men don't realize is that they have become dependent on her
existence as a female and are willing to kill each other in order to preserve their dependcy for her. Albert was 'killed' because she misled Rappalo to belive that Albert was her runaway lover. Rappalo himself was killed by Davey who did it either out of vengence, jealousy or as the explanation given in the film, self-defense. Gloria have manipulated these men and toyed them to killing each other even when it is not within their nature. The menacing Rappalo who runs a considerably shady business when confronted by Davey after Gloria's kidnap confessed that murder wasn't his intention.Love in Killer's Kiss is not the romantic experience between man and woman. To the femme fatale like Gloria, love is a tool and 'it is foolish to confuse love with pity'. We have seen how love can be fickle. Love, in Killer's Kiss, can be turned into obession and jealousy and even money.Rapallo became obsessed with Gloria and is 'mad' about her that he is willing to be her 'slave' and 'suffer to know how [she] feels'. Rappalo is also willing to command his thugs to commit murder out of 'jealousy' for Albert. A pretense of love can also bring in money when Gloria's sister, Iris, marries herself off just to pay the bills for their father's medical care.Although love can be used as a tool, Killer's Kiss does not paint a completely dark picture of this wonderful feeling. Iris is willing to die for love (for her father) while Gloria returns to Davey for the happy ending even after she sold him out just to survive (although this scene is questionable for its reason of insertion by the director). Davey's love for Gloria appears genuine and is strong enough as a conviction to come and her save her personally.
In Killer's Kiss there is the question of woman as objects. Objects do not bring out any anxiety or fear, man prize over objects and cherishes them. The idea of woman as an object that pleases
man with love, feeds his obsession to do anything with her and then to discard her just like any other object. Rappalo is confused between the difference of his love for Gloria and his treatment of Gloria (and other women) as objects. He runs a 'human zoo' which gives the impression of women being locked up in a cage and leashes them out as dance partners for the right price. His monologue about how he 'spoiles everything' he touches when he barges into Gloria's room also implies that Gloria is just a thing rather than a person to him. Lastly, the mannaqeuin warehouse is a symbolic mise-en-scene that reflects heavily on the idea of woman as objects. Notice also how Rappalo gladly hacks away the mannaqeuin that Davey throws at him in order to reach him. This could be a sign that Rappalo would easily discard any woman that stands in his way when there is something else at hand (killing Davey).Readings:
- Abrams, Bell and Urdis (2001) 'Genre', Studying Film, London: Arnold, 174-190. This is a very useful reading that describes genre from different perspectives. After reading this, I have learned that genre is undefinable because of the complexity and considerations that we have to take in attempting to determine what is genre. Genre can be tool as well as a set of rules on how certain films are made. I am able to relate Killer's Kiss as a film noir and its significance with the reading when it was explaining how iconography and style are some of the conventions of the film noir genre. Killer's Kiss is considered a noir film for its low-key lighting, the presence of a femme fatale and the execution of a crime. This makes me to believe that while certain films should be considered to be within their genre based on how the genre is manipulated. There are so many meanings and context of the genre, that a film and it auteur should make clear what his/her film is intended to fall into which genre. Of course, film with hybrid genres that are considered as postmodern filmmaking should state clearly what are the genres it intends to be seen as. I believe that the question of genre would be almost unrelevant as film would eventually expand its style, convetions and creative use of those conventions that it is pointless to identify film for its genre instead of its content. Genre could only be a tradition of filmmaking. This goes to shows how delicate and complicated it is to address the issue of genre of a film.
- Russel, Lawrence (2000) 'Killer's Kiss' FCourt Reviews, http://www.culturecourt.com/f/noir/kkiss.html. This review looks deeply into the style of Kubrick's Killer's Kiss. It is interesting on how the reviewer brings out the question of the 'boxed' space in Killer's Kiss. This idea of confinement in a perfect structure (a box as in a perfect square) could be some of the conventions and meaning of Killer's Kiss and film noir as a genre. There is an imprisonment of some kind that are making the characters like Davey, frustrated and miserable (after losing a bout in the 'boxing' ring) which could have made him susceptible to Gloria, the femme fatale. Perhaps this is how the femme fatale gains that attraction to men in the film noir, as a result of a subconcious spatial oppression that would eventually lead to death ?
# posted by KC @ 12:17 AM 
