Explain with details and examples how the narrative of this film is typical of Noir.įirst of all, the narrative follows the typical first-person narration of a film noir. Describe how technical/aesthetic characteristics of Noir are evident in this film and give specific examples.Ĥ. Meanwhile, he is also easily led astray by her wife’s manipulation and fails to see the affair between her and Frank. He refuses to let Cora have what she wants, which is to run the diner and instead forces her to leave for Canada to look after his ill sister. Like many other male protagonists, he also has an alpha-male persona in which he asserts his dominance over his female subordinates. This can be inferred from the way he converses with people and the fact that he owns a diner shows his ability to run a business. Although he is not physically fit, he does have the intelligence suitable for a male noir protagonist. Considering several traits that Nick possess in the film, it is possible to see him as a Noir protagonist. In what ways does Nick fit the Noir protagonist’s role? These traits that Cora possess and her fatal ending are what places her in the role of a femme fatale.Ģ. She convinces Frank into a second attempt of murder and Frank is eventually led to doing the dirty work that Cora had planned to do by herself in the first place. While being independent and demanding, Cora is also, in certain ways, manipulative and irresponsible. This theme becomes more understandable when considering the social and historical context of the era in which the film was produced. Her ambitions drive her to manipulate Frank into killing Nick, and this narrative of the film establishes a theme which equates ambitious women to being manipulative and destructive. This is because while the first two incidents were primarily driven by her dull marriage and her discovery of a new love interest, the latter was what Cora saw as the sole resolution as Nick has now become a threat to her career. It is from this point on that Cora is ever more determined to get rid of Nick, which is a stark comparison to her previous inactions when Frank convinced her to run away with him, or her fast withdrawal after the first failed attempt of murdering Nick. Her determination to achieve success from the diner is so strong that Nick’s unexpected news for Cora leaves her with a stone-cold expression and leads her to become suicidal momentarily. Throughout the film, Cora continuously expresses her desire to make something of herself and the diner. This shows that Cora values her job more than love. This financial asset she holds is also what deters her from running away with Frank, who she assumes will make her conditions even worse. The one thing that Cora seem to enjoy about her marriage is that she is given a rural diner/service station to manage. I got off the Chief with fifteen guys taking my picture, and two weeks later I was in the hash house" (Cain, 14).Īs an attempt to make something out of herself, she married Nick who turned out to be an unsatisfactory husband who cares more about the price of beef than the needs of his beautiful young wife. I won a high school beauty contest, in Des Moines. In the book, Cora had come to Los Angeles in order to pursue her ambitions but had ended up in the disillusionment of her American dreams of wealth and success. Her action could also be interpreted as her way of punishing Frank for not being submissive towards her.Ĭora continues to refuse Frank’s advances, but her circumstances make it quite hard for her to turn him down. Her body language indicates that she does not completely hate his obvious lustful stare, but rather enjoys it in a way as she finds herself in control over him. After having to walk to Frank to retrieve her lipstick, Cora intentionally makes herself shown to him while she applies lipstick in a carefree manner even though she is fully aware that Frank is ogling her. This detail already establishes Cora’s demanding personality.
After Frank picks up her lipstick, Cora expects Frank to come to her so she could get her lipstick back, instead of her going to him.
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