Change Your Image
jannetgregory
Reviews
The Big Heat (1953)
This film is really a timepiece! First as a Film Noir Genre and also as a historic memento. The story line and cinematography was a bit slow.
Interestingly enough, I started to get into the film, mostly because of the Mes En Scene of the 50's and the props, automobiles and language that was from the era I grew up in. The motifs were things that have long since become relics like the old rotary dial phones, cat clocks, mink coats and beat-nick artwork.
The liner narrative of Big Heat has a three-act structure, with the inciting incident of a tip to the law following the suicide/murder (?). As the clues roll in for detective Bannion, the development of each character defines subsequent developments.
Questions to arise, especially since "Tom had no reason to kill himself" and "Then why did Bertha's husband kill himself if he was in good health?' By the second act the protagonist had more questions and doubts about the reliability of the cast.
Act Three Debby Marsh, the typical Femme Fatal has revealed a not so innocent character, closing doors with open-ended pondering like, " Do you get your kicks walking out on people She and Dave leave together in a taxi to his place. This binary opposition of family vs. the corrupted individual is intertwined throughout the final act where the plot unravels and all his well traveled wife wants to do when things get tough is go out and get her legs waxed.
Dave Bannion is a typical patriarchal, hard working detective, married to a self centered and not so innocent wife, who admittedly isn't a romantic. He's got the garb, morality and motivation to find justice on either side of the law. Dave and his supporting characters all act like they are in control, when in actuality they're barely keeping up with the Jones and fall in step way behind the dominant dames. Debby, Dave's beautiful, but deceitful wife looks for revenge, while displaying a classic Femme Fatal character, or should I say, lack of one. She is rebellious, manipulative and pretends to be something she's not, in order to get her way. Mrs. Duncan acts and plays the part of a distraught widow, but curiously isn't emotional after her husbands supposed suicide, yet in order to tug at the heart strings of the investigator, Bertha hams it up and pretends to be out of sorts when the detective candidly asks her, " Do you know why he'd (her now dead husband) take his own life?" _ " Oh", she answered, " he's complains about his painful hip", as though she was offering some kind of inside scoop about why an otherwise healthy and happy man, up and kill himself. As a Femme Fatal would be expected to do, Bertha twists her alibi and blames some other woman.
One of many "Lucy's or mistresses in her unfaithful and deceitful husband's life. Debby wasn't the only Femme Fatal in this film; Debby March knew how to wrap men around her little finger without being childish. Rather, she was sexy, desirable but unreliable and dark. Like the other women in this film who all seem to fit the MO of a Femme Fatal, Debby is manipulative and willing to use men like Vince Stone for their money and luxury. They are motivated to do wrong.
Comparing and contrasting the relationships brings to light the homogeneous bonding between the investigators and even the commissioner. Their costuming is similar and even though they share a conflict of interest, on the surface they all seem to be hard working patriarchal men. The opposition of that of course is the Femme Fatale who tries her darnedest to confuse the truth and avoid being found out as the crook she is. Also, how everyone is ready to double-cross whoever they need to in order to squirm out of the immediate predicament.
The Measure of a Man (2011)
This is a true story of a man and his wife and seven children, told by his eldest daughter Elizabeth. It's inspirational, romantic and a keeper!
This isn't one of those cookie cutter sophisticated, action packed, violent tales found on the super screen these days. This film stands alone on the merit of the story. It's a reminiscent journey of a happy, mature and loving father.
By no means is it cheesy or low budget- it is a well made film beginning with the casting, art and cinema direction and of course post production. It's not a fast moving story, rather a happy stroll down memory lane and to my delight was an hour and a half long, which made the entertainment even better.
I was sorry when the movie ended and left wanting to see the sequel.