Comments on: Raw Deal http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/01/29/raw-deal/ • • • Being a journal by artist and designer John Coulthart, cataloguing interests, obsessions and passing enthusiasms. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:07:56 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: John http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/01/29/raw-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-7572 John Thu, 01 Feb 2007 22:35:21 +0000 http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/?p=1368#comment-7572 <blockquote>Film Noir in color. Isn't that a contradiction in terms?</blockquote> That's what many people think but the fact that most of the early films are b&w is more to do with technology and economics than style per se. Hence the "noir" aspect being as much about tone as scene filled with shadows. Chinatown is absolutely a film noir despite being made in colour. Always in two minds about Blade Runner. It has plenty of noir style and a sense of doom throughout but in a 40s screenplay Deckard and Rachel would probably end up dead. The director's cut is at least ambiguous, unlike the happy ending of the original release.

Film Noir in color. Isn’t that a contradiction in terms?

That’s what many people think but the fact that most of the early films are b&w is more to do with technology and economics than style per se. Hence the “noir” aspect being as much about tone as scene filled with shadows. Chinatown is absolutely a film noir despite being made in colour.

Always in two minds about Blade Runner. It has plenty of noir style and a sense of doom throughout but in a 40s screenplay Deckard and Rachel would probably end up dead. The director’s cut is at least ambiguous, unlike the happy ending of the original release.

]]> By: Eroom Nala http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/01/29/raw-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-7557 Eroom Nala Thu, 01 Feb 2007 21:09:11 +0000 http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/?p=1368#comment-7557 and of course Blade Runner too. Especially the original non directors version with the voice over that Harrison Ford deliberately did in a bland boring monotone because he didn't want them to use it. Film Noir in color. Isn't that a contradiction in terms? :-) and of course Blade Runner too. Especially the original non directors version with the voice over that Harrison Ford deliberately did in a bland boring monotone because he didn’t want them to use it.

Film Noir in color. Isn’t that a contradiction in terms?

:-)

]]> By: John http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/01/29/raw-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-7504 John Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:36:57 +0000 http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/?p=1368#comment-7504 <blockquote>The Pocket Guide to Film Noir claims that Peter Lorre's Stranger on the 3rd Floor is the first true film noir done in the US.</blockquote> Brilliant little film with a great dream sequence. Film noir is a slippery beast of a definition though. People tend to think of it referring to detective or crime movies yet not all 40s crime films are noir. Raw Deal--which I haven't seen, unfortunately--would seem to fit the bill since it has the requisite atmosphere of doom. It's the overall tone which makes something noir, which is why many of the books on the subject list more recent films such as Taxi Driver as being first class noir material.

The Pocket Guide to Film Noir claims that Peter Lorre’s Stranger on the 3rd Floor is the first true film noir done in the US.

Brilliant little film with a great dream sequence.

Film noir is a slippery beast of a definition though. People tend to think of it referring to detective or crime movies yet not all 40s crime films are noir. Raw Deal–which I haven’t seen, unfortunately–would seem to fit the bill since it has the requisite atmosphere of doom. It’s the overall tone which makes something noir, which is why many of the books on the subject list more recent films such as Taxi Driver as being first class noir material.

]]> By: Eroom Nala http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/01/29/raw-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-7459 Eroom Nala Thu, 01 Feb 2007 07:29:54 +0000 http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/?p=1368#comment-7459 PS Here's a photo of Marsha Hunt looking like she should be in Gone with the Wind http://film.virtual-history.com/cigcard.php?id=5493 PS
Here’s a photo of Marsha Hunt looking like she should be in Gone with the Wind

http://film.virtual-history.com/cigcard.php?id=5493

]]> By: Eroom Nala http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/01/29/raw-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-7456 Eroom Nala Thu, 01 Feb 2007 07:04:19 +0000 http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/?p=1368#comment-7456 The Pocket Guide to Film Noir claims that Peter Lorre's Stranger on the 3rd Floor is the first true film noir done in the US. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_on_the_Third_Floor Just posted my idea of death recently. Quoting myself: "Long before I read Neil Gaiman's Sandman I used to picture my death as a film noirish femme fatale from the forties wearing long black gloves and smoking a cigarette in a holder who would french kiss me and suck the soul out of my body." I was mostly thinking of Rita Hayworth in Gilda Wish I's seen some of Ms. Hunts' work now. She certainly looks good in the photo. The Pocket Guide to Film Noir claims that Peter Lorre’s Stranger on the 3rd Floor is the first true film noir done in the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_on_the_Third_Floor

Just posted my idea of death recently. Quoting myself:

“Long before I read Neil Gaiman’s Sandman I used to picture my death as a film noirish femme fatale from the forties wearing long black gloves and smoking a cigarette in a holder who would french kiss me and suck the soul out of my body.”

I was mostly thinking of Rita Hayworth in Gilda

Wish I’s seen some of Ms. Hunts’ work now. She certainly looks good in the photo.

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