Noir Lecture and Out of the Past

Okay, so, I'm going to do two posts in one here.

First, let's talk about the library lecture we attended. Overall, I'd say I really enjoyed it. I thought that the student writers were good, especially that guy at the end. I unfortunately couldn't stay until the end, but I was pretty fascinated with Robert Polito reading that excerpt from the author David Goodis. I can't remember what he was reading from (i.e. which of Goodis' work), but it was some pretty exceptional writing. Considering the fact that Goodis is noir writer, the excerpt that Polito read seemed to be incredibly cold and frank, two attributes that are particularly important in noir as we all know. I really wish I could have stayed until the end.

Secondly, I want to mention Out of the Past. I loved it. I loved the characters, the story, the actors - just about everything. There was one thing, specifically, that I enjoyed about all else: Robert Mitchum's character, Jeff Bailey/Markham. While I did have sympathy for the other characters we've dealt with - that is, Walter Neff, Frank Chambers, and Johnny Marr - when they met their demise, I felt this quite strongly for Jeff. For one thing, he didn't seem sleazy like Walter (see Walter's initial exchange with Phyllis) or Frank (I mean, in the second chapter, he's already banging another man's wife), nor was he a psychopath out for revenge like Johnny; no, Jeff didn't hit me like that. Instead, he seemed, as Kirk Douglas' character, Whit Sterling, put it, "smart and honest." Of course, I do acknowledge that Jeff does lie, but it's only to get himself away from a situation that someone else put him in, in most cases. Jeff wants to leave the past behind him and live out his days as an honest man; that is to say, unlike the other three characters, instead of looking for trouble, trouble found him (I know there can be arguments on the contrary to this, but I still feel like, most of the time, Jeff wanted to just be left alone). Additionally, Jeff also resigns himself to his own fate. Walter (in the film version of Double Indemnity, anyway) pleads with Keyes for a head start, Frank tries to have his death sentence overturned, and Johnny - well, Johnny sort of had his coming sometime after the second rendezvous. Jeff isn't like this; he doesn't want to drive off with Kathie into the sunset, and decides to call the police to take him in, even though there's virtually no way for him to beat the wrap at that point. In a number of ways, I feel like this makes Jeff at least a little more virtuous than the other characters we've discussed.

Also, I really liked the film because it had KIRK FREAKIN' DOUGLAS. I mean, seriously - enough said right there.