Tainted Love: A Film Noir Appreciation

So when I was a junior in college, I was busy trying to graduate on time. In doing so, I was trying to finish my second major (Communication Studies: Media Studies) and possibly have one last hurrah with my first major (Sociology). In doing so, I discovered my love of classic film, classic Hollywood, and so much more.

When I was going through the course listings online, I stumbled on a course called Film Noir. At the time, I had no idea what it was. All I know is the description mentioned films from the 40s and 50s and my interest was piqued, so I decided why not? What do I have to loose? I have a lot to learn. Well, it turns out I gained more than I could have ever lost.

I spent the second semester of junior year immersing myself in a culture, a lifestyle and a time period I previously did not have much knowledge about. But what was so interesting is how the themes and details of Film Noir connected so much to the present. It enthralled me and I knew from there I was in love with this genre, this moment that has contributed so much to pop culture.

Some films that I watched engrossed me to no end. Here are some of the films that helped me fall in love.

If you're looking for a real dame, Barbara Stanwyck is your woman. Bold, brash, and brave she embodies everything in a spiderwoman that makes Film Noir so intriguing. Stanwyck plays Phyllis Dietrichson, a disgruntled housewife in search of a better life. She meets insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) as he is trying to sell her husband (Tom Powers) some bogus insurance. As he exits, the two exchange information and begin a dark and twisted association that leads to murder, revenge, and tragedy.

If you like your movies with ruthless women and morally depraved men, then this is the picture for you. Barbara Stanwyck was one of the best at playing the femme fatale. She knew just how to combine the right amount of sex appeal, wit, and deceit to make you love hating her characters. What electrifies this film is her on-screen chemistry with Fred MacMurray.

Fred MacMurray, at the time was traditionally associated with happier fare such as The Gilded Lily and later hits such as The Shaggy Dog. But he had begun to prove himself in movies such as Above Suspicion, but broke out with this role. I personally remembered him as Steve Douglas from the reruns of My Three Sons that aired on TV Land, so to see him as a sex-crazed adulterer was surprising. However, he delivered in this film.

With a supporting cast that includes the legendary Edward G. Robinson, this film is deeply addictive and exciting. The film was nominated for seven Oscars, and if you watch it you will see why. Everything works at its highest level and as a result we get an enduring classic about adultery and power.

If you've ever heardof Rita Hayworth, you've probably heard of Gilda. She even blamed Gilda as one of the reasons men had a misguided impression about her character. She was famously quoted as saying:

"Men fell in love with Gilda, but they wake up with me."

Hayworth felt doomed by the role ultimately because it was the role she was most remembered for. Gilda played with hearts as much as she played, "Put the Blame on Mame." And it was true, she was the center of the tension in the picture.

Going to bed with Gilda was not cheap. And the men she dealt with it knew it. Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) worked for Ballin Mundson (George Macready), but fought with him for Gilda's heart. All the while, Gilda was looking out for #1, herself.

Rita Hayworth adds such a vulnerability beneath a layer of iciness that seems to give her performance a new dynamic. The way she pretends to love both Ballin and Johnny is both admirable and despicable. You spend the entire movie trying to figure out why she is the way she is. And by the end you can see her shortcomings rise to the surface.

Glenn Ford and Ballin Mundson give solid performances, but this by far is Rita Hayworth's show. She glides effortlessly and easily gives one of the best performances of her entire career. Gilda was the goldigger's goldigger.

Leave Her to Heaven is one of the few Film Noirs made in the 1940s done in Technicolor. It was the combination of a long and expensive process that held the movie up from being completed sooner. However, the results are excellent.

Gene Tierney, in one of her most spine-tingling roles, really gives the goods. She plays Ellen Berent, a young woman on vacation with her family who is introduced to Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde). She at the time is engaged to another man, but is so struck by how much Richard resembles her father, that she drops the other guy and pursues him.

Ellen is the original stage five clinger. She soon marries Richard and infiltrates every part of his life, even committing one of the most sinister acts that you can imagine a newlywed committing. Not only that, but she sabotages her husband's relationships with everyone including her sister (portrayed by the brilliant Jeanne Crain).

Tierney's performance is more than Oscar-worthy, it's legendary. This movie grabs you from beginning to end and believe me, it's worth watching.

I love Film Noir. There are other movies I could talk about, but these three are near the top of my list as being some of the most intriguing. Please let me know what you love about Film Noir in comments. Thank you for reading.