DI - Representation of men in film noir (Assessment) Flashcards
Patriarchy is a double-edged sword. For men, it prescribes that they must perform in order to be loved, and part of performance must include subscribing to the success ethic. Keeping women in their ‘place’ means for men that they, too, must keep their place: they must go it alone with only the _________ system to sustain them; they cannot show too much emotion; above all they must find the meaning of life in activity, never contemplation. - John Tuska, 1984
Buddy
As Tuska argues: [Men] It is their purpose in life to work, to provide, to protect, and to serve without ever questioning in the preservation of the way of life of their culture and their government. They never have a genuine and sustained relationship with a _______.
Women
Barton Keyes fits many of the descriptions above as he is ‘married’ to his job with a sceptical approach towards relationships. His one flirtation with marriage was halted by the internal workings of his ‘little man’ who prompted an investigation of the women he intended to marry, after which he discovered:
Keyes: And the stuff that came out. She’d been dyeing her hair ever since she was sixteen… and as for her brother…
Neff: I get the general idea. She was a ______ from a long line of ______.
Tramp(s)
When Neff turns down the chance to work as Assistant Claims Investigator, whilst apparently dallying with ‘Margie’ on the telephone, Keyes looks upon him with disappointment. According to Keyes, Neff ‘was just a shade less dumb than the rest of the outfit.’ Indeed, critics have pointed out that Keyes’s only committed relationship is his one with _______.
Neff
In contrast, as the anti-hero, Neff attempts to beat the system which he subscribed to throughout his working life and as a result the system wins and takes his life.
The noir hero is often a ______-, without the established systems of family or supportive friendships.
Loner
At one point Phyllis expresses envy at the isolated quality of Neff’s existence which seems to embody the very freedoms she desires:
Phyllis: It’s nice here Walter. Who takes care of it for you?
Neff: Coloured woman comes in a couple times a week.
Phyllis: Cook your own breakfast?
Neff: Squeeze a grapefruit once in a while. Get the rest down at the corner drugstore.
Phyllis: Sounds _________. Just strangers beside you. You don’t know them and you don’t hate them.
Wonderful
Neff is initially happy in his detachment but towards the end of the film, he seems to seek escape and even redemption from his isolated existence in his paternalistic relationship with _____.
Lola Dietrichson
___________ is a social system in which: males hold primary power; males predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property; and, in the domain of the family, fathers or father-figures hold authority over women and children.
Patriarchy
____________: the system, principle, or practice of managing or governing individuals, businesses, nations, etc., in the manner of a father dealing benevolently and often intrusively with his children.
Paternalism
The name of the actress who played Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity is:
Barbara Stanwyck
