Bonnie and Clyde directed by Arthur Penn

The film Bonnie and Clyde was set in the 1930 depression era but was filmed and released in 1967. This film uses the film noir style that was popular during the 60's and was directed by Arthur Penn. The film vaguely follows the true story of bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde but has a lot of added flair to make it more exciting. The film opens with Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker meet for the first time when Clyde is trying to steal her mother's car. The film follows their journey of romance and violence as they embark on a spree of bank robberies and killings. The dramatic ending also strays from what historically happened but nonetheless ends just as violently as it did in real life.

The themes of violence, and sexuality were all closely linked together throughout the film. This film was the first film to show the killer and the victim being killed in the same shot which was very controversial at the time of the shooting. Also, the ending in which Clyde is out of the vehicle helping the person on the side of the road fix a flat while Bonnie sat in the car and the Texas Rangers ambushed and killed them was a scene of great violence. I feel the end highlighted the large amount of violence throughout the film but also the romantic side when the camera cut in to a close-up of Bonnie and Clyde respectively while putting their romantic emotions on display to show the love they had for each other. Bonnie used her sexuality in the film to at first entice Clyde and then later in the film when dealing with Clyde and his impotence. I think Bonnie also used her sexuality to butter up C.W. at the gas station before Clyde persuaded C.W. to join their gang. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film! I thought it was a great story even though it wasn't historically correct.

Double Indemnity directed by Billy Wilder

The film Double Indemnity was released in 1944 and was directed by Billy Wilder. This movie is an example of film noir because it followed many of the themes that a typical film noir introduces and utilizes. The film follows an insurance salesman named Walter Neff who is seduced by one of his clients wives, Mrs. Phyllis Dietrichson. This fatal attraction leads Phyllis to talk Walter into helping her kill her husband and collect the insurance money once he was dead. The film follows the two plotting the murder and the aftermath that came with it.

Double Indemnity follows the guidelines for a classic noir film especially in respects to the setting throughout the film. It begins in a very urban setting, Los Angeles, a place of illusions and crimes. The film also uses small confined places like his car, and his office as well as other spaces all with little to no windows. The effect of no windows allows the film to also follow a noir style of using low key lighting to illustrate the tension in the film. Many of the scenes filmed outside were shot at night and most of the day time scenes were shot inside buildings and the like. The utilization of blinds casting their shadows against the background as well as the characters happened repeatedly within the film. The costume and clothing choices also reflected film noir characteristics like the fedora, the trench coat, and flashy jewelry and glamorous clothing for the female lead. Overall, the film followed the traditional plot of noir films which is that of committing a crime, covering up that crime and then the investigation into that crime all the while a female manipulates the man to her desire.

Sullivan's Travels directed by Preston Sturges

The film Sullivan's Travels was released in 1941 and was directed by Preston Sturges. This film is a screwball comedy that is a satire of the movie business as well as a journey film of self-discovery and a depiction of the social-order at that time. Sullivan's Travels was a film within a film and followed movie director John Sullivan and his female counterpart, an aspiring actress who has given up on Hollywood, as they travel the country looking for "trouble" in order for Sullivan to make a socially relevant drama. But Sullivan ends up in more trouble than he bargains for.

This film followed the themes of early American film comedy such as, the comic integration of outsiders, exposing divisions in society through exaggeration but also working to heal those divisions, comic disruption of the forces of social order through chaos and disorder and often ends in a marriage. These themes were all generously applied to the film. The theory of battle of the sexes was also included in the film from the two main female leads (his first wife and the aspiring actress) and generally had Sullivan losing these battles. Also the setting of the film also followed the standard comedy outlines for setting. The film began in an elaborate office (a contemporary setting of wealth and excess) and then moves into the country as Sullivan embarks on his journey. The setting also moves between the social classes (rich and poor) by highlighting the hardships that the poverty-stricken lower class had to endure and the naiveness of the rich upper class about these everyday hardships.

Overall I thought this film was a great example of the screwball comedy and the themes utilized within most comedies. I also really enjoyed the movie business satire used throughout the film because that also introduced a level of comic absurdity to the film.