Monday, April 29, 2013
White Heat
In at least 3 hearty paragraphs, discuss White Heat, as well as the characteristics of the gangster genre and its role as an art form. In your discussion, bring in another gangster film if you've seen one on your own (The Godfather, Goodfellas, etc.). Your discussion should be in relation to the Warshow article I handed out on Wednesday and the idea of the gangster as an individual. I want to see 2 quotes from the article in your discussion. Use your film textbook for more information on the gangster genre.
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can i borrow a gangster film? cause ive never seen one before
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteThe gangster genre has evolved to be one of the major genres of film that is able to be recognized a s a classic genre in our society today, being able to "become the accepted vehicle of a particular set of attitudes and a particular aesthetic effect." One of these major films is the film "White Heat" in which our gangster is the notorious criminal Cody Jarrett. The gangster films like this one are used as an art form that allows the viewer to explore a life style that seems impossible for them on the screen, without having any of the danger of the actual experience. Robert Warshow says in his essay on "The gangster as tragic hero" that we as a society connect more to a gangster genre film than any other film type because of the way the film has a psychological effect on us. The gangster genre of film, he says, expresses "that part of the American psyche which rejects the qualities and the demands of modern life, which rejects 'Americanism' itself." This says that the gangster genre is able to draw into our deepest desires as human beings, that want to break away from the norm of society and become an individual. For the gangster, this is his greatest flaw. He breaks away from the norm of society, trying to get himself to the "top of the food chain" where no one can hurt him. Unfortunately, everything that goes up must come down. The flaw of the gangster is that he is doomed from the start, wanting to be an individual singles him out and society destroys this kind of individualism.
ReplyDeleteWe as people tend to connect to the character of the gangster, because of what Warshow said, he represents our desire to break our societal boundaries and be an individual. So by seeing this happening on the screen, we can feel for this character's longing to be on top and to make an individual of himself, because we secretly as humans desire the same thing. We find security in the fact that we can watch someone do this and fail, because it doesn't harm us in anyway, we are just the observers. The gangster acts as a kind of experiment for us, to see how this goes. Its bad for the gangster to stay where he is because he desires to be on top, but in order to get up to the top, he can only seem to do this with means of brutality and violence. This is another thing that we desire, to be brutaly violent as an individual, but we know there are consequences. So seeing the gangster commit these acts is a way for us to exploit these deepest desires of ours, without consequences and still feel safe.
White Heat is a gangster film because we are able to identify all of these factors in the film itself. Our main character Cody is or representaion of a gangster in this film. Throughout the whole film, he is trying to work his way towards the top. He works his way up by making himself seem more powerful than anyone else. He does however get these cronic headaches that seem to weaken him, that seem to prevent him from always seeming like an all powerful guy. We feel for th character becuase we too want to feel all powerful secretly, a hidden desire of all people. So we identfy with this character and want to see him become succesful. Due to this being such a classic genre that Warshow says that the film can be based off films of the past, following a familiar plot line that we still relate to everytime. So that we know even with Cody's success, he will have to fall eventually. We want him to sucseed because thats what we secretly want, maybe for the the bad guy to win. We are afraid to become like Cody, but thats what we want. Cody throughout the film still tries to make an individual of himself, until he falls in the very end of the film, literally going down in flames. He never wins like all gangsters dont, but it doesnt matter for us because we are safe from any persecutions. Cody's use of brutality to achieve power, to become an individual, also shows how he is defined as a gangster.
Brutality is his only outlet in order to become an individual, and sometimes we can possibly feel the same way, even though we know it is not right. So we watch Cody show his violence througout the film and see him go off killing anyone that he pleases to, or that gets in his way of getting towards the top. This includes the killing of "Big Ed" becuase he tried to take Cody's wife evern, trying to really take his place on top while he was in jail. So overall, we are able to relate to our character Cody and his brutality and his desire to be an individual, which is one of the key characteristics of a a gangster film and the gangster genre. We escape into a different reality where we are safe to explore the most secret desires of human beings, to be ontop and have the will power to get their.
ReplyDeleteGangster films have been intriguing the public ever since their original mainstream popularity (and really, production) in the 1930s. It was the widespread production of gangster films that led it to become more of an art form than simply a genre, in the likes of film noir and expressionistic movements. Gangster films have played on the heart strings of many Americans who can relate to the form in one way or another, surprising for a genre that may seem difficult to relate to.
ReplyDeleteGangster films glorify who would normally be seen as the "bad guy," the antagonist. In gangster films, we are almost forced to look up to this figure, and view him (and the occasional her...) as heroic. In the films, "the gangster is required to make his way, to make his life and impose it on others," the basic plot of nearly every gangster film in existence. So what caused American hysteria and gravitation towards gangster films? Well, even though we may not all be chiseled, attractive, powerful criminals with dozens beneath us and even more wishing to be us, we can relate to their acts of general brutality. At one point or another, we've all wanted to outlet our anger, but were too scared of consequence to do so. Gangsters are people who do not fear consequence, nor do they fear authority. They are the highest authority, at least in their minds. Therefore, by watching these films, we are able to "safely" relieve ourselves of these impulses by simply enjoying watching others. The general quest for power is another reason people relate to gangsters and tend to enjoy gangster films. As mentioned before, gangsters (esp the head gangster - Cody Jarrett, Michael Corleone, Donnie Brasco - to name a few) assume the highest role in their respective films. People look up to them as their almighty leader and the bearer of consequence and reward; that is that "that man is a being with the possibilities of success or failure." In a way, most humans enjoy power but don't have the courage/resources to assume it. Again, people relate by living through these films.
Of course, while gangsters thrive for much of the film, we can see in most gangster films their downfall by the end. In White Heat, Cody Jarrett kills himself in an oil inferno. In Scarface, Tony is killed in a shootout. In Goodfellas, Henry Hill is forced enroll in the Witness Protection Program. All of these endings conclude the film very well because they bring the viewer back to reality. For the film, they can live through the character - they can imagine they are committing all the atrocities the main character(s) commit(s), without consequence, and live a life of luxury. However, in the end we return to a state of normality when we realize that not even these esteemed people that were looked up to so highly as a hero, a king, a god even, cannot hide forever. We learn that the law will ultimately prevail (the unlikely message of many gangster/crime films).
In White Heat itself, Jarrett is top dog. He doesn't share his power with ANYBODY (until Fallon comes along and he agrees to split the reward from the heist 50/50). This truly is his ultimate downfall. As soon as he lets his guard down, he is taken "advantage" of, in a way. Even the elusive Cody Jarrett can't hide forever. We can relate to Jarrett because it seems as though he's doing what he does simply to please his mother. "Top of the world, Ma," was referred to several times, and most dramatically at the end when Jarrett was almost engulfed in flame. We all understand the desire to please a parent and the effect it has on our actions and attitudes. Next, it is evident that Jarrett suffers from terrible migraines. He, however, overcomes this and is able to be the "man" he is even with his condition. This brings upon the theme that anything is possible, and that no matter what obstacles we have, we can overcome them. Looking at another gangster film, Goodfellas, we can see the same sort of overriding themes that are relevant to our lives. The major one is rise to power. As a child, Henry Hill is the son of a poor Irish worker and a Sicilian woman. They are poor, and his grades in school don't suggest he will be perusing any type of educational career. He is stuck, and much like his parents, is doomed to live the same poor life until old age. However, when he becomes involved with the Mafia, things change. He increases in the ranks and soon Paulie and Jimmy, who he looked up to and respected as a child, would grow to respect him as an equal. This, essentially, is the American dream, whether or not we need a life of crime to obtain it.
ReplyDeleteOverall, it is evident that gangster films, as an art, have transformed and memorized movie viewers for decades. With a plot that some may mistakenly view as simplistic, the films are really much more than that - they have the ability and power to connect with an audience, and will continue to do so for generations to come.
White Heat is a prime example of the rise of the Gangster Genre in the 1930's and '40's. The genre originally started earlier, in about 1932, as an attempt to increase the popularity of the cinema after the Great depression hit it's worst points. Hollywood saw an opportunity to inject their new films with much more sex and violence to increase viewers, and this took off in the form of the Gangster genre.
ReplyDeleteWhite Heat, and Gangster films in general dig deep to relate the characters to the viewers and evoke strong emotions throughout the film. In the 30's, as the genre was born, America (and the rest of the world) were in shambles. Having come out of the Roarin' Twenties, they were left in the dirt with little to nothing to their name. Gangster films took great advantage of this while formulating the recipe for their type of film. The character they get the audience to sympathize with is the antagonist, or the anti-hero, the one who rebels against America, commits crime. The guy who fights for his right to life in the country that has given all its people nothing but hell for a decade. As well, this person would certainly be in the crowd angry at the government for the recently ended Prohibition, which is another way the characters are so relatable to .
White Heat is a perfect example of the anti-hero that is so easily relatable to by the average 1940's American. Despite Jarrett's obvious criminal status, he has many human flaws that most people can relate to. Due to the fact that his mother has always defended him, and solved him problems, he is very attached to her. Often in the film she steps in to stand up for him and take care of him, occasionally even when he doesn't want the help, such as when she vows to avenge whomever attempted to kill him, once when visiting him in jail.
Another of Jarrett's major flaws is that he trusts too easily. When Fallon goes undercover, he is a little weary at first, but after a single event where he saves his life, he has replaced his recently assassinated mother's position in his life. After his panic attack in the cafeteria after learning his mother was killed, he brings in Fallon into the escape plan and later the robbery. It is clearly apparent that Fallon has filled the hole left by his mother's untimely death. This is apparent when Jarrett insists on sharing the proceeds from their robberies with him, stating, "I split even with Ma, didn't I?". This only makes it harder to watch when Fallon's cover is blown, showing Jarrett that he was being used, and his friend has been deceiving him.
“America, as a social and political organization, is committed to a cheerful view of life. It could not be otherwise.” This quote from “The Gangster as Tragic Hero” essay written by Robert Warshow perfectly embodies the gangster identity of the gangster movies back in the 30’s and the 40’s. White Heat is the hands down best gangster movie I have seen recently and I thought the main character, Cody Jarrett, was a perfect character as there was a great mix of sympathy and hatred from the audience directed at Cody.
ReplyDeleteWhite Heat completed in 1949 was directed by Raoul Walsh and was considered by critics and still is considered by critics to be one of the top gangster movies behind The Godfather and Goodfellas. This film stands out to me however compared to a movie like Goodfellas because almost all of the guys in that movie, I had zero sympathy for and I didn’t really have a ton of emotional connection to them. In White Heat however, I feel I had a much stronger connection to Cody as of his strong love for his mom who comforts him and drives him to be better and to go on in life as well as his migraines that are only made to feel better by his mother. Another difference between Cody and the main character from Goodfellas is that the main character from Goodfellas is the narrator of the film, where as Cody is only the main character, not the narrator. I feel this forces the audience to be at arms length from Cody the entire film and at the same time, this distant feeling just makes the audience feel like they aren’t even apart of his life like with the character in Goodfellas, so it heightens the audiences sympathy for him because he seems more isolated and alone without his mother.
“At bottom, the gangster is doomed because he is under the obligation to succeed, not because the means he employs are unlawful. In the deeper layers of the modern consciousness, all means are unlawful, every attempt to succeed is an act of aggression, leaving one alone and guilty and defenseless among enemies: one is punished for success.” This quote also from the Warshow article explains how Cody was doomed from the start of the movie, and he would eventually have to come to an end. The scene where Cody gets chased to the top of the giant gas cans I believe it was and he eventually kills himself by shooting it and blowing himself up. I feel this was the best way to end the film as he decided when to end h\is own life as only Cody Garrett decided anything about himself, no one else did. This film was one of the most captivating films I have seen recently, and I very much enjoyed analyzing it as I believe it is better than a movie such as Goodfellas or The Godfather.
Kirk--Nice insights. I want to ask you, though, what does Walsh do cinematically (besides not having Cody narrate) that makes us feel sympathy for Cody? Think about the shots, the editing, setting, etc. and how this impacts us as viewers.
DeleteWhen I think of different themes for a gangster film, making the audience feel sympathy for the main character or the head gangster would never come to mind. The idea of a gangster is somewhat of a heartless person; someone who is ruthless and dominant in their quest to fame and fortune and will kill and kill to get what they want. Most movies follow suit to this, which is why this assumption is made.
ReplyDeleteIn Raoul Walsh's film "White Heat" (1949), the norm for the original description of an American gangster is challenged with one simple character: Cody Jarrett. Although considered by critics to be one of the best gangster movies ever produced, it was a strange way of conveying this type of genre. Cody Jarrett was a ruthless man who "ran his gang of thieves with an iron fist and blazing pistol." He has a tendency of getting extreme migraines that make him break down and almost put him to tears. Cody even describes the headaches as a buzz saw cutting at the back of his head. The only person that can sooth him is his mother and this makes the audience start to have sympathy for Cody because he is a momma's boy. The famous cafeteria scene where Cody goes berserk and has to get carried out is used to further the the feeling of sympathy from the audience. The end of the movie is the ultimate betrayal of both the character and the audience, because in this scene of blazing fire and "white heat", the will of Cody Jarrett is finally lost. The question is, why would Raoul Walsh try to build such a relationship between the audience and Cody? Well the answer is simple. Humans are always bound to watch and be interested in things that can relate to their lives. Despite the criminal ways of Cody, he is still a human that goes through human things. He experiences pain, love, loss, and friendship, just like a human.
Ultimately, White Heat was and still is an prime example of a gangster movie, although the genre is off from the typical characteristics of a gangster. It is probably the first gangster movie that i have seen, but i'm sure there is nothing like it.
This response is not cinematic enough. Be sure in the future to always respond cinematically. Go beyond the sociocultural level of discussion.
DeleteThe gangster genre was introduced to American cinema around the 1920s. It had a very influential impact on society as well as other genres. These gangster films usually depict violence in big cities and often end in tragedy. The villains in these films are characterized as greedy, impulsive, womanizing, and power hungry. Warshow writes that oftentimes the gangster is depicted as a "tragic hero." In these films there is usually a leader or someone who holds a position of higher power to the rest of their gang members. The characters, as well as the audience, sees this character as an idol. He (or she) isn't always the best role model, but is very influential. This protagonist is "required to make his way, to make his life and impose it on others," according to Robert Warshow.
ReplyDeleteThe character in White Heat, produced in 1949, that has the largest influence on the other characters is Cody Jarrett. He holds a very high position of power as the gang leader. He is womanizing, although he is married, he has an obsessive love for his "Ma." His mother never stopped treating him like a child. He confides in her for everything and unlike a typical mother, she has virtually zero morals and encourages him to do whatever he needs to do to be successful, even if that includes violence on others. Cody Jarrett is comparable to several other characters in other gangster films during that time period. For example, Vito from The Godfather (1972) or Henry Hill from Goodfellas (1990).
Even though all of these films were produced in different decades, the main gangster theme remains the same. All of these leaders are characterized in very similar ways, as they were at the start of the gangster era. The influence on American cinema was clearly long lasting and influential on society as a whole.
How is Cody represented cinematically? Remember to ALWAYS respond cinematically in your discussion.
DeleteGangster movies are prolific enough and have enough unique characteristics to be considered an entirely separate genre from anything else. The gangster film genre has been influential on American culture since its inception in roughly the 1930s. Movies in general terms as art allow the viewer to experience something more than they would otherwise. Gangster films in particular are particular to the American public as they offer a sort of escapism. Warshow said “America, as a social and political organization, is committed to a cheerful view of life” and the gangster film allows that average white washed suburban American to experience something thrilling, gritty, and dangerous without the risk in leading the life of a gangster. The gangster genre, although it lives on in modern cinema, somewhat serves as the precursor to the modern action flick.
ReplyDeleteThe gangster in film is an interesting study because films offer a more intimate look into the mind of a single or a couple of gangsters as individuals. Because a gang by definition is a group effort, exploring the mind of one part of that effort is strange- to try to understand their emotions and true motivations. A gang in concept appears to be a single mechanical unit, however when highlighted in film, all the individual moving parts can be seen, conflicting or working together, in a messier, more human way. Our gangster in White Heat is Cody Jarrett. He is the top dog, with nearly unwavering support from gang members and the final word on every decision. He is outwardly manipulative and brutal as you’d expect a gang leader to be. But his vulnerability and instability is also revealed through his debilitating headaches and his oddly dependent relationship with his mother.
There is an obvious disconnect between the Cody Jarrett murderer in newspaper headlines and the Cody Jarrett interacting with his female counterpart, and being held up by his elderly mother. Through this we can see that the ruthless image he maintains, while certainly a big part of his personality, is not really motivated by a thirst for power or desire to kill. He looks for his mother’s approval of nearly all his decisions. His demise fits perfectly into the “gangster as a tragic hero” view of the American gangster. The Godfather, though produced decades later, explores the same question of motives for the ambition of a rising gangster. Michael Corleone is the only Corleone who went to college and war and really experienced a world outside of the crime family, and yet he still emerges himself in that life. That is why the gangster genre has been lasting- it gives us a taste of something “un-American” and very American in values at the same times and asks universal questions about families and relationships and the mob mentality.
Again, go beyond the sociocultural discussion and be sure to take another step into the cinematic.
DeleteThe rather optimistic idea that anyone can succeed regardless of their upbringings is the most prevalent theme in gangster films, such as the 1949 film noir White Heat. The protagonist has a desire to prove his power and manliness through all of his less-than merciful as well as dishonest decisions. Cody Jarrett, the antihero of White Heat by Raoul Walsh is every bit “the gangster is the man of the city, with the city’s language and knowledge, with its queer and dishonest skills and its terrible daring” that is described to be the American Gangster. Although contrary to the typical gangster film where the main character is shown to claw their way up from the gutters in the street to become the powerful mob boss in the end, when we are introduced to Jarrett he has already landed on top and we watch the gradual downfall of his empire. This in and of itself is slightly similar to The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola. In The Godfather Don Corleone is already on top of the crime syndicate but is shot-not killed- later because of his fame- or infamy. Both of these can be taken back to Warshow’s statement that “one is punished for success.”
ReplyDeleteIn White Heat, Jarrett is slowly torn down from his pedestal until the climactic ending in which he blows himself up on top of the gasoline storage tank with his cry “Made it Ma! Top o’ the world!” We first witness the beginning of his downfall when ‘Big Ed’ starts talking with Jarrett’s wife and planning to send him to jail and get him killed while imprisoned. This plan however is extinguished when an undercover cop saves Cody in order to befriend him and then betray him. When Cody discovers this betrayal and hears that his wife has been killed by the traitorous ‘Big Ed’ he loses the rest of his already dissolving sanity and vows to avenge his ‘poor helpless’ mother. Cody’s power seems to come back when he kills Big Ed in his own home, but then it must be taken into consideration that one of his most trusted colleagues is actually a cop and that Cody’s returning power is all a sham. Cody then plans a heist thats thwarted by the undercover cop, Hank Fallon, and is lead into a firefight that ends with his rather explosive decision to kill himself.
In The Godfather, the Don’s ‘incident’ is not of his own decision, but is due to the same notoriety that brought about Cody Jarrett’s death. The Don is in too much power and is shot by a rival gang, the Sollozzos. The Don’s political connections allow him the ability to aid in the Sollozzo's heroine operation, but when he refuses the Sollozzos decide to kill him so as to intimidate his son and successor, Michael Corleone, to partake in aiding the operation. Both of these events are triggered by the stigma placed upon them by others that are jealous or fearful of that power.
i meant for 'White Heat' and 'The Godfather' to be italicized but i guess blogspot doesn't keep that formatting.
DeleteReplies should be CINEMATIC!!!
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