“THESE ARE THE DAYS OF NOIR LIVES”
Celebrating hearts of darkness with two classics
by JoAnn DiVerdi Miller

THE MOVIES:

(1944); Starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson; Directed by Billy Wilder; Written by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler; Cinematography John Seitz

(1981); Starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner and Ted Danson; Written and Directed by Lawrence Kasdan; Cinematography Richard H. Kline

THE CONNECTION: One is a classic black-and-white film noir, the other, a successful homage. Both tell the tale of an unhappily married woman and her lover plotting the murder of her husband for profit. Each film boasts an ending that both satisfies and reflects the accepted morality – or erosion thereof – of their times.

Double Indemnity tells the tale of Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), who is happily cruising through his life as the best insurance salesman at Pacific All Risk until he runs into “a honey of an anklet” worn by Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck). She’s a neglected second wife sporting the worst blond wig imaginable. You’ll not be able to stop staring at both the wig and the captivating Stanwyck, who was nominated for Best Actress that year. The film, based upon the novel by James M. Cain, has it all: shadowy apartments, rainy nights, hot-headed characters, cold-hearted dames and Edward G. Robinson [insert bad Edward G. Robinson impression here]. Robinson plays Barton Keyes, claims manager extraordinaire and moral conscience of the film.

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WorcesterMovies.com is proud to present a new feature from writer JoAnn DiVerdi Miller, “Four Hour Film School.” Each column will not only focus on two like-themed films, exploring the connections between them, but will suggest an appropriate meal during intermission. With our coverage of next year’s Star Trek prequel and the recent premiere of the exquisite fan-produced “Star Trek: New Voyages” premiere, the theme of this week is space, so prepare to release your inner geek as we cry to the heavens…

“I NEED MY SPACE!”
by JoAnn DiVerdi Miller

THE MOVIES:

(1979); Starring Sigourney Weaver and Tom Skerritt; Written by Dan O’Bannon; Directed by Ridley Scott.

(1999); Starring Sigourney Weaver and Tim Allen; written by David Howard and Robert Gordon; Directed by Dean Parisot.

THE CONNECTION: One’s a heart-thumping, sci-fi thriller set in outer space showcasing Sigourney Weaver as supremely well-trained; the other’s a knee-slapping, sci-fi comedy inspired by television’s take on the final frontier, showcasing Weaver as supremely well-coiffed.

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“ENTER THE RING”
Boxing flicks Body and Soul and Raging Bull pack a 1-2 punch
By JoAnn DiVerdi Miller

WorcesterMovies.com is proud to present a new feature this month from writer JoAnn DiVerdi Miller, “Four Hour Film School.” Each column will not only focus on two like-themed films, exploring the connections between them, but will suggest an appropriate meal during intermission. Because the Samuel L. Jackson film Resurrecting The Champ hits theatres this Friday, the theme of this week is boxing, so tape up those hands, pop in your mouth guard and stick-and-move to the video store and pick up this pair of pugilist pictures.

THE MOVIES:
(1947); Starring John Garfield, Lilli Palmer and William Conrad; Directed by Robert Rossen; Cinematography by James Wong Howe

(1980); Starring Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty and Joe Pesci; Directed by Martin Scorsese; Cinematography by Michael Chapman

THE CONNECTION:
Though one’s fact and the other fiction, both are black-and-white films that deal with rags-to-riches stories set in the big, bad fight world of the 1940’s starring the premiere Method actors of their generation. The fun is watching the stories unfold in what passed in the movies as groundbreaking honesty in the 1940’s vs. the 1980’s.

In Body and Soul, John Garfield is Charlie Davis, a poor Jewish boy who’s fought his way to the top; told in flashback as Charlie reflects on his life the night before a big fight.

In Raging Bull, Robert De Niro plays Jake LaMotta, a poor Italian boy who actually did become the middleweight champion of the world in 1949; told in flashback as he looks at his reflection in a dumpy dressing room in 1964. La Motta, now 86, has a voice cameo in Resurrecting The Champ (as himself).

Both Charlie and Jake see boxing as a way to be somebody. Neither wants to be controlled by the Mob or take a dive because that’s for “bums” and “mamalukes.” But these are boxing tales, not fairy tales. There are prices to pay and consequences to face for both fighters on their way to the championship.

Martin Scorsese is an avowed fan of classic films. Though he has never acknowledged the influence of Body and Soul on Raging Bull, I challenge you to watch both films and not see a number of similarities in the story and characters. There are times when Garfield and De Niro even bear an uncanny resemblance to each other — with their curly, sweaty, dark hair, beat-up faces and bodies struggling against defeat from forces inside and out. For every time Garfield hunches his shoulders as if he’s coming out of his corner, De Niro, as LaMotta, squares his and swaggers in primal glory.

Cinematographer James Wong Howe created a gritty realism in Body and Soul never before seen on screen. For the fight scenes, he put on roller-skates and entered the ring himself, effectively transporting you out of a Hollywood movie and into a newsreel or documentary.

In Raging Bull, cinematographer Michael Chapman is an artist painting in black and white film. Though clearly inspired by Howe, his vision is his own. Chapman provides a unique pictorial narrative as his camera lingers on Jake’s hand in a bucket of ice after a fight, the cups and saucers in the Debonair Social Club, or the ropes of a boxing ring. Once you’ve seen the film, you’ll agree the fix had to be in — Scorsese was robbed of an Oscar in 1980! (Ordinary People? Yeah, whatever.)

MOOD FOOD: Steak, of course. “Don’t overcook it! You overcook it, it’s no good, it defeats its own purpose!” –Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro in Raging Bull, before upending the dinner table in a rage)

FRAME OF MIND: While watching, become a black-and-white character and express all of your opinions in black-and-white terms: you like it or hate it; it’s right or wrong; someone’s a champ or a mamaluke.•••