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 you've seen 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 at least 2 quotes from the article in your discussion. Don't forget, your film textbook has a great section on gangster genre.
Even though I will not be in school, this is due by Thursday, May 19. I will log on from home to read your responses.
Also, your films should be edited by Friday, May 20. I want to arrive at school Monday morning and be able to watch the 2 chase movies.
“White Heat” is a gangster film produced in 1949 and direct by Raoul Walsh about a fictional crime leader Cody Jarrett (played by James Cagney). According to the Robert Warshow article “America, as a social and political organization, is committed to a cheerful view of life” and so is American cinema. This seems to be contradictory to the film “White Heat” which shows the downfall of a ruthless man, and everyone around him as well. The film does not glorify violence per se, but it does to some extent glamorize it. The final scene at the end is the best example of this: it starts with the robbing of the treasury which quickly turns into a smoke filled shoot out with all of Jarrett’s men being shot and killed; the shootout then makes its’ way over to a gas storage tank which blows up the entire area (as well as Jarrett himself) in the climatic ending. The final words echo “Made it, Ma! Top of the world!” mirrors Warshow’s opinion that “the gangster is doomed because he is under the obligation to succeed, not because the means he employs are unlawful…all means are unlawful…leaving one alone and guilty and defenseless among enemies…one is punished for success”. Jarrett is very much alone at this point, and he is indeed at the top of the world, but is immediately punished for his “success” through death.
ReplyDeleteHowever, one could argue that Jarrett’s fate is a way to comfort the average moviegoer, if you wanted to support Warshow’s claims. Jarrett commits himself to a life of crime and in the end he is killed, which could further assure the audience that this could very well be them. Warshow also states that “the effect of the gangster film is to embody this dilemma in the person of the gangster and resolve it by his death. The dilemma is resolved because it is his death, not ours. We are safe; for the moment, we can acquiesce in our failure, we can choose to fail”. Jarrett wants nothing more than to be a successful, if not for himself than subconsciously for his mother, but he is a powerless figure in a large world. This is also highlighted in the final scene with the medium shots of Jarrett juxtaposed with the wide shots of the entire gas storage – showing just how small he really is in comparison to the world. Jarrett is trying to live up to this larger than life image (shown with close ups of Jarrett during this scene), and doing this for his mother – for his family – is one of the major themes in gangster films.
In Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” we are given another scenario, this time the gangster starts off as a decent man, who slowly descends into a life of crime in order to live up to his father and the image of his family. In “The Godfather” the leader of the family is unquestionably Don Corleone who’s sense of pride for himself and his children equal that of Jarrett’s mother in “White Heat”. Although we do not know exactly why Jarrett got involved with crime, we do know that his father died in a mental asylum and that is mother was defensive of her son. This may explain the Oedipal like relationship as well as Jarrett’s strong feelings to be “on top of the world” – to make his mother proud, or not let her be killed in vain (after she is murdered). Likewise in “The Godfather” when Michael Corleone’s father Don Corleone is shot he quickly takes control as the new godfather so as to not let down his father, or at least the image of his father in the minds of others. Gangster films are not just a film that represents crime in American, but the relationships between families and those involved in the crimes as well. Warshow is very right in that the gangster is set up not to succeed, not to surpass the expectations set upon him because nobody ever truly does in the real world – and this is comforting to the viewers.
Raoul Walsh’s 1949 “White Heat” centers around the exploits of a psychopathic criminal, Cody Jarrett, who is played by James Cagney. This film fits perfectly into Warshow’s description of the Gangster genre as he states; “The real city, one might say, produces only criminals; the imaginary city produces the gangster: he is what we want to be and what we are afraid we may become.” This quote directly relates to “White Heat” in that it parallels true emotions found in many of its viewers, or any audience of a gangster film for that matter. As mentioned in the essay, this genre is readily understood and accepted by the majority, and is a universal and acclaimed art form. The gangster film, generally noted for its dark lighting and enigmatic themes (much like Film Noir), does not fall short for “White Heat.” Its usual implicit and explicit commentary on the nature of a true gangster, the nature of man itself, and the effects crime has on a person, are all prominent in Walsh’s work. From an artistic standpoint, the genre has notable affects on any average moviegoer unlike any other. Like Warshow mentions, these films allow you to transform into a world of imagination and creates a surreal reality for what you aspire, or hope to never be. For me personally, Jarrett’s character exemplified the horror and corruption found in so many, something I would never wish to become, even though by the end he is “On top of the world.” Despite the power illuminated in this moment, it serves to emphasize Jarrett’s downfall as a character and makes the viewer leave behind any sympathy they may have once felt for him.
ReplyDeleteA major theme explored in gangster films, particularly “White Heat,” is not only the battle between good and evil, but the contrast of success versus failure. In support of Warshow’s claims, Walsh does subject Jarrett essentially to a life of failure and proves to be an insignificant individual in society, who in essence, is nothing but bad. This notion is represented through Warshow’s claim which states; “The gangster’s whole life is an effort to assert himself as an individual, to draw himself out of the crowd, and he always dies because he is an individual; the final bullet thrusts him back, makes him, after all, a failure.” All of Cody Jarrett’s actions were based around this idea of “success,” and his hungry need to achieve it. The interesting part of this need is not only that such an evil person wants to reach such greatness, but that his success is not fueled by his own motivation, but by his need to make other people in his life proud. Whether it be his mother or his fellow gang members, he wants them to know of his success. This attribute to gangster films, and especially in “White Heat,” is what makes them so tragic and so relatable to all people. Jarrett’s failure as an human being and inevitable death highlights so many peoples quest to find individuality and meaning in the world. Jarrett strives to impact society, whether it be through success or failure, and nonetheless leaves a mark (in a negative light) on the world.
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ReplyDeleteIn Ben Affleck’s 2010 “The Town,” the protagonist Doug MacRay also deals with this idea of success and failure. After being in the crime business for years, he struggles to balance his “family” of gangsters while striving to get away from his dark practices. Similarly to “White Heat,” MacRay does not wish to necessarily achieve greatness for himself, but for his peers and fellow mobsters who admire him. Unlike in “White Heat,” MacRay realizes that this awful lifestyle is not for him and despite what his family thinks, he chooses to leave it all behind. In contrast to Warshow’s claim that states; “The effect of the gangster film is to embody this dilemma in the person of the gangster and resolve it by his death,” MacRay dilemma is resolved by his decision to turn against crime and start anew, rather then fighting the fight and perishing. This film turns against your traditional gangster in that MacRay does succeed- not by leaving a negative mark on society but by surpassing the general assumptions of a true gangster.
ReplyDelete"White Heat”, directed by Raoul Walsh in 1949, is a classic gangster film. The movie provides a disturbing portrait of Cody Jarrett, an insane and calculating gangster, whose gang is infiltrated by a mole or undercover police officer. The movie was released to rave reviews and is widely still considered a classic. In Robert Warshow’s article “The Gangster as Tragic Hero” he justifies the role of gangster movies in American culture by claiming that optimism is virtually unsatisfying. “But, whatever [happiness’s] effectiveness as a source of consolation and a means of pressure for maintaining "positive" social attitudes, this optimism is fundamentally satisfying to no one.” Thus, American’s have a greater appreciation for tragic outcomes, a common theme of gangster films. In fact Cody Jarrett’s tragic story is best summarized in the final line of the movie by Hank Fallon: “Cody Jarrett, he finally got to the top of the world and it blew right up in his face.”
ReplyDeleteWhat I also found rather fascinating was how accurate, in many regards, Robert Warshow’s analysis on the central gangster was. Although a bit lengthy, I believe the following statement best sums up the motives of Cody Jarrettt: “Thrown into the crowd without background or advantages…the gangster is required to make his way, to make his life and impose it on others. Usually, when we come upon him, he has already made his choice or the choice has already been made for him, it doesn't matter which: we are not permitted to ask whether at some point he could have chosen to be something else than what he is.” This quote is essentially a summarized biography of Jarrett and his motives. The viewer gauges that Jarrett’s life of crime is a result of his mother’s unsettling perspective in ensuring the superiority of her son. Jarrett’s mother’s view ultimately shapes the destructive, hostile individual that he becomes. He is insane to the point that, at times, he appears to be nothing more than a spoiled, bratty child which one might see as Jarrett reverting back to his mother’s conviction that he is always to be the best. Because of the twisted relationship between Cody Jarrett and his mother, the viewer is unable to decipher which character is really more determined or more of a “gangster” than the other. Although Jarrett regularly commits horrendous crimes, the viewer sees him crave the advice and respect of his mother throughout the film. Also, after Jarrett goes to prison, his mother constantly covers for him and eventually attempts to murder Big Ed for him despite his pleas to wait.
I see strong comparisons between “White Heat” and one of Martin Scorsese’s most recent gangster movies, “The Departed”. The protagonist of “The Departed” is Billy Costigan who serves as a mole for the Massachusetts State Police Department spying on the Boston-based Irish mob. Similarly to Hank Fallon in “White Heat”, Costigan is an undercover police officer. Also, during the final shoot-out between the gangsters and the police in “The Departed”, Costigan is present for the action yet able to flee the scene without being killed by either side just like Fallon does in “White Heat”. It is clear to me that the plot of “White Heat” certainly influenced the writers of “The Departed”. Furthermore, Scorsese’s camerawork in “The Departed” is reminiscent of Raoul Walsh’s in “White Heat” when filming situations with each movie’s respective undercover cop. Both directors favor quick cuts to close up shots of the mole glancing furtively around in order to remind the viewer of the psychological trauma associated with their jobs.
The gangster film is one rooted in the American Dream: the unrealistically optimistic idea that anyone can succeed regardless of their more failure-conducive upbringings. In gangster films, such as the 1949 film noir White Heat, the antihero has an unquenchable need to prove himself and attempts to do so through violence and shady dealings as “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” who denies the “happier American culture.” The presence of these dangerous actions and the gangster himself (whose life intrigues us) in films allows us to watch the gangsters progression, almost vicariously, without risking anything ourselves. However, these questionable means of success were largely frowned upon by the public in the 1940’s (at least officially), forcing film studios to end each gangster film with a “crime doesn’t pay” message in the form of the antihero’s downfall. This allows the viewer to see their own moral dilemma (in the form of the Gangster) resolved because it is “his death,not ours” or his failure and not ours, thus setting up the stage for the typical gangster movie formula.
ReplyDeleteThis formula is one found in Raoul Walsh’s White Heat. Like the typical gangster, Cody Jarrett is initially powerless and suffers from some form of public humiliation, in this case his father’s insanity and placement in an insane asylum as well as his own debilitating headaches. He then gains status through robberies and an escape from jail, all the while his head becoming cloudy because of his fixation on success. He becomes power hungry, as demonstrated by his plan to steal the chemical plant’s payroll and his general killings. This makes him blind to the fact that Pardo is actually a mole working for the police, causing him to be caught in the act (his downfall). However, the gangster at the core of every film “is doomed because he is under the obligation to succeed, not because the means he employs are unlawful.” In this case, Jarrett’s desire to please his mother is so extreme that his view of success is skewed, causing him to reach higher (stealing a payroll etc). Jarrett is so attached to that goal that once cornered blows himself up rather than fail (be taken by the police). In addition to its typical gangster plot, White Heat also has mise-en-scene conducive to the genre including the use of shadows, the numerous scenes filmed at night (such as the scene in which Ernie chases Jarrett in the car), the black attire (worn by Jarrett most notably in the final scene), the use of smoke to indicate clouded judgment (also in the final scene in which Jarrett has clearly gone insane).
Another film which sticks to the gangster formula is Bonnie and Clyde, a 1967 crime film by Arthur Penn. Although filmed in color, as opposed to the film noir style of White Heat, Bonnie and Clyde tells the story of the title characters who, in keeping with the genre, start out with very little. The pair turn to armed bank robbery as a means of gaining wealth and as a result status. In addition, the life of crime adds a spice to their life that was previously missing. As they go on their exploits become more violent and the pair become more power hungry until they are caught in a raid in which one of their accomplices is killed (another characteristic of gangster films). Bonnie and Clyde are eventually tracked down and brutally killed, sending the message that stealing is not the way to upwards mobility. However, the viewer still sympathizes with them as they embody the desires that are apparently within us all.
White Heat is a 1949 film noir, about psychopathic criminal with a mother complex, directed by Raoul Walsh. Although it is considered to be a film noir it has a slight resemblance to Gangster films. Mostly because of the plot, including a gang of criminals who make their living from small heist schemes. The deliberate use of a leader who plans all of the schemes and keeps the gang in check the idea of trying to obtain the “American dream” is a dead giveaway that the film belongs within the Gangster film genre. The main character, Cody Jarrett, is the epitome of “the hero who lives by his wits and his willing to break the rules in order to achieve his goals” (LAM pg.84) Even if that includes changing addresses every month or even turning his self in for the wrong crime. Unfortunately Cody lacks the traditional “heroic” qualities such as courteousness, kindness, or sympathy. He will stop at nothing to keep all evidence hidden, even if that means leaving one of his members to die. He was completely unable to love anyone seriously, besides his mother. The need for the gangster to always prove himself is usually the trigger for his downfall. At the end of the movie Cody yells “Top of the world, Ma!” before eventually blowing himself up, instead of giving in to the police who are surrounding him.
ReplyDeleteIn another gangster film Paid in Full directed by Charles Stone III in 2002 follows the same rags- to- riches destruction formula. However in this film the idea that the gangster leader is not always the protagonist, is proven. The character Ace, the leader and head of the cocaine scene in Harlem, may infact be considered a heroic figure. While persuing his goals, overcoming obstacles, taking risks, and suffering consequences, he also remains reverent, kind, and courteous. The protagonist however, being the character Rico, is the antihero who gains status then grabs power and riches through ingenuity, risk taking, and a capacity for violence. Rico did his best to instill fear in anyone who crossed him the wrong way. Most gangster protagonist may be killers, but their first victim’s may seem to be deserving of their fate. For example Rico’s first victim, Calvin, who along with others shot Ace. Although Calvin’s intentions were none of good nature, his fate was not for Rico to decide. Eventually the tables shift as the protagonist reaches his goal to rule the criminal syndicate and his goal becomes blurred by ambition as he become power- hungry and paranoid; he eventually destroys characters that represent his last ties to the go- getter who begasn the story. Just like Rico who ultimately kills one of his own members, Mitch, in greed.
Gangster films have a certain reality and mystery about them that can’t necessarily be found in other genres. It is the past, present and future, of criminal activity whether or not we have personally encountered any of it. However the real facts of whatever situation the film maybe depicting do not determine its aesthetic force. As said in an essay about the gangster genre by Robert Warshow “the gangster speaks , for us,” especially when the gangster rejects the qualities and demands of modern life. As do most gangsters, in search of the life filled weth luxury.
Excellent posts! Rayna brings up a point regarding this film: is it film noir? Some say yes, some emphatically say no. I think it has some qualities of film noir, but is through and through a straight gangster film.
ReplyDeleteI like Ali's point about Cody's mother and Cody--who is the real gangster? Is she the one who pushed him into the life of crime?
The idea of the antihero is interesting. Cody Jarrett is a horrible guy, but we still sort of like him and feel for him. He is the perfect antihero.
Sounds like you guys liked the movie.
“White Heat” is an early gangster film of the 1940, produced in 1949. Raoul Walsh directed this film and it is about a crime boss named Cody Jarrett, an insane and ruthless gangster. His gang is infiltrated by a police officer while he is imprisoned and they go on to attempt to rob the treasury, which is where a bloody shoot out begins, causing Jarret and all of his men to be killed in the final scene of the film. According to Robert Warshow, we “understand better or react to more readily or with quicker intelligence” with Cody Jarret because of his gangster qualities. The gangster genre itself is rooted deeply to the American dream, which we all strive for.
ReplyDeleteWarshow believes that in a certain way, the Gangster is and speaks for the people. “In ways that we do not easily or willingly define, the gangster speaks for us, expressing that part of the American psyche which rejects the qualities and the demands of modern life, which rejects "Americanism" itself.” Because we all strive for the same things, to be wealthy, the gangster shows us how to do that very task. We as Americans compete with one and other to be in charge and higher up. This is represented early in the film with Jarret and his gang was in the house after the first heist had been accomplished. Jarret stood alone, in front of the money while everyone was on the other side of the room, watching him. In this scene, Jarret is viewed more in the middle ground, while there was two people standing behind him, making him appear bigger to them. He is also shown as more powerful because he is placed directly in front of the money while everyone else is future away. This shows his dominance compared to everyone else in the room. At this point in time, moviegoers would want to be where Jarret is standing because of his power and status. He is chasing the American Dream.
The 2010 film, “Takers” directed by John Luessenhop, embodies that of a gangster film to the T. This film shows a group of people: young, old, black, white, male or female, striving for the same thing, to get rich quick. This is a perfect example of how the gangster can represent the people. Because there are so many differences on this team of gangsters, the film speaks to the American Society as a whole. This film also ends tragically, where everyone but two people from this team die. Their deaths symbolically stand for the death of the modern American dream.