Defining the American Dream - Essay Example

?Introduction The concept of the American Dream is one which began to change after a perspective was developed which rebelled against this ideology. Artists, philosophers and others in American society began to see different outcomes with the American Dream, specifically which was based on changes occurring with the cultural and social aspects of society. The result was a symptomatic response that was created for or against the idea of American modernity. When examining Film Noir, it can be seen that the definition of the American dream as well as the philosophies which were created opposed the way of living and noted it as one that was created from materialism. The opposition was seen with the use of melodrama as well as the downfall of characters that reflected the ideologies of the American Dream. Defining the American Dream The concept of the American dream is built from the ideologies which began in the 1950s and after America was led out of the Great Depression. The concepts which began to appear were combined with the economic times, political agendas and the various associations that were a part of the American dream. The distinction was based on everyone having freedom and gaining the ability to build the lifestyle which one wanted. This included a materialistic foundation based on having a home to live in, family to care for and the ability to build the career and life that one dreamed of without restrictions. Each individual was able to have the potential of reaching the American dream and of achieving into new levels of idealism that was based on their desires in life. The result was several who began to move toward trying to achieve getting into a more comfortable life and to live outside of the restrictions caused economically, socially or culturally (Emerson, Woo, 2006). The American Dream led to the modern attempts to define society and to belong to a culture which had its upbringing by the concept of economic and cultural freedom. The dream led to several coming to America for opportunity and to find an individualistic approach to have a life of comfort. This led to the materialism that was in the country, specifically which was able to show and relate how far one had achieved the American dream. As this evolved, there was also a sense of cynicism which came with it. By the 1970s, many had found that the rise of the American dream only allowed a select few who were aware of the cultural concepts to be a part of the dream. There were also collective ideals which were displayed through marginalized groups, such as immigrants, who weren’t able to move into the American dream because of the materialistic basis and the limited opportunities provided. The modernism established led to a rise in materialism as well as a loss in the value and quality of life that was based no character and morality. It was this concept that led to the cynicism and rebellion against the American Dream (Caldwell, 2006). Symptoms of the Cultural Crisis in American Narratives The cynicism which was established toward American modernism and the illusion of the dream became a part of a cultural crisis that was told in American narratives. There were several pointed symptoms which were associated with this, all which were defined by the illusion of the American Dream. The point made by most about the American dream was based on the illusion of living the perfect life, specifically which was covered by daily functions, expectations of what it meant to have the perfect life and the association with materialism that took place in society. However, there was also cynicism which stated that this was a superficial expectation of American modernism. When moving deeper into the American Dream, dysfunctions and psychological problems became the associated component of the dream. The development of cynicism then came from the superficial beliefs of America which didn’t show the realistic depictions. The development of Film Noir was based on uncovering the truth of the American culture and the losses which had occurred by moving into the modern materialism (Straw, 1997). The first example of this cynicism is seen with the film “Kiss Me Deadly,” a 1955 Film Noir film directed by Robert Aldrich. The characters that are portrayed in this film all show the contrasts of the idea of the dream not looking at the darker realities of America. Christina shows this by her look and overall view of belonging to the American dream. Her demeanor, the innocence which she tries to portray and the drama which is caused from this show that, while she has the superficial looks of the All – American woman, she also carries a deeper and melodramatic undertone. This is furthered when the mystery of Christina’s death begins to unravel while causing more melodrama and violence in the story over what would superficially seem like a sense of innocence (Aldrich, 1955). The main plot line is then able to create a specific understanding of how the concept of Film Noir used the melodrama and the characters to show a superficial side that represented American modernism and was then juxtaposed with the undertones of murder and misdeeds. Another example of this is “Taxi Driver,” directed in 1976 by Martin Scorsese. The film shows how the American dream is an illusion, also by moving into the melodramatic features associated with the concept of Film Noir. Similar to the other film, there is a sense of the American dream from the beginning, specifically with Travis playing the role of a taxi driver based only on doing his job, getting income and living a peaceful life. This is furthered by Iris, who is seen as the All – American girl. The plot line quickly disappears as the taxi driver shows his colors and problems as a Vietnam veteran while recognizing that the realities of America are not close to what is depicted with the idea of the dream. The reality that the taxi driver shows moves into several elements of violence, prostitution and showing the dark side of America through the eyes of the driver (Scorsese, 1976). The concept of the American dream with the impression of both the women and men, concept of economy and standing up for America through war or as a patriotic veteran then quickly disappear with the noticed revelation of what occurs in the streets of America. Film Noir in Post – War America The overall concepts of Film Noir and the cynicism of the American dream are followed by the depictions which occurred specifically with post – war America. The ideas in post – war America came with the realities of war, specifically with the brutality that shocked the nation after World War II and through the Vietnam War. America had changed from the modernist impression to seeing the realities of violence and the brutality which occurred in war. In post – war America, there was a movement of desensitizing this on the film. Violence was built to become a meaningless part of the film while it was overextended through the films and exaggerated specifically to make it seem worthless. By showing the violence as a spectacle, there was the ability to show how the American dream was not looking at the realities of the war or what was occurring in America’s streets. The use of kinetic sensations to show this reality became a part of destroying the illusion of the American dream and replacing it with how American culture had forgotten about the realities and what the political and cultural realms were doing in terms of violence in America (Charney, 2001). Both “Kiss Me Deadly” and ‘Taxi Driver” is able to depict this through the main plot line and with the exaggerations of death and war that are noted in both. In “Kiss Me Deadly,” the elements come from the heightened violence which occurs between the men and women when trying to unravel the case of Christina’s death. The desensitization occurs as the women and men begin to shoot at each other to withhold information and the underground which is a part of the murder. This is further defined with metaphors which go against the violence. For instance, one scene shows the home blowing up by a bomb and moving to ashes as two of the characters look at the destruction. This not only desensitizes the idea of violence, but also uses the idea of kinetics to show how the idea of the American dream, based on this type of materialism, is destroyed. The idea then creates an understanding that the sensitivity toward violence is lost and the American dream is one which has been destroyed because of this. The same images are presented in “Taxi Driver” while the main character unravels the underground. However, the important element is that the taxi driver reveals that he is a Vietnam Veteran. It is this one specific part of the character that allows him to see the realities of what is occurring in society as well as how there are several areas of crime and destruction that are happening in America that remain covered. A scene which shows this comes when the taxi driver is told by a customer that a taxi driver is “like someone who doesn’t exist.” The response from the driver is to begin preparing with those he knows are corrupt and which are into this side of American life so they no longer cause harm to others. The concept is to show violence and desensitization to show how the American dream covers up the violent aspects that are in America. Private Vs. Public Space Another aspect of the American dream which Film Noir changes with the perspective by building a sense of cynicism is through the private and public space that is a part of each film. The concept of privacy in the American dream is one which is regarded as a better option. The individual is one which can achieve the American dream only by separating and isolating him or herself from the rest of the community. The development of urban space, the use of space to get away from others and the belief that each individual should compete against the other for the dream were some of the established notions which were a part of the space. However, Film Noir opposes this as well, with the notion that the private space in American society is also a landscape which invites destruction, melodrama and violence. The spaces become a threat, specifically because privacy can be used to create not only a sense of imperialism, but also leads to danger and situations which can’t be overcome by individuals. Instead of achieving the American dream, most in Film Noir displayed that there was an illusion that the private space also led to threats that stopped the American dream from being achieved (Copjec, 1993). This particular ideal is achieved in Film Noir by making statements about individuals, or one man, taking on the violence or melodrama that is within society. For instance, in “Kiss Me Deadly,” it is one detective who decides to unravel a mystery. However, he is stopped by a community who creates a fragment of the space and who stops him from achieving his goals. When by himself, it is easier to be cornered, switched and led in the wrong directions because there is no assistance. The same concept comes with “Taxi Driver,” as it is one man who decides to take on the underworld of America without any help. There is an understanding that the community of the darker side of America is larger than he is and that others living in the American dream are either unaware of this reality or are a part of it. The cynicism of privacy then leads to an understanding that when an individual acts alone, they can’t go against the communities that are functioning as the melodrama and death in the films. Fragmenting Ties of Individuals and Milieu To tie together the individuals that are within the film is the use of the milieu and the settings that are apparent throughout the films. This becomes an important part of defining the shadow realm which was depicted throughout the films. As the shadow realm was created, there was the ability to disintegrate the image and paintings of the American dream, which associated everything with the white fences and large house as well as the perfect lifestyle which was lived. The individuals which lived as the American dream and which were able to survive were interested in the settings of the night and the darkness, specifically because these represented the realities of what was occurring in America. The idea was to respond to the upheavals that were occurring with society and culture, specifically by showing through the setting that fear, persecution and disjunction were the main elements of the American dream. The impression of the dream which was told to society was to cover up the elements that were running the country. The styles were based on creating symbols and plots based on the idea of fear as this moved against the American representations which were prevalent in society during this time (Krutnik, 1997). In “Kiss Me Deadly,” the concept of fear and the individual is seen from the very beginning of the film as Christina is shown running on a road barefoot and who steps in front of William’s car to stop him on the way home. The running is shown with complete black as the back scene as well as music which uses the dissonance that would often be heard in a horror film. The individual is combined with the setting of loneliness, black and being in a state of destruction from this beginning, even with the response of William who states that “you almost wrecked my car.” As this continues, it shows the sense of loneliness of Christina as she explains how she is a fugitive but she can’t explain anything to him. This scene shows how individualism, materialism and other parts of the movie are based only on the individualism and how this leads to the main sense of darkness that is used through the rest of the movie. The concept of loneliness fits with the setting, misinterpretations and the complexities that occur throughout the movie. The same types of settings are seen in the “Taxi Driver” as each setting depicts the same sense of loneliness and not belonging. The taxi driver is seen most in the beginning in the car and a separation is always placed between him and others that are taking the cab. As the story continues, there is a sense of always being alone or on the outside. The scene which shows the shift but keeps the same scene is when Willy decides to take action with the underground by shooting at those that are a part of the problem. He turns to one of the men with the statement “You talking to me?” This continues without a response and with the camera focusing in on the image of Willy. This doesn’t change until Willy shoots the man. The scenery focuses with no important concept except that of the individual and the different mentality which is associated with him trying to justify what has happened in America. The scenery of not showing the other side works as a representation of both the individual and the way in which it creates an unknowing element on the other side of the camera, always which remains as the mystery and the unknown. Representation of the City The symbolism that is used throughout the films also creates a depiction which is able to show the sense of isolation and how modernism is destroying identity and value. The cynicism which is seen is represented through the city. The scenery becomes important in creating the individual and how they get lost in the growing cosmopolitan sectors, which allow the melodrama to continue to occur while individuals become a part of the scenery. The city becomes a continuous visual motif that is seen in the films, specifically which is identified by the ability to get lost within the American culture. The idea of modern alienation is easily presented in this. The city is one which, even in the daytime, is able to hold the light in a darker setting, specifically because of the enclosure of the buildings. The enclosure is furthered with the concept of not knowing when it is day or night, also which works as a symbol of loss with the American dream and the way in which modernism has changed the understanding of the environment. The city scenes combine this with sharp lines, depth of field and endistancing effects. These all create shadows with the use of the city and the natural lack of light that is in these scenes. By using these different techniques, there is the ability to depict the idea of cultural loss, loss for the individual and the loss of the light in terms of cultural and societal definitions of belonging (Place, Peterson, 1976). The use of the city as symbol is one which is furthered over what is not seen, as well as what is presented with the use of light. The concepts which were used led to several sensations which were isolated while in the film. At times, there were sounds which were not followed by the scenery, mostly which were depicted in darker sounds or with the use of the city. The moments which were used highlighted the scenes and the images while allowing the different senses to show something else, specifically to create a detective like and melodramatic element out of this. However, this also held a deeper meaning to the language of film noir as there was the cynicism of the American Dream. The symbol was one which showed that on the outside the city and the building of modernist materialism were good. However, there were several who were overlooking the realities that were occurring and which seemed disconnected to the scenery which was occurring culturally. Creating these two types of elements then led to a psychology of how one lost their sense of place and identity through the building of modernism (Caputo, 1990). In “Kiss Me Deadly,” this is seen by always placing the city as an outside where the characters were on the inside. Whenever an individual was shown in a room, there were placements of angle shots that used close ups and which didn’t show the outside. When on the outside and in the city, there was never a sense of place and most of the scenes were darker with only angles which represented the idea of the city. The viewer wasn’t able to ever see the city but only believed that this was the representation because of the angle shots and the interpretation of it being in a specific scene. When lights were shown, it would be from being in the night light and seeing the street lights or another car that was appearing on the other side. This caused a continuous sense of loss throughout the movie where the spectator never knew exactly where the characters were and what was being represented. This worked symbolically as the loss of identity, culture and the loss because of the modernism which was arising at the time. The same sense of loss because of the symbolism of the city occurs with “Taxi Driver.” The first part is always in an enclosed area, specifically with the taxi driver. The driver doesn’t see what is happening in the outside world and only catches what is occurring within an enclosed space. The viewer is never able to depict the entire city as well, specifically as the same close up shots and the inability to see what is on the outside. This is further depicted with the direct quote about the city and the interpretation that the taxi driver has about the city being a drive toward modernism and a loss of the sense of identity as a culture. He makes statements such as “One day real rain will come and wash the scum off the streets.” He also shows how the city is what has brought him loneliness, specifically because he can’t belong to the modernism and sees what it has created. When looking through the reality of the taxi driver, it can be seen that the idea of the city is one which has led to loss and has created the downfall of a culture into one which lives in the underground and thrives on violence and crime. The city becomes the representation of how this was created. Repression of White Racial Rage The elements of loneliness, the symbolism of the city and the depiction of what has happened in American culture come with the various symbols and depictions of life and the American dream. These all add up into what the true cynicism is of American modernism and the loss of culture. This is seen in the continuous rage and melodrama that is in Film Noir and which defines what has happened throughout time. Each of the representations of the American dream are defined by this one aspect of rage and become the main point of the directors who are interested in this film. The concept of modernism is one which is met with the rage, specifically because the violence and the reactions is one which is believed has to be used to make up for the losses which have occurred in society. This is presented as noticing the boundaries in society and how this is one of the affects of modernism and the problems which it has led to (Slocum, 2001). The concept which is seen is based on the new society being an age of doom. Melodrama is the main aspect which is seen through this. However, Film Noir also works to identifying with the audience and the problems which are occurring in society. The doom is highlighted by the white racial rage that is a part of society. The rage is one which is repressed specifically because the image of the American dream has to be withheld. However, those who are against the idea of modernism and which express this cynicism also have the belief system that there should be justice that is not served. The white American male can’t serve this, either because he is a part of the darker side or because he is expected to fall into the individualism, traps and the philosophies of the American dream. It is this main philosophy which creates the rage and which shows the white American male as the main victim of the American dream as they have to hold up a specific place in society when they are certain of the realities that are outside of this (Vernet, 1993). There are several places where the white racism of rage shows in both of the films. In “Kiss Me Deadly,” this comes from the ending actions of the detective as he burns down the house and saves the woman who hasn’t been a part of the scene. The detective has been shot; however, his rage is seen with the fire that catches and his unwillingness to save the woman who has started the fire. His rage is furthered with the understanding that the women in each of the scenes are able to move past specific stereotypes because of the American image which they uphold while the white, American male is expected to remain in the figment of reality which is supposed to uphold the image of the dream of the culture. The rage comes from the inability to act and to have to act according to a rule book, even though the reality of the situation would have required a different approach. The rage of the white racism seen in “Taxi Driver’ comes from the driver deciding not to be an invisible man throughout the film and to take vengeance on what he sees happening in the streets. His rage comes from the injustice which he sees and which is covered up in society. It also comes from his belief that he has one shot to make things right and to get past the idea of belonging to a specific stereotype as a white male and as a taxi driver. The racism continues into other types of boundaries, such as the depiction of him as a Vietnam vet and the problems which arise as he becomes even angrier at the other men who are able to get away with crime while he has upheld patriotism. The idea which is built divides the white male into both the good and the bad. The bad are shown as the underground while the good can’t overcome this because of the description that they have to believe in, specifically which is based on fulfilling their role in the economy and as a part of the culture, both which overlook the realities of culture at the time. Conclusion The concept of Film Noir in relation to the American dream is one which is based on the cynicism around this growing culture. The society at the time was beginning to open their eyes to the realities which occurred from World War II and the Vietnam War. At the same time, there were associations with the need to rebuild culture and to move outside of a cultural crisis. Creating beliefs of individualism, prosperity, falling into a specific system of modernism and migrating to the city for opportunity where all a part of this dream. Film Noir opposes this particular ideology and shows how it is a melodramatic way of ignoring the truth and the darker side of reality. The sense of individualism, being lost in the city and ideas of modernism as well as the rage which is created because of the expected image all show this cynicism. Film Noir is then able to question the culture which was developing as well as the crisis which surrounded the inability to look at the realities of society at this time. References Aldrich, Robert. (1955). Kiss Me Deadly. California: Parklane Pictures. Caldwell, Wilber. (2006). Cynicism and the Evolution of the American Dream. New York: Potomac Books. Caputo, Raffaele. (1990). “Film Noir ‘You sure don’t see what you hear’” in Continuum Vol.5:2. @ http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/continuum2.html Charney, Leo. (2001). “The Violence of a Perfect Moment” in J. David Slocum ed. Violence and American Cinema New York: Routledge. Copjec, Joan. (1993). “The Phenomenol Nonphenomenol: Private Space in Film Noir in Joan Copjec ed. Shades of Noir. Verso. Emerson, Michael, Rodney Woo. (2006). People of the Dream. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Krutnik, frank. (1997). “Something More than Night: Tales of the Noir City” in David B. Clarke ed The Cinematic City New York: Routledge pp.83-109. Place, JA & L.S. Peterson. (1976). “Some Visual Motifs of film noir” in Bill Nichols ed.(1976) Movies and Methods Vol.1 Slocum, David. ed. (2001) Violence and American Cinema New York: Routledge. Straw, Will. “Urban Confidential: The Lurid City of the 1950s” in David B. Clarke ed (1997) The Cinematic City New York: Routledge. Vernet, Marc. (1993). “Film Noir on the Edge of Doom” in Joan Copjec ed. Shades of Noir. Verso Read More