Blackmail by Alfred Hitchcock and Feminist Theory - Movie Review Example

Feminism and Film Table of Contents Introduction 3 Plot of the movie and review 4 Blackmail and Feminist Theory 5 Analysis of a Scene and Its feministic criticism 6 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction Among the numerous accomplishments in Alfred Hitchcock’s career, one that is sometimes overlooked is his movie Blackmail, released in 1929. As usual bearing all the traits of Hitchcock canon, the movie is a cinematic excellence. Sound was first incorporated in to the movies in the year 1927. This was done in the form of a Jazz song sung by Al Jolson in the movie ‘The Jazz Singer’. After this incident, all the directors round the world were running on their toes to incorporate sound into their films. By this time, Hitchcock finished most of his shooting with Blackmail but he was requested to incorporate some dialogues into few mute scenes and thereafter Hitchcock’s film became the first British film with sound. This particular film by Hitchcock will always remain in the memory of its viewers for its memorable opening sequence and more particularly for two separate reasons. First, because it is completely silent and second for previewing some of the major motifs, themes and techniques which the director was about to demonstrate in his future movies (State University of New York, “Juno and the Paycock”). Plot of the movie and review The story of the Blackmail is brilliant and the plot structure is complete, without leaving any lacunae for further criticism. The story of Blackmail centers on the detective Frank Webber and his girl friend. Eric Rohmer points out perfectly that the “film focuses on the relationships among characters”. The turmoil and the tension that alternates between victims and victimizers from scene to scene is a kind of technique that was repeated by Hitchcock in his later film Strangers on a Train (1951) (Film Reference, “Blackmail”). Alice White, a daughter of a shopkeeper is in love with the detective from the Scotland Yard, who takes more interest in his job than in her. Frank tells Alice to meet him out one night but on that very night she has some appointment with the other guy who is apparently a painter by profession. Alice leaves Frank quickly and rushes to meet the other man with whom she was indulged into some lighter kind of flirtatious activities. The man had some bad intentions and along with that he tried to rape Alice in his studio leading Alice to kill him. Frank takes the investigation case and very soon, he is able to find out that the real culprit is no one else but his own girl friend. But along with Frank and Alice there is some one else who is also aware of the fact and who threatens Alice by the means of blackmailing. The climax of the plot lies in the discovery of the blackmailer and the climax builds up with the tension about the success of Frank to save his girl friend. Both the facts are similarly resolved at the end of the movie. Blackmail and Feminist Theory Hitchcock’s films are not just mere films of the film noir genre. They always serve as the food for thought to its audience. Blackmail raises lots of controversies as we try to give a close introspection to the movie. The movie is a battle against a woman and her innocence and how this facet of innocence operates within the social structure. Blackmail is essentially a feministic piece of art. It deals with the problems society places in front a woman. Women not only in Blackmail, but also in other films of noir genre are seen as an object of pleasure or seed of all troubles.Noir genre itself gave birth to a new legacy of women characters termed as Female Fatale, a women who is shown very attractive, alluring and seductive who victimizes men and leads them to the path of crime. But here, the story is a bit different. In Blackmail, women herself is the victim. Alice falls prey in the hands of the temptation of Crewe, the other man in the film who tries to rape Alice and vehemently crushes her innocence. In this regard the feministic approach by Tania Modleski regarding Hitchcock’s Blackmail becomes more obvious (Amazon, “Recommended Readings on Hitchcock”). Analysis of a Scene and Its feministic criticism Hitchcock is always viewed as an archetypal misogynist and this contention by various critics is, if not totally at least partly condemned, after analyzing closely Hitchcock’s Blackmail. Here, Alice is of course objectified to the extent that Crewe is trying to get some fleshly pleasures from her but at the same time if one analyses the film between the reels and perhaps beyond that, he would easily understand that this film is all about reassuring the safe position of a woman in the society. The battle of a helpless woman victimized and her quest to save her chastity is reassured in this film. Like the other blonde heroines of Hitchcock’s canon, this heroine doesn’t succumbs to the situation nor to her destiny but with the help of a genuine man, Frank, she bravely comes out of all her troubles respectfully and with all her dignity and chastity. A particular scene in the movie that raises lots of contentions and controversies from the feminist as well as anti-feminist perspective is the repeated motif and relation of the film and Alice with the Jester paintings. The opening scene of the film will always receive admiration but the ending scene of the movie has lot more to say. The battle between Alice and Frank and Alice and judicial system beyond the general realm of apparent justice ends. But the language of camera predominates more than any narrative in the ending scene of the film. The black and white frame where the camera focuses on the Jester painting on which Alice ignorantly drew her own face and the police carrying the stabbed painting of Jester, is not a mere cinematic aesthetic. The language of the camera is here symbolic and the scene speaks about the Characters and the entire plot here. The stabbing of the painting by Alice is here parallel symbolic to the stabbing of her Crewe. It is symbolic that justice is re-established and though Alice is guilty but still the activity, psychology and the situation which compels a human to commit crime is beyond the language of legislation. Alice achieves her victory and the close-up of the painting stabbed by Alice, reaffirms that fact. At this particular point it is not very wise to contend Hitchcock as an archetypal misogynist. Similarly, it cannot be blindly supported that Hitchcock always de-humanized women to a mere instrument of pleasure. In Blackmail, Alice becomes the representative of the entire women class fighting for justice against many vices in the society. Alice does not receive any punishment for the crime she committed in the film. This was done to establish the fact that whatever she did was for saving her chastity. Silencing of women and dragging her to bed is not the crux of the story. Here, Hitchcock launches his viewer into a paradigm of deeper thoughts. Raping essentially means physical harm accompanied with the mental harm of the victim. Alice’s attempt of rape brings mental trauma to her and under that pressure, she kills Crewe to defend her chastity which is put on the same plane with any other valuable thing in the world. This act conforms that Blackmail gives its due respect and dignity to a women and does not merely objectify her (University of Pennsylvania, “Hitchcock and Feminism”). Conclusion Tania Modleski’s theory about Blackmail is true but only partially. The plot and the screenplay of the movie supports the feminist contention but a closer introspection to the film will assure the fact that Blackmail is a bit different from the usual films of the “hard-boiled” detective series and the noir genre. The main point at least with which it can be strongly argued is that Alice is a victim here not a victimizer like all other female fatales of the Hitchcock films. Beyond all these critical contention, Blackmail will always leave a bright impression in the minds of its viewer for its brilliant plot presentation and cinematography. Blackmail is brilliant blend of theory and cinematic aesthetics which will make this movie eternally contemporary. References Amazon, “Recommended Readings on Hitchcock”. 12 December, 2009. Tania Modleski. No Date. Film Reference, “Blackmail”. 12 December, 2009. State University of New York, “Juno and the Paycock”. 12 December, 2009. New York State Writer’s Institute. No Date. University of Pennsylvania, “Hitchcock and Feminism”. 12 December, 2009. Library, 11 Octover, 2005. Read More