Double Indemnity 

2. Film noir literally means “black film.” As you are watching the film, keep track of all the elements in the picture that seem dark or depressing. Think about the characters, the setting, and the story line.

     Since Double Indemnity is part of the film noir genre, it is filled with dark and depressing elements. The most obvious element is the film style of the 40's  --black and white. This automatically gives the film a more dark and ominous feeling since it makes it appear darker, even in the lighter scenes.. Also, much of the story is set in the night, which only adds to the sinister tone of the movie. Since much of Double Indemnity was filmed at night, artificial lighting was used in order to illuminate the actors. With light shining directly on the scenes, full, dark shadows were created behind all of the people and objects. The constant presence of shadows added to the dark feeling of the movie and set the tone for the horrible events that were to follow. These shadows can even be seen in the day time, when the lighting was not used, which makes a feeling of uneasiness carry through the entire film. An example of the daytime shadows, which at times overpowered the scene, can be seen in the photo above. 

     Another element of the movie that caused it to be dark and depressing was its revolution around murder. Although the audience does not know the exact plot, from the very beginning they are presented with a sweaty, upset looking man, Walter, who is recording his confession to an unknown murder. He then goes into explaining how he got to his current situation. This creates the depressing and weary mood as the audience is then expecting a murder and possibly other sinister acts to later evolve in the film. This mood is later supported by the discussions revolving around accident insurance, the planning and execution of a murder, and the step-daughter accusing Phyllis of killing her mother to marry her father, then killing him for his money. With such a focus on murder and the sinister nature of the characters involved, the dark mood is reinforced over and over again. 

     Other film techniques were used to make the movie fit into the film noir genre. Like in Macbeth, off screen actions leave more to the imagination, which is often darker than any film techniques can create. When Mr. Dietrichson was murdered in his car on the way to the train, the Director did not show the actual murder. Instead, the camera focused on Phyllis' face and the murder was only heard. Her facial expression was of determination. This added to the dark theme because it focused on the inhumane side of people, in which an individual's selfish motives are worth more than a person's life. In this situation, Phyllis cares more about the money than the death of her husband. This theme of Phyllis' motives and detached personality continues as she and Walter turn against one another as their "perfect" plan falls apart. He gives up everything for her but in the end, she is only looking out for herself. Watching Walter finally being caught by his friend ties together the depressing  theme. Usually, the catching of a murderer is a more relieving event, but in Double Indemnity it is a darker moment because Walter lost everything : the money, the girl, his friend, and his normal life. 

Life is but a Netflix queue created by an idiot...

Life is but a Netflix queue created by an idiot...

Unfortunately, I am one of those people who does not have Netflix (not to worry I still find plenty of other ways to procrastinate on my homework) but I have created a recommendation list for Lady Macbeth. 

P.S. If you did not take the time to follow the above hyperlink, please do so. It made my day. 

1. Grey's Anatomy 

Grey's Anatomy follows the journey of a group of surgeons, from being surgical interns to world famous attendants at Seattle Grace Hospital (now Grey-Sloan Memorial). It is a dramatic series full of entangled love lives, tragedies, and the common chaotic feeling that comes from being a surgeon.  On the surface level, Lady Macbeth would be enticed by the cut throat competitiveness and desire for power and prestige that accompanies a surgical residency. However, Lady Macbeth would best identify with doctor Bailey, In one episode, she is dismissed by a guest doctor because he does not consider her to be a competent surgeon; however, she is the woman in charge, nobody questions her authority even though she may be little. This is similar to how Lady Macbeth wants the power that comes with being a man. Also, during a surgery, Bailey has faulty gloves and they allow the staph virus to pass from her to her patient. She feels that she is no longer healing people and that she is only a risk, but when she eventually returns to surgery she cannot stop staring at her hands and scrubbing them as though she is typhoid Mary- just as Lady Macbeth went insane thinking that she could not remove the blood stains from murder off of her hands. I think Lady Macbeth would be inspired by the powerful women in Grey's Anatomy. 

2. Pretty Little Liars 

Pretty Little liars is the ultimate web of lies and murders, just like Macbeth. In it, four best friends are being blackmailed by "A", who is supposedly their though to be dead best friend. At first it seems to be a joke, but then, secrets are revealed and the liars are pushed to their limits. As they try to cover up their secrets they are set up for murder, which only pulls them deeper into A's game. Lady Macbeth is like A, she pushes Macbeth into getting what she wants. However, just like the liars, once her hands are dirty, it is not so easy to come clean and escape. There are loose ends to be tied up, and at the same time, if they are caught they are going down. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are playing the same game with their string of murders, they have to get rid of anyone who can reveal that they killed the King, Duncan, but with each act the stakes grow higher and higher. Lady Macbeth is similar to Mona (who originally was A before it was taken over by someone else) because while at first she enjoys the power she is gaining,  she eventually breaks. Where Mona ended up in Radley (an asylum), Lady Macbeth also ended up going crazy with her sleep walking and insane rambling. This show would make Lady Macbeth feel better about her own life because her web of lies and murders is not nearly as tangled as that of the liars. 

3. Mulan

Lady Macbeth's greatest desire was to be a man, well now she has a movie on it! Mulan is the story of a girl in China whose father is supposed to go off to war;however, in order to protect him, she pretends to be a man and goes in his place. Since this is considered treason (just like killing a king) and is punishable by death, she is accompanied by Mushu (a dragon from her ancestors) to help her make it through the war. Like when Lady Macbeth cries to the spirits to unsex her, and to make her a man, Mulan prays to her ancestors to help her succeed at pretending to be a man. The song, "Reflection" where Mulan sings about how she wishes her reflection showed who she is is also similar to Lady Macbeth wanting to be a man. Also, there is a song, "I'll make a man out of you" in which the man in the army sing about what qualities make up a man- including strength and bravery. This is a parallel to Lady Macbeth's idea of a man, where she tells Macbeth that he is not one unless he is is brave enough to murder. In addition, both Mulan and Lady Macbeth break the stereotype of their times that women should be silent and subservient to men. This classic is kid friendly but also great for treasonous, insane women who may be calmed by the great songs. 

4. The Proposal 

 The proposal is a mirror image of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's relationship. In the proposal, Margaret is a chief editor, and her character is not your stereotypical woman. She is aggressive and does whatever she has to in order to get what she wants. Her coworkers say she will never get married because she is not a nice, pleasant woman, she is more of a man. However when her visa runs out and she is going to be deported, she forces her assistant into pretending to marry her. The story then follows their time at his family's house and trying to keep up the act so they do not go to jail. This is perfect for Lady Macbeth! She is very similar to Margaret because she is aggressive and manipulates people. Like the Macbeth's relationship, in the beginning she holds the power and is calling the shots. However, in order to keep up the act she must pretend to be more lady like and listen to her "husband", just as Lady Macbeth does in front of the other Lords. If the couple does not keep up their act they will face a large punishment for breaking the law so every detail is vital, just like when trying to get away with murder.  Lady Macbeth would love watching another woman who is just as aggressive because she would be able to relate to the struggles of trying to conceal such a personality. 

Witch- Slapped: Macbeth's Fall From Grace 

What defines a man? 

What it means to be a man has been redefined with each generation. While the denotation of a man has remained the same, the connotation is what has changed. 

When I think about what it meant to be a man earlier in history I have two images. The first is from around the 50's. I imagine the men leaving home each day to go to work to provide a home for their family. It was their job to go out and provide for as well as protect their children and their wives. They were the head of the house hold and were respected. 

The other image I have is of a knight. They are the perfect example of what the stereotypical chivalrous  man is supposed to look like. It was the age of men going to battle to protect women and the kingdom. They had manners and respect. They would go out of their way for a woman but at the same time they were strong and lethal in a fight. When fathers looked for a men to marry their daughters off to, they looked for the strongest and wealthiest. 

The twenty first century has changed this definition of what it means to be a man again. They are expected to be strong, intelligent, not emotional, love sports and sex, and are not supposed to be feminine. With this image many insults have appeared as well. People often call men who are more feminine, "gay." While this is not the correct use of this term, many bad connotations have arose from the word in relation to straight men who do not fit the stereotypical image of a man. However, in my opinion, it is not these qualities that make a man. While I appreciate strength, it is more important for a man to be honest and respectful. (Also I do not like gender stereotypes because I do not plan on ever staying at home and cooking. I can do anything a guy can do and usually do it better).

My values of a man are placed on their character; however, this is drastically different that the views expressed in Macbeth. Macbeth is told by three witches that he is going to become King, and when Duncan, the King, visits his home he contemplates killing him in order to full fill this prophecy. When Lady Macbeth finds out about this, she does not believe that her husband has the strength to complete the deed. She prays to spirits in order to "unsex her" because she believes that as a man she could complete the task better than Macbeth. 

This reveals Lady Macbeth's values of a man. She, as well as many others of the time, considered a true man to be strong, brave, wealthy, and powerful. This can be seen in her tactics in trying to convince Macbeth that he must kill Duncan. In order to achieve this, she tries to humiliate Macbeth by questioning his manhood. In Act One, Scene 7, she calls him a coward and says then he was a man when he made the promise to kill Duncan, implying that if he breaks that promise he will not be a man in her eyes. 

The exchange between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth shows that Lady Macbeth is more of a man than Macbeth in her eyes. She has courage and is in control- the things she wishes that her husband had in order to be a man in her eyes.