Nietzsche`s Zarathustra First Commandment: "What falls, that shall one also push!" Monumental and Cosmic Artistic Fiascos

Norma Desmond's pitful last perfomance as Salome

The Dark Mirror - Many commentators have considered the psychology of the prototypical noir character. Certainly/ the influence of psychology as the preeminent method for the explanation of unusual and even aberrant behaviors could not be overlooked by the post-war noir filmmakers. To depict their noir characters, so often haunted by a dark past, by deep psychological scars which lead to obsessive/ neurotic even psychotic behavior, their imagery was often rife with overt Freudian symbols. While most of these protagonists are men, often disturbed veterans of World War II, many women also gazed into film noir's dark mirror.A variant split personality is featured in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard (1950). In the well- known final scene, Max Von Mayerling (Erich von Stroheim) watches sternly over his former star, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), as she enters completely and irrevocably into her world of movie star fantasy while police and reporters watch on. The schizophrenic Norma's descent into her own personal dark past is indicated by her expression, make-up, and costume. Norma is dressed in a 1920s-style gown which flows off her aging body. The contrast with the young Norma, who was a star, has been repeatedly established in previous scenes. Now having killed her faithless young lover, the middle-aged Norma wears the mask of her young self with make-up and clothing from the period of her youth and stardom. It is extreme, almost expressionistic. Her distorted mien exemplifies her dementia in a way that mimics both the rictus of the hopelessly insane and the affectations of silent film performances. Norma's awareness of the throng around her, staring at her, is dimmed like an actor in performance. Since Norma acts out her own fantasy script, she sees the press cameras before her, out of frame, as the reenactment of sound stage she visited earlier in the film. The dynamic of the shot effectively aligns with Norma's "direction" as the line of the stairway behind her and the line of human bodies both trace a trajectory towards her, making Norma the emotional as well as dynamic center of the composition.

In: The Noir Style, (1999) by Alain Silver & James Ursini.

More classic sort of satire is at play in Sunset Boulevard (1950). As class divisions are often crucial in identifying femme fatales, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) is a wealthy, forgotten silent film star who is surrounded by her possessions. As they sit on a sofa during a private soiree, a small orchestra plays behind them. Surrounding her are objects of the past (her photographs, jewelry, and gown) and one of the present (her lover Joe Gillis, played by William Holden). Her bare shoulder, necklace, bracelets, dark curls, mouth slightly open, even the wire holder on her left index finger—all are caricatures of the classic fatal woman of film noir. Norma reclines, her legs stretched onto Joe's lap and her right arm extended as if encompassing the world around her—a classic femme fatale pose. If her relaxed her posture implies a queenly ease, Joe, on the other hand, uncomfortable in this world. He clutches her arms around his waist as if to protect himself and his expression is downcast. His head is flanked by pictures of a young Norma, fencing legs on his lap perform the same function as does the pillow on the right edge of the frame. At the left, a champagne buck coud wryly connote a captive phallus. Joe also seems very uncomfortable in his "monkey suit" He is very much the fly caught in Norma's web.  

In: The Noir Style, (1999) by Alain Silver & James Ursini.

Susan Alexander's Opening Night at the New Opera House

 You are fired!

Awful Funny - A reinterpretation of the opera house part of Citizen Kane


Tootsie`s Reveal Scene

 
For I am not Emily Kimberly, the daughter of Dwayne and Alma Kimberly. No, I'm not. I'm Edward Kimberly, the recluse brother of my sister Anthea. Edward Kimberly, who has finally vindicated his sister's good name. I am Edward Kimberly. Edward Kimberly. And I'm not mentally ill, but proud, and lucky, and strong enough to be the woman that was the best part of my manhood. The best part  of myself.


O my brothers, am I then cruel? But I say: What falls, that shall one also push!
Everything of today - it falls, it decays; who would preserve it! But I - I wish also to push it!
Know you the delight which rolls stones into precipitous depths?- Those people of today, see just how they roll into my depths!
A prelude am I to better players, O my brothers! An example! Do according to my example!
And him whom you do not teach to fly, teach I pray you- to fall faster!

Also sprach Zarathustra