Hey, everyone! Today’s focus shall be on film noir. How interesting! By viewing the first five minutes of Christ in Concrete (1949), I thought this was some sort of horror film. I mean with all the tense and creepy music playing in background and the ominous portrayal of the buildings, who wouldn’t say so? If there’s one salient point I can say about this film, it is that the lighting played a key role during this film. For example, in the beginning of Christ in Concrete, the low-key lighting on Geremio’s (Sam Wanamake) face and the overwhelming darkness of the setting give us an impression that some misdeed has happened. The chiaroscuro effect created by the low-key lighting places emphasis on the character’s expression. For example, the shades created by the low-key lighting on Geremio’s face made me suspect him of some wrongdoing. The somewhat creepy score of the film accentuated the role of low-key lighting because it made the mood seem more dramatic and suspenseful, as if something solemn was going to transpire. In addition, the sequence of cuts of Geremio climbing up the stairs and his distraught countenance made me curious as to what shall happen next. Even the accelerated movement of the camera following Geremio as he goes up the stairs adds to the dramatic effect the director intends to induce.
I thought that the different examples of film noir demonstrated in the reading Some Visual Motifs of Film Noir were really interesting. I thought that the remark about shadows in this reading was important because the utilization of silhouettes/shadows was seen in the film Christ in Concrete. The use of shadows in the film is noticeable from the very beginning of the movie, when Geremio walks about the stairs and walks across the narrow corridors of the building he was in. The blending of light and dark and the shadow of Geremio on the walls enhanced the gloomy environment around Geremio. Also, in the very end of the film where poor Geremio is drowning in the wet concrete, the lighting was high and the camera was primarily centered on his face. While being submerged by the concrete, Geremio’s facial expressions were clearly defined. We can see his fear and sense his agonizing situation from these expressions. It was quite ironic how Geremio himself suffered from the unsafe working conditions, when he was the one who told the other workers if they were afraid to be injured on the job they should quit it.
For the film as a whole, I thought it was all right. I was surprised when Annuziata (Lea Padovani) said “at least the house has been paid for,” in the end of the film. I felt at that moment Annuziata was happy that she obtained money to support herself and her children. She seemed both depressed and happy after the death of Geremio. I say this because she now has financial assistance from the death of her husband, but also grieves from the pain that it took so much just to buy the house they could have easily bought within a year’s time if they saved appropriately. It was nearly ten years, and both Geremio and Annuziata were unable to pay for the house. If Geremio wasn’t so obstinate and was more willing to find a more suitable job (perhaps, one that doesn’t earn $1.50 an hour…), his life would be better off. Alas, this wasn’t the case. I also found it quite random how Geremio just has an affair with Kathleen (Kathleen Ryan) despite being married.
One last thing I would like to touch upon is the scene in the movie where Geremio and Annuziata are lying down in their bed. The lighting in this scene played an important role because it lit up the faces of the couple in comparison to the obscure environment around them. With the camera focus on them, we can visualize yet again the solemness of the atmosphere and easily scrutinize their facial expressions. The lighting in this film enables it to be classified as film noir. All the shadows, silhouettes, shaded faces, and high/low key light scenes…yep, definitely film noir. Once again, I wasn’t expecting Geremio to die. I guess that caught me by surprise!
