Kane, Christ Archetype?

In the Western film, High Noon, there is one main character that really gets the audiences’ sympathy. His name is Marshal Kane. His is the deputy of the town. His enemies come to get revenge on him, but he can’t get anyone to lift a finger to help him. He is forsaken by those he is trying to save, even his brand new wife. In this respect, he is similar to Christ, making him a Christ archetype.

Kane goes around and tries to rally a group of “special deputies” to assist him, but none of the town is brave enough to support him. He has one person willing to help him take a stand against the outlaw, but he is only going to help if there are others, which doesn’t happen. His wife is a Quaker, who abhors violence, and she tells him leave with me or I’m gone. She forsakes him briefly as she plays with the ideals of her morals. Just like Christ, all those that that he held close to him left him alone to die. The protagonists both are forsaken by those they hold dear, making the antagonists seem victorious. The only discrepancy between the two stories is that in the end Kane’s wife gives up her Quakerness to save Kane, by killing an outlaw. The only difference is also the key factor which changes the ending of the story, if she hadn’t stepped up; Kane would have died making the two stories identical.

Claire, Unpleasant? Yes!

The film Proof is truly fascinating. In it a mathematician’s crazy father dies, and her sister comes to town. The mathematician’s name is Catherine. Catherine thinks she may be going crazy as well. While that may be debatable, her sister, Claire, certainly does nothing to help her. Her sister is truly an unpleasant, controlling person, a distinctive antagonist. She has her moments of kind sincerity, as seen in this picture, but these moments are few and far between. Because she isn't always caring, she is unpleasant.

In the film Catherine really needs someone to be there for her. Her sister couldn’t care less. Claire is more interested in making Catherine appear to be normal and sane, than actually helping her deal with the grief she is feeling. When Claire first arrives she goes so far as to make Catherine agree to use shampoo that Claire deems to be the best. No choices whatsoever for Catherine when Claire is around. Claire makes Catherine have breakfast, buys her a dress she deems appropriate, the list goes on and on. Her inability to let people be as they are, to worry about superficial things is another factor. She doesn’t do anything unless it is for herself. She sold Catherine’s house back to the university to force Catherine to move to New York with her, which fails. She wants nothing more than to have the world work the way she deems it should, by her schedule. This is why she is so unpleasant in the film.

Singing in the Rain's "Broadway Melody"

In the film Singing in the Rain, there is a section called “Broadway Melody”. It is made in a completely different style from the rest of the movie; it is far more cartoony than the rest of the film, which is quite realistic. “Broadway Melody” even features a new character, a woman in a green dress, who is not in any of the other scenes in the rest of the movie. The woman is the reason that Don Lockwood’s character in the scene goes through the rest of the scene. He essentially does a bunch of dancing and singing. This is a clip of Don Lockwood's actor dancing with the woman in green.

 

All this scene really does is show off the actor who plays Don Look wood’s’ character. While he is the protagonist, it really is just too much of him for the film to flow well. It has no real effect on the rest of the movie in anyway plot-wise, and no real discernible meaning. The director should have cut it from the movie and instead used a scene that actually had relevance to the plot in the film.

The Dark Knight-The Value of Truth

 

“You know how I got these scars?” Whenever The Joker asks this you know that you’re going to hear an elaborate story, different from the previous ones shared. The nature of truth in The Dark Knight is one of great importance. Truth is the one thing that can undo everything; therefore it is the one thing that must not be revealed. Harvey’s double sided coin is an example of a lie. It seems like a harmless one until he “plays” with The Joker’s henchman. Then it becomes a cruel lie, as the editors show by using low key lighting and low angle shots of Harvey making it seem much more devious. As seen in this picture:

 If Harvey’s betrayal of his values were to be revealed, the whole city would be doomed. The truth would be detrimental. Batman realized that and that’s why he and Gordon lied to keep two-face’s reputation a good one. That scene utilizes the techniques of low key lighting, giving off an air of foreboding, and the non-diegetic sound of the music to add to the suspense and gravity of the scene. The importance of the “good guys” keeping the truth hidden is essential to the plot of the film.