From Chinatown to Se7en: The Transcending Elements of Film Noir

Film noir is a cinematic movement, popularized in the late 1930s and 1940s, that is notably characterized by a darker mood of pessimism, fatalism, and ambiguous morality. Since its inception, film noir has evolved to fit the different climates of each generation without losing its distinct stylistic touch. Both Chinatown (1974) by Roman Polanski and Se7en (1995) by David Fincher are considered to be of the film noir style, utilizing many of the techniques associated with it. Both films are grounded in the film noir style in terms of setting, character, and theme — however their different contextual environments and diegetic choices prevent complete uniformity marked by each director’s interpretation of film noir.

One of the most primary conventions of film noir is a setting that thematically fits with the moody atmosphere of the narrative. Film critic, Roger Ebert, described the typical film noir setting as, “Locations that reek of the night, of shadows, of alleys, of the back doors of fancy places, of apartment buildings with a high turnover rate, of taxi drivers and bartenders who have seen it all.” The setting in film noir is meant to be a representation of a grittier, darker world — one that is filled with inescapable pain and despair. In Se7en, David Fincher utilizes this quality in a more literal sense. The urban city lacks a name, but is described quite well visually. It’s gritty, condensed, claustrophobic, dirty, and filled with people full of malicious intent. As the main character, Detective Somerset, says, “‘The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.” The city itself is an amalgamation of humanity’s worst characteristics, reflecting the seven deadly sins that are constantly referred to in the film. The urbanized style of the city seems to be a reflection of the growth of urban areas in the 1990s — allowing Fincher to illustrate the bleakness of nature through the industrial constructions of mankind. The world is noticeably gloomy, common in film noir, and provides motif for both the character and thematic qualities of the film.

Roman Polanski tackles the concept of moral decay as a city differently in Chinatown, refraining from intentionally darkening the bright nature of its natural setting, Los Angeles. The city is beautiful, open, lush, and healthy — a more naturalistic environment that contrasts with the grey urbanized setting of Se7en. Polanski uses the beauty of the city as a blanket for the true, underlying crime. Robert Towne, the scriptwriter of Chinatown, grounded the plot of the film in reality — specifically the Los Angeles water wars. As Vincent Brook, a professor in film, puts it “The film [Chinatown] clearly conjures, while not directly naming, the corruption scandal that forced the city’s mayor and police chief from office in 1937.” Towne used reality as the basis for constructing the contextual environment of Chinatown. As a result, the Los Angeles presented is one of an upper-class society filled with malicious intent. As Noah Cross, the main antagonist, says to Detective Gittes (the main character), “You may think you know what you're dealing with, but, believe me, you don’t.” Gittes lives in an environment that is filled with unspoken criminal activity.

Polanski’s interpretation of bleakness is separate form Fincher’s in that it is less obvious. Chinatown’s Los Angeles contains much of the same moral quandaries of Se7en, yet their distinctive environments lead to different presentations. Chinatown’s Los Angeles Is visually stunning, an embodiment of perfection — that same perfection is what the criminals of the upper-class are attempting to maintain because they don’t want their reputations to be ruined. This differs in Se7en, which focuses more on middle-class and working-class citizens, in that the city itself is noticeably bleak to both the audience and the characters. The city’s visual embodiment of despair reflects the nature of the criminals dealt with in the film — the main villain even offering himself to the police towards the end. The city, and people, have no intention of covering up their apathetic qualities. Both film’s settings continuously impact the main characters throughout the plot, providing a deeper insight into the perspectives of Detective Somerset and Detective Gittes.

Se7en and Chinatown offer different concepts of the detective character commonly associated with film noir, however the characters retain similarities through the thematic concepts of their respective arcs. Traditionally, the main character of a film noire is seen as a cynical, hard-hearted, disillusioned male character, intent on unraveling the ongoing event that comprises the main plot of the film. When we start out with Detective Somerset in the beginning of Se7en, he’s near retirement and wants to leave his current profession. “I just don't think I can continue to live in a place that embraces and nurtures apathy as if it was virtue,” Somerset claims, finding his lack of hope in society too overwhelming. Somerset starts off as nihilistic in view, apathetic to the world around him because he believes that’s the only way one can survive this world. But in his apparent hopelessness there is still some small room left for hope — the driving force behind him solving the case. Somerset is determined to prove that there is at least some humanity remaining even in the darkest of despair.

Chinatown approaches its main character differently. Gittes is also struggling with internal turmoil, but he lacks the same magnified nihilistic view Somerset has adopted. When Gittes is first introduced, the audience sees that majority of his work is comprised of taking photographs of extramarital affairs. His profession seems shallow at first, but it is only an extension of his desire to avoid deeper deceptions. Roger Ebert explains this with, “like all private eyes, he mud wrestles with pigs, but unlike most of them, he doesn't like it.” Like Somerset, Gittes’ moral compass is his driving factor. He still retains the traditional main-character qualities of film noir — appreciating crass jokes, showing a willingness to get violent with those who cause him trouble, and a fearless attitude. However, he’s less morally ambiguous, and his mistakes within the film are sources of misunderstanding rather than intentional harm/error. As Gittes says when referring to a women he knew in Chinatown, “I thought I was keeping someone from being hurt and actually I ended up making sure she was hurt.” Gittes has a dark view of the world, but for him that darkness stems from the deeper deceptions of society that even he can’t understand.

While Somerset has begun to come to the belief that there is no hope, Gittes is at a point where he’s too conflicted to even think of the notion. Yet, they both retain a strong sense of morality that contrasts with their environment, acting as the catalyst that sets them into motion. They are anomalies to their setting, reflections of hope that attempts to prevail. It is through setting and character that both directors manage to mold a theme that aligns itself with the philosophies of film noir.

Both films use their diegetic sources to construct themes that reflect the cynicism of film noir — producing narratives that thematically focus on the hazards of humanity. Although their differences in style consequently lead to different interpretations of what an unpromising society looks like, their interpretations resolve around a transcending theme of film noir — the corruption of humankind. As French critic, Nino Frank argues, “The movies [film noir] in question, aren’t procedurals or whodunits, they’re character studies and sociological investigations.” The narratives of both films are based on the capacity of humankind, providing each action committed with psychological depth and motivation. Just as the setting and characters are individual studies on morality, each film acts as an analysis on corruption — illustrating the pessimism of film noir under different lenses.

As Detective Somerset puts it when referring to the film’s main antagonist, "If we catch John Doe and he turns out to be the devil, I mean if he's Satan himself, that might live up to our expectations, but he's not the devil. He's just a man.” Both films take darker approaches when analyzing the psychology of human beings — choosing to mostly look at their potential for harm rather than good. The theme of corruption prevails in every diegetic aspect of the film, especially the setting and characters — emphasizing a world of cynicism. Chinatown also touches upon issues of corruption, however it focuses on a different spectrum of people involved in corruption — the upper-class society. As the antagonist of Chinatown explains, “’Course I’m respectable. I’m old. Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.” Both films show how corruption can infiltrate the many levels of our society, with Se7en focusing on the gritty moral decay of urban environments compared to Chinatown’s hidden criminal activity of Los Angeles. Se7en’s analysis on corruption is more direct, applying the fatalistic attitudes of film noir to the working class, and highlighting the dreary quality that stems from it. Detective Somerset must deal with gruesome crimes that lack the cleanliness of Chinatown — a gritty street-like depiction of detectives in heavily-populated urban environments. Detective Gittes lives in a more polished, and discrete environment — one where the criminals prefer to maintain pristine reputations.

Despite these differences in thematic qualities, both films attempt to provide an analysis of the same notion — anyone is capable of great evil. No matter one’s position in society, if given enough motive, they have the capacity to do just as much harm as good. The challenge for both detectives is to retain a sense of optimism in a world where everything seems to exude hopelessness. Both Somerset and Gittes are representations of hope — anomalies to their own environment. It is that quality that prevents them from assimilating with the masses, consequently composing the main issue — should they give up in their endless fight against corruption? Both films end with the antagonist essentially prevailing. In Se7en, Tracy Mills (the wife of Somerset’s partner) is killed, leading to Somerset’s partner to murder the killer as revenge. In Chinatown, Evelyn Cross is killed, while Noah Cross is allowed to remain free. In keeping with the cynical tradition of film noir, both films end on a relatively dismal note — however it is through this that the audience is provided with a new perspective. “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown,” and “The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part,” are the last quotes of each respective film, both providing an input to the purpose of the cynicism of film noir. The world is a place filled with countless tragedies and horrors, however that is something that is unchangeable. Criminality is intertwined with every foundation of our respective societies, whether it be corruption of character or city. Both Gittes and Somerset are deeply aware of this, yet they continue in their fight against the immorality of humankind. This is because it is not in spite of what they experienced, but because of what they experienced in their respective arcs that both characters continue on what seems like an endless mission. They’re inability to quell their hope is what pushes them, even as everything in their world attempts to beat the hope out of them. At the end of the film, “instead of bringing justice to a corrupt society, the detective’s actions leave the basic sources of corruption untouched.” The question that is left is whether their determination remains.

Both Chinatown and Se7en offer unique interpretations of film noir that differ because of their unique contextual environments. They reflect the same themes and attitudes but through different means, illustrating how the elements of film noir (cynicism, pessimism, fatalism, corruption) have the ability to transcend many different social environments and personalities. As a result, both films provide an introspective look on the issues of humanity — however the generational, locational, and contextual differences allow their introspections to be unveiled in dissimilar manners.

Bibliography

Brody, Richard. 2014. "“Film Noir”: The Elusive Genre". The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/film-noir-elusive-genre-2.

di Montezemolo, Fiamma. 2018. "Lecture #15". Lecture, UC Davis, , 2018.

Ebert, Roger. 1995. "A Guide To Film Noir Genre | Roger Ebert's Journal | Roger Ebert". Rogerebert.Com. https://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/a-guide-to-film-noir-genre.

Ebert, Roger. 2012. Ebert's Essentials. Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews McMeel Publishing.

Fincher, David. 1995. Se7en. Film. Hollywood: New Line Cinema.

Polanski, Roman. 1974. Chinatown. Film. Hollywood: Paramount.

Stork, Matthias. 2013. "Chinatown’S Historical Mystery | Los Angeles Aqueduct Digital Platform". Digital.Library.Ucla.Edu. http://digital.library.ucla.edu/aqueduct/scholarship/chinatown’s-historical-mystery.