The final scene of Kiss Me Deadly, starting at: 1:41:50, is a classic example of expressionistic imagery that is found in film noir. This scene begins with Lilly Carver shooting Dr. Soberin, gaining control of the box. Moments after, Mike rushes in, looking for Velda. In this moment we see an example of an off-settling mise-en-scene. In which we see Lily Carver, acting as a dark and twisted female figure. What makes us categorize her like this is the use of unsettling camera movements, in addition to the camera angle, the composition of Lily, her unsettling, glaring eyes, as well as a half broken smile. At first the camera is still, but as Mike walks in, getting closer, The camera goes closer to Lilly, In this motion, the camera is unsteady, obviously keeping Lilly off-balanced, we see the deceit in the eyes of Lilly. The unsteady, unsure, “something is wrong with her” nudge we get through the use of these expressionistic images puts us into the mind of Mike, as if we are experiencing it as he is. This disorienting moment of this scene, relates to Place and Peterson’s stance on the Noir directorial style, in which they state, “More common are bizarre, off-angle compositions of figures placed irregularly in the frame, which create a world that is never stable or safe, that is always threatening to change drastically and unexpectedly.” (68).
In this scene, the camera is going back and forth between Lilly and Mike. Suggesting an unspoken conversation between the minds of these characters.
Mike’s shots are slower and steadier.
At 1:42:33, Mike’s eyes make an obvious move towards the Gun, suggesting Mike is plotting his next move, during these moments, Mike is getting closer, Lilly keeps talking in a seductive tone, and the camera keeps cutting back and forth, building up anticipation for the scene.
In my opinion, lighting for both characters remains the same in this scene, the result is an evenly iluminated image that is used to portray the full emotion of the characters. However, what drastically makes these two character emotions different is use of camera angles and the noir directorial style as stated by Place and Peterson. Lilly is shown from a camera angle that is not too high, yet not too low, adding to the disorientation for the viewer. Her expressions and seductive, “Kiss me” (1:42:25) dialogue is trying to make her appear innocent, yet her glare and broken smile contradict the tone, adding even more disorientation.
On the contrary, Mike is shown from a position of power through a low camera angle, suggesting firmness and decisiveness. Although he (and the frame) is acting steady, we gain a sense of disorientation coming from Mike, as his nostrils flare and his eyes obviously dart towards the Gun. We can tell he is thinking of what to do next. This is a classic film technique as described in the essay by Place and Peterson in which they state, “Complementary to the noir photographic style among the better-directed films is a mise-en-scene designed to unsettle, jar, and disorient the viewer in correlation with the disorientation felt by the noir heroes.” (68).
This scene is a great example of simple, yet effective, expressionistic imagery, done primarily through tone, dialogue, body language, light, and camera angles.
