Blog #4

For the zero draft questions I pick question #1 for my blog. Discuss the contrasts between the endings of the novel and the film. Which ending seems more appropriate for film noir? Why?

The contrast between the ending of the novel and film are two different endings. In the novel the ending leaves you with your own imagination to figure out what happens. Phyllis ends up shooting Walter putting him in the hospital and then Walter confessing to Keyes that he was the one that killed Mr. Nirdinger . Walter convinces Keyes to give him time to flee to Mexico to get way from what he had done. Walter ends up going on the ship and by no surprise he is join by Phyllis " I heard a little gasp beside me. Before I even looked I knew who it was. I turned to the next chair. It was Phyllis."You." Walter then finds out from Phyllis that Lola and Nino gets married and Keyes gives her away. Also at the novel it ends up coming out what Phyllis and Walter had done, Phyllis states " Yes. It all came out. It's a good thing we're under different names here. I saw all the passengers reading about it at lunch. It's a sensation."pg(113) Phyllis wasn't bother by it,she called it a sensation, how is committing murder a sensation when people find out. In the novel Phyllis is made out to be this cold hear ted killer with no remorse. Walter states " She smiled then, the sweetest,saddest smile you ever saw. I thought of the five patients, the three little children, Mrs Nirdlinger, Nirdlinger, and myself. It didn't seem possible that anybody that could be as nice as she was when she wanted to be, could have done those things."pg(113)   In the novel Phyllis is true definitions of a femme fatale, She was mysterious, gorgeous, manipulative and double crossing. She manipulated Walter into killing her husband, and he felt like he was doing it for her and she used her gorgeousness to get him. When she feels like she has no use for him anymore double crosses him by shooting and trying to kill him.But at the end of the novel it ends the same for the both of them death.
     In the film the end plays back to the beginning when Walter is confessing to Keyes in his office on a recorder what happen. Walter in the film at the end shoots and kills Phyllis after she shoots him. Phyllis doesn't try to take another shoot because she ends up telling him that she loved him. Also in the film Walter changes his mind about setting up Nino to take the fall for killing Phyllis. Keyes ends up coming to the office because Walter left a blood trail and here's what Walter is confessing on the recorder. Walter asks for Keyes to give him time to leave and Keys response with he'll never make it. As soon as Walter gets out the office he ends up collapsing to the ground and Keys lights him a cigarette. The film ending fits more into a film noir because it didn't really leave nothing to the imagination, you knew that Walter was going to die from his gone shot wound. Phyllis was dead and Walter was going to die and it seemed they both got what was coming to them. There love was doomed from the beginning and unhealthy. After what Walter did he felt trapped by his surroundings.The film started off with being told with flashbacks and voice over narration.

  And for question #2 I picked
During the title sequence, a man on crutches hobbles towards the camera. Explain the significance of this image. Who in the does this man represent? Why would this be an appropriate image to show at the beginning of the film? How does this sequence anticipate later developments in the film? Walter represent the man on crutches. Because in the film he takes on the role of Mr.Nirdlinger when he going to kill him. Mr. nirdlinger is on crutches in the film when he breaks his leg and has to catch the train to his class reunion back he doesn't even make it on the train. So when Walter and Phyllis is plotting his murder and Mr. Nirdlinger broke his leg, Walter was going to have to be on crutches to  play that role when he got on the train to play Mr. Nirdlinger. Mr. Nirdlinger ends up getting killed over scheme plot to collect his insurance money from his accidental insurance he knew nothing about.Walter takes on the role of Mr. Nirdlinger and ends up dieing after he is shoot by Phyllis who was his partner in crime. Mr. Nirdlinger was Phyllis pattern in marriage and she turns on him having him murder. Walter took on the role of Mr. Nirdlinger and ended up in the same boat as Mr. Nirdlinger, Walter was betrayed by his partner to and dies.