We have been discussing the terms frequently used to describe these films, as "tours de force" or "instant masterpieces." We've also addressed their important influence on later filmmakers, considering the movie examples of BONNIE AND CLYDE or TAXI DRIVER.
Can you think of a more recent film from the past 5 or 10 years that is clearly influenced by GUN CRAZY and/or PICKPOCKET? Explain your choice.
Fight Club, although made a little over a decade ago, resembles the high octane point of view of a sane character spiraling into a tornado of paranoia. Fight Club stars a man (Edward Norton) who fights with his depression, resulting from a lack of purpose. Soon, he begins hallucinating his ideal self and starts doing things that he would never in his right mind do (start an underground martial arts club, wreak mayhem upon a city, etc.) Rather than running from the police, the main character's real struggle is escaping an illusory extension of himself (Gun Crazy's "femme fatale" figure serves as the adrenaline rush that the main character doesn't experience is his normal life.
ReplyDeleteI would say Natural Born Killer is totally influenced by Gun Crazy. There are a lot similar points from this movie and Gun Crazy. Like Gun Crazy, this is a movie about guns, and kill people, it's also a movie that presents by a couple and it's also tells a self-destroy story as Gun Crazy.
ReplyDeleteIn The Departed, Scorsese seems to take many cues from Gun Crazy. Like Bart (John Dall), The Departed's protagonist Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) gets caught up on the wrong side of the law, intoxicated by the influence of others. Sent by the Boston police as a spy into the Irish mob, Costigan expresses throughout the film his desire to get out from the mob, but stays out of loyalty to his superiors in the police force. Similarly, in Gun Crazy, Bart tells Laurie (Peggy Cummins) multiple times how we wants to leave their life of crime, but he continues to rob banks and steal money because of the power she has over him. The two protagonists share a desire to live clean lives, but outside figures and circumstances wrap them up in crime and refuse to let them go until they or their loved ones pay the ultimate price.
ReplyDeleteHaonan, i completely agree with you. When we learned about the two films in class, the first thing that came to mind was natural born killers. That film follows the same structure, however,it definitely has political undertones. It's really cool to watch the films in class, and see how much they influenced later feature films. in fact, im guessing that the majority of films today are based upon the ideas discussed in Cinema history. Natural born killer definitely followed the narrative structure of gun crazy, and maybe a little less of pickpocket. however, i think NBK succeeded in terms of taking the structure, and making the film unique, and even push the boundaries further. When a film takes from past films, and still furthers in achievements, thats the true testemant of a film.
ReplyDeleteWhile this was addressed briefly in class, Pickpocket has definitely influenced Voyeurism in cinema as a whole. While you can draw from many examples, one film that was the most directly influenced was Taxi Driver. The moments when the audience gets the deepest understanding of the protagonist takes place either when he is alone or in close quarters. While one could write him off as deeply disturbed, the moments when we see see him try to articulate his thoughts and beliefs to himself are when we see a methodology in his thought process. Michel's beliefs are shown through visual symbolism while Travis Bickle's are more blunt, but the intimacy the audience shares with the characters is striking.
ReplyDeletePeter Markoski
Another film that Quentin Tarantino wrote which could have been influenced by Gun Crazy is True Romance. Like in Gun Crazy, True Romance features a couple who lives life on the edge and on the wrong side of the law. The story is about a guy named Clarence who marries a prostitute just a day after meeting her. He kills her pimp and accidentally takes his drugs. The couple moves to Los Angeles where they try to sell the drugs and become rich.
ReplyDeleteA film that could have been influenced by Gun Crazy is the 2008 film by Timur Bekmambetov, Wanted. In this film, the female lead, played by Angelina Jolie, pulls the male lead, played by James McAvoy, into an organization of assassins and into a world of violence. Jolie's character can be seen as a femme fatale to McAvoy's, in that she pulls him into this world which directly leads him into several deadly situations and ultimately attempts to kill McAvoy herself. And in a typical ending for a femme fatale, Jolie's character ends up dying, despite being in a final act of redemption, and McAvoy's character survives.
ReplyDelete10 years before he was making blockbusters like The Dark Knight and Inception, Chris Nolan directed his very first film called Following. The story revolves around a man who becomes obsessed with following people in the streets, and eventually snooping through their homes and altering their lives. Its very similar in style to Pickpocket, in that firstly, Following was shot in black and white, which immediately gives it a haunting, noire-like quality. It also has a claustrophobic urban atmosphere much like that of the lead from Pickpocket hovering behind his victims in public places. And naturally, the strange hobbies of the protagonists of both films serve as narrative devices, getting them into a great deal of trouble. I wouldn't be surprised if Nolan took influence from Bresson's film.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of a soul in transit as seen in 'The Pickpocket' can also be found in Steven Spielberg's 2002 film 'Catch Me If You Can'. Leonardo DiCaprio's character Frank Abagnale Jr. is unsure about his place in society. He has an unpleasant situation at home with his parents going through a divorce. Frank does not have the ability to deal with this situation and he runs away. In the movie, Frank is 16 years old and has no one to turn to. He hasn't had the opportunity to form an identity of his own. So he takes on other identities of a pilot, a doctor and and a parish prosecutor. Thus like Michel, Frank resorts to crime when he can't fit into his life at home or in the outside world. The film uses a lot of airplane shots and shots of Frank running to show how he's always trying to escape one reality and trying to find another one. While Michel masters pickpocketing , Frank learns how to forge cheques and identities. Frank eventually gives himself up to the police and accepts his life in prison. However, going to prison gives him a new life because the FBI asks him to work for them to detect cheque frauds. Similarly , Michel finds solace in prison because he realizes his love for Jeanne.
ReplyDeleteIf you would, there is a recent movie that came out called the rum diary. Johnny Depp stars in the film. In comparison to the set up of gun crazy, we have the typical femme fatale character which seduces the main character played by Depp into a world of corruption. In this film you have the girl who is married to the head criminal running a whole scam. The moment Depp sees her, he falls madly in love with her. She continues and flirts with him and eventually causes him to stick around, getting him involved in this world of corruption although he is against it. I feel as though this can be used for many romantic films though, where you can see the female characters luring the main men into worlds in which they weren't involved in previously. Eventually in this film though, the character and the girl both end up leaving this world of corruption and end up doing good by putting the criminals and their acts out there in newspapers to make people aware.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of movies directly influenced by Gun Crazy, I would cite Pulp Fiction. Both characters handle their weapons with ease, and both of them are well associated with being on the wrong side of the law. Both Uma Thurman's and John Travolta's characters feed off what lies within the other, similar to Bart and Laurie.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, a lot of Tarantino's movies have characters which have things in common with Bart and Laurie. In Inglourious Basterds, Shosanna is the vengeful resistance fighter, while Marcel is her innocent but loving accomplice.
As another student mentioned Catch Me if you Can can be related to pick pocket but I think more in terms of the girl than of the rest. In Catch me if you Can Leonardo DiCaprio's character is immersed in this word of crime in which he has become consumed by his activities. He is constantly on the run but knows no other way. Yet he chooses to continue in this life and would have probably not gotten caught for a while longer. However, when he meets the female character he begins to slip. The minute he meets her it is apparent, as in Pick Pocket, that she will lead to his demise. If I remember correctly she had a lot to do with him getting caught as did Jean in Pick Pocket. In turning himself in Leo finds he is finally promised a purposed and stable life. In jail Michel finds his purpose in knowing that he is in love with Jean.
ReplyDeleteAs previously mentioned, Catch Me If You Can, can be related to both Pickpocket and Gun Crazy. Frank, in Catch Me If You Can, leads a life of crime and is constantly on the run, trying to escape from the police who are relentlessly pursing him. This is similar to how Bart and Laurie in Gun Crazy use multiple disguises to steal money and get across the country without being identified as the notorious bank robbers. Catch Me If You Can can also be compared to Pickpocket because of the crime aspect and the presence of a female character who ends up pulling the protagonist away from his criminal activities and ultimately resulting in his downfall.
ReplyDeleteI would say the 2005 film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was influenced by Gun Crazy. Both deal with violence and great chemistry between the leading man and lady. The lady herself, portrayed by Michelle Monaghan is even a femme fatale. Both feature brilliant car chases and don't skimp on the gun fights. The entire films revolves around crime, although it's more about solving it than committing.
ReplyDeleteDevika, great example! I think Frank embodies both aspects perfectly. In addition to what was mentioned about Frank being compared to Bart, I would like to add that they are similar in the sense that they have the potential to be successful people. Bart has "redeemed" himself by going to reform school and joining the army. He's ready to settle down and have that "normal" life but is easily influenced by Laurie who lures him away to a life of crime. On the other hand, Frank is extremely intelligent and has the ability (and brain power) be prosperous but he channels that ability into doing something that is illegal. He is lured by the adventure and the mere fact of just pulling off the con.
ReplyDelete“Catch Me If You Can” resembles pickpocket as well as gun crazy at the same time. The robbery that becomes an obsession for Leonardo Dicaprio (frank), he finds that to be his occupation that gives him happiness. So as in pickpocket he thinks of different tricks that he can learn, to master this skill. For Frank in "Catch Me If You Can" the obsession leads him to go crazy and in "Pickpocket" his obsession doesn’t leave him even when he has left that job. When he comes back his hidden obsession rises again and leads to his down fall. Pickpocket also resembles “limitless” the crazy obsession for power and money leading him to be doomed (death). In "Limitless"
ReplyDeletethe driving factor is the drug and in "Pickpocket" its his tricks.
There is this Bollywood film, “Bunty aur Babli” which came out in 2005. It is based on the same story line of "Gun Crazy". A girl and boy run from their houses. These strangers meet, start with small robberies for living and then it becomes a hobby. They take various disguises and have a unique way to rob like Bart and Lori in “Gun Crazy”. When Bunty and Babli decide to finally quit and before quitting they make a big robbery plan, they are caught. In Gun crazy the end is death but here they start working with the cops.
A film I watched again recently that similar elements to Gun Crazy is Inception. More specifically, the relation between Dom, the main character, and Mal, his deceased wife who haunts him in dream space. Director Christopher Nolan was even quoted as saying Mal was "the essence of the femme fatale," and in this way she is much like Laurie. Mal disregards reality, believing it doesn't matter as long she and Dom are together. She tries to drag him into the dream world, and her memory constantly gets in the way of his work and puts him in danger. Just as Mal disregards reality, Laurie doesn't consider the consequences of her actions, choosing instead to ignore them, living in a sort of fantasy world. Once he is sucked in by Laurie and starts a life of crime with her, he questions the realness of what he's doing, saying it feels like a blur and questions if it is even reality. Both Dom and Bart are challenged with the temptations of their respective femme fatales, and although Bart dies as a result, they both, in the end, choose to resist them (Dom, choosing the reality that contains his children, and Bart, shooting Laurie in the final scene).
ReplyDeleteSimilarly to Gun Crazy, Ben Affleck's 2010 thriller, The Town, features two main characters living their lives on stolen money. Affleck's character resembles Bart because he feels tired and ready to stop living as a criminal. He tries to walk away from it all, but Jeremy Renner's character convinces him that one last heist is all they need. Renner definitely equates Laurie because he's the first to fire his gun, always unafraid to kill anyone who stands in his way. By the end of the films, both characters even get shot by law enforcement officers, reflecting their own dependence on firearms. The films essentially blame love (romantic versus brotherly) and loyalty for getting tired criminals into situations that could have been avoided if they'd followed their own hearts instead.
ReplyDeleteA film from recent years that I see with the same elements of “Gun Crazy” is the romantic action comedy “One for the Money”, released January 2012. This film follows an unemployed lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl). Joe Morelli is the first victim who skips his bonds ending up being a vice cop, one time sexual acquaintance of Stephanie and murder. While trying to find this cold blooded killer, she attracts a heavy weight boxer who is involved in several murders as well. This high action thriller has many similarities that can be seen in “Gun Crazy”. The femme fatal role is embedded within both films coming from the roles of Stephanie and Peggy. Both women have a charismatic sensibility to them, attracting the ones they shouldn’t attract. The use of guns is through the entire film. At first Stephanie is timid with a hand gun, and then the gun never leaves her side. There is a scene in the film where Stephanie brings a gun to dinner and her naïve family shoots the turkey in the middle of the table. This scene shows how unnatural and out of the norm Stephanie’s family is with that type of behavior/ violence. Like Bart in “Gun Crazy”, Stephanie goes from good to bad. Bart’s character has good intentions, causing him to adjust to what Peggy wants and creating this alter-ego. Movies seen in theaters today like “Taxi Cab” or “Too Fast Too Furious” have characteristics that come from early cinema films such as “Gun Crazy”, thus paving the way for the future themes seen in film.
ReplyDeleteA recent movie I have seen that discusses the morality conflicts that Pickpocket brings up is In Time, directed by Andrew Niccol. It stars Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried and revolves around the concept of stealing. Is stealing from the rich okay, in order to give back to the poor? These are both overall themes in the movies and are explained in the same arc. The characters start off with nothing, which they are fed up with. Michel goes straight to stealing while Justin is given a lot of time (money) from a rich man, and then he decides to use the time to take all the time from the rich and give to the poor. Both movies employ a sort of transcendental look at money and survival of the fittest. Those who are stronger and wittier will in the end accomplish the goals they set out to finish.
ReplyDeleteA movie that is very obviously influenced by Gun Crazy is the Oliver Stone film Natural Born Killers. Both NBK and Gun Crazy follow the story of a married couple living a life of crime. Though the characters in NBK played by Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis are far more bloodthirsty than Bart and Laurie, both couples share a profound and inescapable love for one another. It is this bond that allows these couples to have the strength to go along with their "us vs. the world" mentality and commit the crime that they do. Both couples also share an affinity for weaponry and would rather be killed in each others arms then peacefully die separately.
ReplyDeleteWhile it's not a recent film, I believe Tarantino's "Jackie Brown" is highly influenced by these films. It is a film of a female character that causes the male characters in the movie to do things that without her they would not do themselves. The camera style, long takes, long dialogue scenes all are an influence of these films. Like Godard, Tarantino is a director who was considered young, fresh and went against the rules at his height of fame.
ReplyDeleteA film that I believe is heavily influenced by Gun Crazy is the first of the recently produced Sherlock Holmes films. The movies are very different as far as style and content, but they are linked by the focus on a femme fatale. Both the main characters are motivated and distracted by dangerous and mysterious women. The relationship is both romantic and antagonistic; enjoyable but often causing harm.
ReplyDeleteI would say the film Natural Born Killer was highly influenced by both Pickpocket and Gun Crazy. Like in Gun Crazy, in Natural Born Killer, the femme fatale causes the male character change his normal life to the road of no return. At first, the male character has reason can realize the law. However, before long, the male character can't control himself anymore. in the end, he lost himself and destroy himself.
ReplyDeleteIn the last year two movies that were released obviously and clearly had the influence of GUN CRAZY. Both KNIGHT AND DAY and KILLERS are comedies where there is a man and a woman that together are being followed by some kind of authority (police, FBI or whatever) and end up falling madly in love.
ReplyDeleteThe influence from GUN CRAZY is clear because it has the same concepts; a couple, with guns, who are doing something against the law have to run away together. The scenes where there are car shootings appear in all three movies as well.
Although these recent movies are far from being “tours de force”, they were influences by the “tour de force” GUN CRAZY.
Two movie off the top of my head that may have ben influenced by Gun Crazy are Charlie's Angels and Kill Bill. Although the women in the latter films are heroic, the femme characteristics are similar. In Charlie's Angels the women can handle just about any weapon and fight hand-to-hand and if I can remember correctly, they had a charming and persuading side, a characteristic of classic femme fatals like Peggy Cummins. In Tarantino's Kill Bill, Uma plays this awesome female action hero who's portrayal may be inspired by Gun Crazy.
ReplyDeleteThomas Perry
Tarantino's 2009 film Inglourious Basterds shows influence from Gun Crazy in several ways. Inglourious Basterds main characters Lt. Aldo Raine and Shosanna Dreyfus mirror Bart Tare and Annie from Gun Crazy. Both character duets live on the wrong side of the law following their own rules in order to fulfill personal missions instigated by tumultuous histories. Shosanna definitely shows the characteristics of a classic femme fatal in her subtle sexuality, strong-mindedness, and comfortableness with working alongside unlawful men. Although Shosanna has the strong-willed qualities of a femme fatal, she also shares the vulnerabilities. While at first the femme fatals appear to be working towards a mission to service the greater good, their true motivations slowly come into focus. Both Shosanna and Annie come from tragic pasts which inspire them to embark on the missions to which they dedicate their lives in order to subside their personal demons.
ReplyDeleteUndeniably influenced by transcendental films, particularly Pickpocket, is Cidade dos Homens (City of Men), Brazilian filmmaker Paulo Morelli's 2007 crime (UN)epic. The film, capping off a successful television series of the same name, features an ensemble cast of mostly non-professional actors, opting instead to utilize kids from the surrounding favela...a choice similar to that made by Bresson when casting (at the time) unprofessional actor Martin LaSalle in Pickpocket. Choices in casting however, are not the only parallels that can be drawn between the two films. Drawing heavily from transcendental ideology, City of Men is characterized by a relatively thin syuzhet, prominently voicing that STYLE is the dominant and determining factor in this particular film, a common theme among many transcendental films. Morelli captures what many filmmakers would consider trivial and unimportant moments and presents them in such a way that the true emotional tone of the occurrence is unearthed, offering insight into worldly and character intangibles that would otherwise be almost impossible to depict on screen. Inversely, Paulo's depictions of events, such as the violent deaths of many of the movie's central characters, are shown with little attention towards dramatization to the point where it may be argued that these events were shot with a deliberate attempt at DE-dramatization. Thus created is an effect, much like in Pickpocket, where the audience is watching a cauldron of simmering emotion that rarely erupts on screen but rather internalizes, frothing violently within the viewer.
ReplyDeleteNicholas Kolasinski
Fun with Dick and Jane is a movie that came out in that seems to be heavily influenced by Gun Crazy. Not only are the general plot of the two movies lines similar, but also both movies portray the same themes of doubt, corruption and crime. Fun with Dick and Jane is more of a comedy and has a less serious tone, but like Gun Crazy, tells the story of a couple working together to commit robberies. One of the bank robbery scenes in Fun with Dick and Jane even slightly reminded me of the long take in the car from Gun Crazy. It seems as though the only major difference, plot wise, is that the couple in Fun with Dick and Jane end up happy whereas in Gun Crazy, they both suffer the consequences. There are even two versions of Fun with Dick and Jane; the first one came out in 1977, not too long after Gun Crazy, and the remake came out in 2005 starring Jim Carrey.
ReplyDeleteMr. and Mrs. Smith is a film which made me think of Gun Crazy. It is about two lovers who are in a life of crime much like those in Gun Crazy. There is a climax where they must choose eachother versus the authorities. Gun Crazy has influenced countless flims, and a blockbuster like Mr and Mrs Smith is one that undoubtably uses the crime genre towards it's storyline.
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