In the film Croupier, director Mike Hodges throws viewers through a continuous cycle of guesses and surprises. Croupier is a film about a writer, Jack Manfred, who finds a job as a croupier in order to support himself as he is trying to find inspiration for a book. At first, he is a clean cut honest man that refuses to gamble, but he soon becomes obsessed with the job and the game that gambling presents. The image on the right is of Jack at the start of the film. He is trying to find an idea to write a book and always fantasizes about one day becoming a famous author. Once Jack starts working at the casino, he gets enthralled with the lifestyle and the control that it brings. This is what he decides to write his book on. As time goes by, he realizes that he has turned into the protagonist of his book, Jake. He no longer worries about anyone but himself and as long as he has power he is happy. The image on the left is of Jack after the casino and the lifestyle it brings has fully taken over him and he has become Jake. Notice the difference in hair color. I believe that this foreshadows what is to come of Jack. The blonde hair signifies a light personality more of an honest person while his jet black hair brings more of a darker, serious mood.
The editing in this film is spectacular. The way in which it was edited makes the transition of Jack to Jake very slight and discreet, leaving the viewer on Jack's side the entire time. This is what really makes the film great. The whole time the viewer is left thinking that Jack is a good man and then at the end of the movie the viewer realizes that he has actually turned into a power hungry sort of scumbag. This slow transition leaves the viewer surprised of what Jack has become despite the fact that they were witnessing it all along.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSean, I think that your blog posting and mine have many parallels; we both discuss two shots that depict the two sides of Owen’s character “Jack” and “Jake.” There are a few things we differ on however and I would like to offer my perspective. I’m not sure that Jack ever realizes he has fullt become Jake, or at least acknowledges it in a way that lets the viewer know he has realized this. That or Jack didn’t really give a damn about anyone else to begin with. I think anyone can agree that Jake is cold and callous, but Jack seems somewhat human at the beginning of the film, especially when he sells his beloved car to help Marion with rent. However later on, he hardly seems bothered when Marion, a woman who in my opinion, should have left him long ago, is killed. Also I’m not sure the transition from Jack to Jake happens without the viewers’ knowledge; as if he is Jack one scene and the next he is Jake. I, for one, immediately recognized that while Jack was a crummy person from the beginning, he seemed to become an even more detestable human being with nearly ever other scene. At the end of the film, when he ends up with Bella, the fact his transition from Jack to Jake has indeed occured is confirmed in the viewers’ mind, but not necessarily Jack’s.
ReplyDelete