Option One – General vision and viewpoint Mode: General vision and viewpoint


General vision and viewpoint in Some Like It Hot Opening


Some Like It Hot is a spoof of the gangster movies of the 1920s and 1930s. It contains all the elements one might expect in such films: speakeasies; wise-cracking, machine-gun-toting mobsters; beautiful women and a doggedly determined officer of the law. The title alone implies that the film is not intended to be taken seriously and will be full of sexual innuendoes and, by extension, jokes and laughter. When it was released in 1959, Some Like It Hot was advertised with the tagline ‘The movie too HOT for words’. Therefore, an audience is primed to expect a fun, uplifting and light-hearted film before seeing a single shot. Admittedly, there is a sexist element to the humour that would be frowned upon nowadays, but at the time in which it was made the intention was to entertain. Nevertheless, viewers are entitled to their own interpretation of the film and if they feel that certain aspects are negative rather than positive, they should feel free to say so. Each example should be supported with evidence from the text.


The opening title sequence is accompanied by ‘Sugar Blues/Runnin’ Wild’ by Adolph Deutsch & His Orchestra. This is a jazzy, sensual piece featuring the distinctive growling tones of extended notes on brass instruments. It is the sort of music often associated with the seedy nightclubs, or even striptease acts, of the era. Its use reinforces the idea that this film will feature risqué jokes and physical comedy. The title sequence features an informal, almost cartoonish font, again driving home the message that we should prepare for laughter and fun.


The opening scene of Some Like It Hot sets the humorous, light-hearted tone that dominates the film. Although the first shot is of a hearse ‘proceeding at a dignified pace along a half-deserted wintry street’, within seconds the apparent solemnity of the moment is shown to be a sham. The men in the hearse are actually mobsters smuggling alcohol in a coffin. A police car, with lights flashing and siren screaming, bears down on the hearse. The mobsters pull sawn-off shotguns from a hidden overhead rack and exchange fire with the police. The hearse narrowly escapes its pursuers and the men in the back begin to lift out broken bottles of illegal alcohol from the coffin. Despite the hail of gunfire, the bottles are the only casualties, which makes it clear that the violence in the film is not intended to be frightening or shocking in any way. These mobsters are the comic, film version of the real thing and the audience knows they can settle in for an enjoyable romp.


Leaving Certificate English 367 Excellence in Texts


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