Narratively And Symbolically, The Location Is The Interface Of Country And

Narratively and symbolically, the location is the interface of country and city, light and darkness'. (Grist, 1994, P. 204)
Foremost in the metaphorical use of light, shading and darkness are the scenes featuring Jeff (Robert Mitchum), the archetypal noir protagonist, and Kathie (Jane Greer), who, as the femme fatale, embodies what Grist calls the 'genuine article'. In one notable scene in which they kiss, their symbolic descent into the dark abyss of crime, is conveyed beautifully by light and shade, as their faces come together, blocking out the light source behind them to make the screen fade to black like their destinies.

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The look of the two principal protagonists is essential to the visual strategy and the 'noir landscape'. 'Iconographically, with his trench coat, soft-brimmed hat, and cigarette almost glued to his lower lip, (Jeff) is a visual exemplar of the hard-boiled private eye'. (Grist, 1994, P. 207) His lineage to previous noir anti-heroes, such as those portrayed by Humphrey Bogart, is clear.
Even more iconic in this context is Jane Greer's Kathie, a classic example of what Janey Place describes as the 'spider woman', the sensuous, alluring Siren, who lures Jeff into her web of intrigue. 'The iconography is explicitly sexual and often explicitly violent as well'. (Place, 1978, PP. 43, 45) Place's observation that the spider woman's appearance long hair, make-up, 'cigarettes with their wispy trails of smoke' (with phallic connotations) symbolises sensuality and violence is reinforced by Kathie's first appearance, in Acapulco, when Jeff sees her enter the bar, in a close-fitting white dress. Later scenes see her in more appropriate black attire.
In conclusion, it is clear that Out of the Past is a textbook example of how the conventions and techniques of mise-en-scene can be adopted to convey much more than simply plot and narrative exposition with an appropriate visual style. They also provide a powerful symbolic and metaphorical subtext, conveyed by powerful stylistic devices (such as the archetypal film noir iconography) and the cinematic techniques of low-key lighting, enclosed and claustrophobic framing, and unbalanced compositions, revealing the shady and shadowy world of film noir.4
Bibliography
1. BORDWELL, D., and THOMPSON, K., Film Art, McGraw-Hill, 1997 (5th Ed.)
2. GRIST, L., 'Out of the Past, a.k.a Build My Gallows High', in The Movie Book of Film Noir, (ed. Cameron, I.), Studio Vista, 1994 (2nd Ed.)
3. MULLER, E., Dark City The Lost World of Film Noir, Titan Books, 1998
4. PEARY, D., Cult Movies, Delta-Dell Publishing, 1981
5. PLACE, J., 'Women in Film Noir', in Women in Film Noir, (ed. Kaplan, E, A.), British Film Institute, 1978
6. SCHRADER, P., 'Notes on Film Noir', in Schrader on Schrader, (ed.