Talk:The Grifters (film)

Categories

Hi all, I am new to the film project & a Wikineophyte in general, so I am raising these questions here first instead of simply changing things around in the article itself. (1) I think the "curiosities" category should be retitled "trivia." (2) It seems that these categories are not in the "proper" order for the film project (although this might not be a rigid rule). For example, the "plot" section should probably go first, after the introduction. Comments? Answers? Enlightenment? Z Wylld 17:26, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like a good idea. Done. It reads much better. thanks. Verne Equinox 23:31, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

Probably worth nothing that the incest angle was explicitly stated in Thompson's novel - the depth attributed to the screeplay is fully present in the original novel as well. Stanley Kubrick was an admirer of Thompson's characterisation. Don't feel this article gives him his due.

Trivia

Wikipedia tends to discourage these kinds of sections so I'm moving it here until this info can be integrated into the rest of the article or sourced properly. --J.D. (talk) 20:03, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

• Frears wanted Westlake to write the screenplay under his sometimes pen name Richard Stark
• The uncredited short narration at the beginning of the movie was done by Martin Scorsese
• Cher and Michelle Pfeiffer were considered for the role of Lilly Dillon and Sissy Spacek auditioned for the part, before Anjelica Huston was chosen.
• The studio wanted Martin Scorsese to direct the film himself, but he personally chose Stephen Frears to do the job while Scorsese stayed on as producer.

Influences

Removing unsourced section that also features original research and non-objective prose and am placing it here until it can be cleaned up and/or sourced. --J.D. (talk) 20:42, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

The Grifters was modeled after B-grade films noir. Critical reviews pointed out similarities between this movie and genre classics such as Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street, Nicholas Ray's In a Lonely Place, Robert Aldrich's Kiss Me Deadly and Fritz Lang's The Big Heat; Alfred Hitchcock was also a major influence. According to Frears, Bening had based her character on similar roles played by Gloria Grahame.

It is also worth mentioning that Westlake's screenplay develops the psychological background laid out in Thompson's novel well beyond the usual cynicism that constitutes the distinctive mark of film noir heroes. The three leading characters are crooks, but it's ultimately their obsessive and often disturbing passions that push the plot towards its inevitable tragic ending. For instance, the film explores the problematic relationship between Roy and his mother, hinting at a level of sexual tension and incest that may also partially account for Myra's aggressive behaviour towards Lilly and vice versa

In this sense, The Grifters may be seen as following a subgenre of film noir that enhances the dramatic aspects of character interaction. Movies in this tradition include Stanley Kubrick's The Killing, which had Thompson himself as a screenplay co-writer, and a few pictures by John Huston, most notably The Maltese Falcon and The Asphalt Jungle.

Memorable scenes

Again, more original research and hardly encyclopedic. --J.D. (talk) 20:42, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

Three Grifters The Opening Scene: Stephen Frears is known to use opening scenes as an introductory insight into his characters' personalities (cf., for instance, Dangerous Liaisons). Here, the screen image is split into three parts, where Lilly, Roy and Myra are followed by independent cameras while preparing for action. Each individual sequence eventually closes to a face shot: at that point, Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening and John Cusack simultaneously make the same gesture of looking around before their con acts begin.

Lilly bites her nail Troubador: Leaving late for the La Jolla races, Lilly gets stuck by the traffic. This sequences alternates shots from a race where Troubador, the longshot, won at 70-1, and images of her nervously listening to the results through her car radio. Many elements employed by Frears in these scenes were taken from Stanley Kubrick's The Killing, a movie whose screenplay was partially written by Jim Thompson.

Myra's eyes The Chase: Lilly runs away when she finds out Bobo knows about the money she's been stealing from him over the years. Myra chases after her up to a little motel in Phoenix. The pounding notes of Elmer Bernstein's soundtrack provide the background for this sequence, which evokes the famous drive by Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

Lilly's descent (left) with a similar scene from The Maltese Falcon (right) Descent: After accidentally killing her son, Lilly runs away carrying his money in a suitcase. This stylish, slow-paced sequence, which depicts only Anjelica Huston standing motionless as the elevator goes down, is usually interpreted as a symbol of the tragic descent of the film noir hero. A similar scene is seen at the end of The Maltese Falcon when Mary Astor takes a similar ride down an old fashioned elevator.

The Grifters tells the story of Lilly Dillon

I thought it was more about the Cusac character. --Timtak (talk) 15:52, 21 September 2008 (UTC)

It tells the interlocking stories of three characters. None of the three should be considered the "main" character. ---RepublicanJacobite_{The'FortyFive'} 17:06, 21 September 2008 (UTC)

Funny pronunciation of "Los Angeles"

Anjelica Huston's character pronounces "Los Angeles" with a hard G sound, like "Los Angle-ees." I'm trying to understand the significance of this:

1. Was this a common pronunciation of "Los Angeles" at the time?
2. Was this a characteristic of some particular US population? I.e., maybe this is how New Yorkers said it back then?
3. I imagine that this is meant to indicate that her character is not a native of Los Angeles. Agree or disagree?

Thanks, 140.180.189.47 (talk) 18:07, 29 December 2013 (UTC)