Four of you produced similar questions about the ending of Body Heat and how it relates to the ending of Double Indemnity. Although the questions are similar, I’ll list them all for you:
- Why is the decision made to let the femme fatale live and prosper?
- Body Heat shares so many similarities with Double Indemnity; why the changes to the ending (i.e., lack of confession, letting the femme fatale get away with it)?
- Both Matty and Phyllis double-cross their lovers. Why do you think Kasdan leaves Matty as an Independent Woman by letting her go unpunished?
- Is Body Heat less satisfying with an open ending instead of the original ending (Double Indemnity) in which both characters end up dead?
As always, cite scenes from the film and/or textbook to support your responses. And remember to acknowledge other classmates; this is an ongoing discussion. Due by noon on Tuesday, April 20. Login to the blog/site.
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4.Is Body Heat less satisfying with an open ending instead of the original ending (Double Indemnity) in which both characters end up dead?
I do not feel that BODY HEAT is less satisfying with the open ended ending I feel that the movie is less satisfying for other reasons. We had a brief discussion in class regarding the roughness of DOUBLE INDEMNITY and the smoothness of BODY HEAT. In my opinion DOUBLE INDEMNITY possess idealized banter between its characters. As we discussed in class the whole “theirs a speed limit in this town”,”How fast would you say I’m going” line utilizes a certain charm and wit that “hey want to f#uck”"My this sure is a friendly town” lacks. Another problem I have with BODY HEAT is really trying to identify who I’m supposed to feel any sympathy for? Ultimately I feel sorry for the husband because unlike in DOUBLE INDEMNITY he seems to be a nice guy, his wife just seems bored. I also feel that in DOUBLE INDEMNITY you could really feel the pressure building as the story progressed and other people started learning a little bit more about what happened on the train. In BODY HEAT I could feel that everyone knew the people involved in the fire but it was just a matter of proving it. The ending to me seemed sort of predictable once we find out that Matty learned how to set up a bomb to a door. Not to say that DOUBLE INDEMNITY was not predictable, in fact I really didn’t like the all the bad people getting punished in the end typical Noir style ending. However with how it ended I did feel that DOUBLE INDEMNITY had a certain something that made the ending more tolerable.
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Dr. Marshall Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 9:19 am
It’s interesting that you say “Another problem I have with BODY HEAT is really trying to identify who I’m supposed to feel any sympathy for.” You’re right: the husband in DI is unattractive in every way, physically, verbally, etc. In BH, he’s just physically unattractive.
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I believe that BODY HEAT definitely does have a less satisfying ending, because it’s open-ended, than DOUBLE INDEMNITY, but I really like it that way. I like that Matty did not get punished and ended up getting away with her entire scheme because I think it adds a different dimension to what we see in DOUBLE INDEMNITY. Phyllis has her entire scheme of manipulating every man she meets to get what she wants but ends up losing, while Matty is almost avenging Phyllis to lose the husband by using a dupe guy, earning money and living up life on a sandy beach. I like that Matty got what Phyllis couldn’t. I also like that Matty looked bored or possibly a little remorseful and left it for the audience to think about. What was she really thinking? I would like to say remorse, but I think her character meant more boredom. Her look fit her lifestyle of never getting enough of what she wanted; now that she has everything she ever wanted, she still isn’t satisfied.
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Dr. Marshall Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 9:20 am
I agree with you here: “I also like that Matty looked bored or possibly a little remorseful and left it for the audience to think about.” The ambiguity is intriguing.
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I agree with Aaron that it is not any less satisfying that Matty did not get punished and the ending was open ended. I don’t think that it is really a matter of what is satisfying and what is not. More, it is a question of what is appropriate for the character. Would we ask the same question of satisfaction in the case of a villain like Hannibal Lecter when he escapes? I don’t think we would. It is more that these characters are so clever and so sinister that their initial escape from conviction is almost predestined, but their future is left in question. When we see Matty on the beach sipping her drink she is with another man who is left anonymous and the emotions in her face certainly express something but I don’t think it is remorse or boredom. To me it implies she is going to do this again and again like a praying mantis or black widow, consuming her mates after she gets what she needs. The open ending allows us to come to our own conclusion as to whether or not her actions will eventually come back to get her in the end. If there is some expression of boredom it is only because she feels the itch to do it again. If the outcome would have gone the other way in BODY HEAT or my Hannibal Lecter comparison I don’t think the ending would have the same impact or convey the same meaning. If Matty got what she deserved in the end I think we would walk away asking ourselves, “where was the payoff there?” In worlds that are so flawed and so dark it really isn’t the most appropriate ending to have everything wrapped up in a pretty little package. It needs that open ended feeling and lack of resolution to imply this story keeps living after the credits have run. We are right to be angry at the character but have to understand it is a reflection of our society and humanity. Crimes go unpunished and evil lurks under a veil of innocence that may never be lifted.
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Dr. Marshall Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 9:23 am
“Would we ask the same question of satisfaction in the case of a villain like Hannibal Lecter when he escapes?” Oh, I would. Definitely. In fact, when I teach SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, that is something we consider, especially how Lector’s freedom relates to Clarice’s “punishment.” Can you think of a way that she, the unconventional female hero of the film, is still “punished” for her actions/independence in the end?
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I personally appreciated writer-director Lawrence Kasdan’s spin on the story by letting her get away with it mostly due to the circumstances surrounding the finale. Not only is it up for discussion whether or not she is truly happy in the final scene (we can assume she got what she wanted due to her dreams to ‘be rich and live in an exotic place’ finally being fulfilled), but also Racine’s previous claims which may have seemed far-fetched and desperate products of a disaster, are now justified even though he is sentenced to prison. It also forces the viewer to consider to integrity (or lack there-of) of their relationship which passionately spanned the majority of the film. I think that it is also interesting to think about Matty’s intentions throughout the film. How did she predict the outcome so well? How long was she planning this for? Who helped her? So I guess my final thoughts towards the ending would be positive; it was so shocking, unexpected and fresh that I am without a doubt interested in a second viewing.
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Dr. Marshall Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 9:24 am
“How did she predict the outcome so well? How long was she planning this for? Who helped her?” Great questions. Where does Mary Ann fit into all of this?
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Is Body Heat less satisfying with an open ending instead of the original ending (Double Indemnity) in which both characters end up dead?
I think Body Heat is more satisfying and entertaining by leaving the ending open. By letting her get away not only changes how the two movies ended but also, I think, changes on who had the more power between the two lovers. In Double Indemnity he is the one who seems to have the upper hand by finding out that she is double crossing him but they both end up shot with her dying on the couch while later he, we assume, dies in the office of his friend telling his side of story. But in Body Heat we assume that she is not going to get away with it because we have seen it before and we think he has the upper hand, but towards the end he loses his power and believe that since the cop showed up that they both were just going to be taken to jail but then we see the boat house blow up and we assume she blew up with it. But the story line goes deeper and we see that she got away with it and is living the rich and fabulous life that she wanted. i believe it works better here because of the time. The audience probably wanted something different. Letting the killer go is something that noir doesn’t do, but it works in neo-noir.
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Dr. Marshall Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 9:26 am
“Letting the killer go is something that [classical] noir doesn’t do, but it works in neo-noir.” And why is this acceptable in postmodern/neo-noir? =)
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I agree that the end of the film was incredibly intriguing. It was interesting to see Matty come out on top of it all. This is especially interesting because she seemed to spend much of the film being very submissive. For most of the film, we assume that Ned is in control. It appears as though Ned is the one who devises the plan to kill Matty’s husband, but Ned is merely a pawn. Knowing ahead of time that BODY HEAT was essentially a remake of DOUBLE INDEMNITY, I expected some treachery. Yet I did not think that Matty would escape death.
I find the character of Matty so interesting because she totally plays innocent and weak. I felt that though Phyllis Dietrichson was seductive, she always seemed to be strong and aggressive. Matty is much better at playing weak and defenseless, thus making her that much more dangerous. We later learn that Matty has had the entire murder planned out, and apparently she even planned her escape. Matty turns out to be much more clever and conniving than we ever suspected. This is further heighted by her apparent “death”. As students of noir, we fully expect Matty to be punished for her actions. Yet, Matty has even fooled us. She has disobeyed the conventions of noir itself.
Its interesting that we see Matty essentially naked, yet we cannot see her intentions. Perhaps, like Ned, we were deceived by how passionate she seemed to be
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Dr. Marshall Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 9:30 am
“This is especially interesting because she seemed to spend much of the film being very submissive. \ I find the character of Matty so interesting because she totally plays innocent and weak.” Wow. Wow. I don’t know that I’ve ever thought of Matty that way. From one of her first comments to Ned–”You don’t wanna lick it off?”–she’s always appeared extremely in control, knowing exactly what she wants. I wonder if I think this way because I’m not a first-time viewer as all of you are? =)
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It’s interesting seeing so many different thoughts about the ending of BODY HEAT. Almost everyone seems to agree that it’s relatively open-ended, but I’m not sure I totally agree with that. To me, the only thing that’s really open-ended was whether or not Matty was satisfied with the outcome; everything else seems rather clear-cut to me. Matty got away with it and Ned’s stuck in prison. His discovery that Matty isn’t who she claimed to be won’t change whether or not he does time, and by the exotic look of Matty’s ending locale I wouldn’t guess that, if caught, she could be extradited back to the US for sentencing. I figure part of the reasoning behind the change in the type of ending compared to DOUBLE INDEMNITY is the lack of a specific code or ratings board that explicitly prohibits the bad guy getting away unpunished. Another reason may be the maturing taste of filmgoers; have we matured to the point where we’re more accepting of a bit of a downer ending?
I find T.J.’s reference to Hannibal Lecter to be particularly interesting. In a weird sort of way, I think that we’re not all that upset when he escapes. His character is appealing because of his brilliance and charm. He’s simply too badass to not root for him. The same can be said for many anti-heroes (Boba Fett comes to mind). But I’m not sure that Matty fits into this same category.
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Dr. Marshall Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 9:31 am
“To me, the only thing that’s really open-ended was whether or not Matty was satisfied with the outcome.” Indeed, and your thoughts here? Was she?
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I’d have to agree with most of the statements said above about the ending. I do believe that it is less satisfying than he just being killed and paying for her murder but it lets the audience take the story further. Letting the femme fatal live at the end is like a breath of fresh air in the film noir genre, showing the audience that everything doesn’t always end in a tight, closed ending like normal HW films. It lets the audience take the story further and wonder what Matty is going to do with the rest of her life and if she will ever get caught. The open ending, where the crime isn’t payed for, shows the raw truth about life. Everything isn’t always solved in life and ends in a nice package. Bad things happen to good people and sometimes the bad people get away. Now to the fact that if Matty felt remorse at the end, that is up to the viewer. Me personally think that she did feel remorse somewhat, because her heart told her so but on the other hand she wasn’t going to let it be a bother in her mind for too long. DOUBLE INDEMNITY ends in a clean, tight package with both of the criminals paying for their crimes ultimately by death. It shows the viewer what happened and how their lover’s reign of crime has ended, leaving an un-open ending for the audience to take it further. BODY HEAT, although with the similar plot, leaves the ending in a way that it leaves the viewer wondering and wanting more (and possibly wanting justice). This ending could leave the viewer uneasy and wanting resolution, making it an unsatisfying ending.
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I don’t feel as if Body Heat is less interesting because of its open-ended ending because of a realistic possibility. In the classic noir years, movies had been condemned to follow Hollywood’s production code creating a standard closing end presenting the notion that if you decide to undertake in scene actions this is what will happen. Whereas Body Heat presents the possiblity that a person’s actions do not always achieve punishment, which in a realistic societal perception, is the case. Everyone who chooses to do something bad may not always be punished for the specific act instead escape the possibility allowng other pursued acts. The ending left open numerous possiblities of what could or will be insinuating her actions are to be repeated but we will never know. The ambigious ending in my mind adds to the movies element inputting thoughts like has she done this before? Will she do it again? When will she get caught? allowing a viewer to become fully immersed within the plot. In presents a sense of reality and actuallity vagualey seen in movies beforehand and afterwards.
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#4
I do not feel that BODY HEAT is less satisfying. I feel that the choice ending in body heat leaves us with the possibility of a sequal and leaves more to the imgagination. in almost every film the femme fatal is punished in some way. She gets off scott free. This is also a Neo Noir which leads to movies such as Basic Instinct. Agreeing with David it just gives the audience “A Breath of Fresh Air” or something new
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