The Naked City is a movie about life in New York directed by Jules Dassin. New York is depicted as a hostile city to human beings. The notion of death plays a significant role in the movie. Death is attracted scant notice in New York, and it has become a normal way of life with murders and suicides. Many people cannot bear the increased fastness of living.
There are a lot of works devoted to the depiction of such advanced cities as New York. One of such works is John Passos’s Manhattan Transfer. The outcomes of these two works may be compared. Both these stories depict the lives destroyed by the city. The opening and the closing chapters of Manhattan Transfer starts with the biblical quote from Zephaniah: “This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly; that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me; how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie! Everyone that passeth by her shall hiss and wag his hand”. Manhattan is compared to such corruptive cities as Babylon, Nineveh, and Judah. John Passos as well as Jules Dassin depict the cities as the main reason for destroyed lives.
Jean Dexter in The Naked City is killed. The police investigate this case, and she is presupposed to commit suicide. On the other hand, there is the initial suspect her boyfriend, Frank Niles. As it has been found out he was killed for her jewelry. Factually, the city that proclaims the importance of wealth and prestige kills her. People in chase of wealth do not pay attention to the importance of human life. Jimmy and Ellen depicted in Manhattan Transfer also are the victims of this corruptive city. Their love has been destroyed in this violent city and Jimmy understands the cause of all his sufferings and he decides to live in this city and start a new life while Ellen stays in Manhattan with the hope that her life may become better without Jimmy.
The Naked City’s ending seems to be more defeated as far as the destroyed life of the robber is not promising anyway. It seems there is no rescue for him and no hope. Jules Dassin points out at the ending that “There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them”. It means that there are million people whose lives are demolished in this all-absorbing city. The ending of Manhattan Transfer leaves some hope for the reader that Jimmy’s life may become better as far as the book ends with the description of his way from New York searching for a better life. Jimmy still hopes for the rescue and this rescue is possible as far as the author presents this hope at the end of the story. His main character realizes the necessity to leave this city that is the main reason for all his failures and life misfortunes. Nevertheless, all his experience is taken with him, and this city has left the stamp on his soul. Is it possible to be healed for him? It is up to the reader to decide it.
There are a lot of victims depicted in Manhattan Transfer. Anna Cohen is one of them. This Jewish girl having been thrown from home by her mother has to fight for her survival in this disruptive city. Although she hopes for finding real love it is found out that love does not live in this city. She drifts from one man to another hoping that she becomes to be loved. This defenseless girl needs to be loved to survive but nobody may offer her this love. Although John Passos provides some hope to Jimmy Anna Cohen is left without any hope. Although the reader is not informed about the outcome of her life it seems that she is too weak and innocent to survive in this city.
Both these works present the cities of New York and Manhattan as the centers of crime. The cities where morality is not considered to be the value the crime is a self-evident phenomenon. Jules Dassin depicts the life of the citizens connecting to everyday crimes that seems to be an ordinary thing for New York. John Passos also depicts crime as an integral part of society in the chase of fame and wealth. People who may accept this way of life closing their eyes to these crimes survive in these cities while those who cannot stand such immorality and lawlessness perish or like Jimmy tries to survive leaving this city.
Some people have been accustomed to such a way of life where crime is not considered to be the wrong thing. It is impossible to become rich and powerful without the violation of the law living in these cities. Darwin’s theory about the fight for survival is practiced in these works. The strongest survive in these cities. The strongest are those who can commit a crime.
Works Cited
Dassin, Jules. The Naked City: A Film, 1948.
Passos, Dos John. Manhattan Transfer: A Novel. 1st ed., Mariner Books, 2003.