“Devil in a Blue Dress” is a movie produced in 1995 depicting the dramatic experiences of an African American novice private eye in 1948 Los Angeles. The movie falls under the Neo-noir category as it is set in the classic era between 1940 and 1950 and has the characteristic neo-noir theme of a major African American character that is faced with a tough life situation compelling him to make difficult choices out of desperation.
The major themes in the film are violence, crime and love (Brode 114). The movie is outstanding due to the historical accuracy achieved because of director Carl Franklin’s in-depth research and the impressive cinematography. The impressive acting by two of Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle also adds to the film’s appeal.
The movie’s main character is Ezikeal Rawlins, also known as Easy, who is an African American Second World War veteran seeking employment in the Los Angeles after losing his job in the aircraft manufacturing company. He gets a client named DeWitt Albright, who commissions him to find a missing woman by the name of Daphne Monet.
Easy sets out to track Daphne, who is rumored to frequent illegal black clubs. However, as he continues with his search for Daphne, Easy realizes that he has got himself involved in a dangerous political rivalry where the big players are trying to set him up. When he realizes the danger he is facing, Easy confronts Joppy, his bartender friend who introduced him to DeWitt Albright, and blames him for his current troubles.
Joppy retorts that he is not responsible since he was only trying to help Easy, who was desperate, make some money. Easy is able to unravel the mystery, which involves political blackmail and murder. Eventually, he solves the case and is paid for his work.
Devil in a Blue Dress is, actually, a very amazing phenomenon in the movie industry, mainly because of its success, since there are a number of elements that might not and should not have worked. The story of a detective who is in search for a mysterious and beautiful woman has done to death by that time, and it would have taken a miracle to make this plot work.
Thankfully, the director was perspicacious enough to understand how the clichéd story must be updated to meet the demands of the 90s audience and put a very strong emphasis on the characters.
When it comes to defining what works for the movie’s advantage, one must admit that the lead character is easily the most notable element of the movie, no pun intended.
Easy is not simply the character of a film noir – he is noir, because he incorporates the elements of a noir genre. Easy is what movie critics call “a private eye” (Ebert para. 3), he wears the kind of clothes that one would expect a noir character to, and he has the laid back attitude of a noir character that Nicholas ray from Lonely Place would have died for.
Though Denzel Washington has obviously put a lot of effort into making his character credible and likeable, Don Cheadle as Mouse nearly steals the show. Cheadle is perfect as a lead character’s buddy straight to the point where critics claim him to be the best character in the film.
However, it is not simply Mouse who turns the movie into a stylish neo-noir universe – these are the interactions between Easy and Mouse that push the movie forward and make the film unique: “This ain’t your friend’s car? What’d you do Mouse?” – “Just drive this sumbitch!” (Devil in a Blue Dress 37:02).
The atmosphere of the movie created with the help of original setting is also worth mentioning as a staple of the neo-noir genre. In most of the important scenes, the light is dimmed and shadows are used as a major tool for creating a noir atmosphere.
Finally, the story also deserves being given a mention. Despite the fact that the idea is very stale and has been used by any director shooting a film noir, Carl Franklin managed to make a few alterations that helped push the film noir genre forward without changing it to the point where it stops being recognizable.
For example, the fact that the romance between Easy and Daphne went nowhere was a very risky move that would not have worked in a traditional film noir. However, by creating unique and memorable characters, Franklin managed to fit it into the neo-noir genre esthetics.
It would be wrong to deny that the movie has its flaws. Carl Franklin could have conjured a better and a less clichéd story instead of tying together a bunch of staple plotlines with the help of more than traditional plot devices.
However, the characters created by the actors are so strong and enjoyable, that the movie miraculously works and attains a unique flair. One of the most memorable movies of all times, Devil in a Blue Dress will clearly be remembered for long and is bound to become a classic example of a neo-noir genre.
Works Cited
Brode, Douglas. Denzel Washington: His Films and Career. NY: Carol Publishing Group, 1997. Print.
Devil in a Blue Dress. Dir. Carl Franklin. Perf. Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore and Jennifer Beals. TriStar Pictures, 1995. Film.
Ebert, Roger. Devil in a Blue Dress. 1995. Web.