Where the Sidewalk Ends, directed by Otto Preminger is a classic example of a Noir film. This time it focuses on the dark side of the law and how even the police have their dark sides. This is seen the most in the main character named Dixon, who ends up accidentally killing Ken Paine in self defense. This scene can be seen in the video down below. This death sets up the plot and shows us what a man with guilt can do. Taking a look at Dixon, we see that he is violent and picks fights with thugs and others that stand in his way. Or as Boris Trbuc puts it, "Dixon's simmering anger and obsessive pursuit of Scalise reveal the loss of social coordinates, moral and professional integrity, and mental stability in the doomed and claustrophobic urban underworld." This anger and rage is seen from Dixon on many occasions. At first the audience sees him as just a violent person that doesn't have any self control. Though this changes as we learn that his father was also a thug and that is why he joined the police. In order to be the opposite of his dad. This explains some of his actions and we finally understand why he is so passionate to stop Scalise. In the video down below, we see how Dixon is being yelled at for his acts of violence. Lets now take a look at noir and how it is portrayed in this film. The obvious part is that this is a dark film with many wrongs. Since this is a noir film, we do see that Dixon is punished for his crime of killing Paine, and therefore social justice is returned to normal. Noir is interesting because it focuses on the social issues and darkness of our society, and yet it is forced to come full circle and end it with a happy ending. This is what happens in this film, in which Dixon is not killed, so he turns himself in and is arrested. Another great noir aspect is the inclusion of characters that have come from war and that are facing PTSD. As we see, Paine is a war veteran that is killed because of the shock of his impact with the floor. Since he has a metal plate in his head. Meanwhile, Dixon's rage can also be associated with him being a veteran and possibly suffering from PTSD. These things are what make a noir film different from other types of films and, "the evidence of guilt is another ingredient in Where the Sidewalk Ends that makes it such a worthy addition into the classic noir period." Guilt plays an important part in this film and it's main character, Dixon. As we see in the video above, Dixon has just killed Paine and is now trying to hid the body. This guilt is then shown throughout the film, as we see others being affected by his actions. Morgan Taylor and her father are both affected the most with the death of Paine. Firstly, Morgan's father is accused of the crime and is arrested. This hurts Morgan and Dixon sees that she is in pain because of it. Morgan is also affected because that was her "husband" even though they separated a couple weeks back. This guilt leads to Dixon doing some crazy things, like trying to take on Scalise and his men by himself. They end up beating him up and he is almost killed. Then towards the end, he decides to challenge Scalise once again and is ready to die for his sins and his guilt. As we see, guilt plays a lot role in Dixon's acts and the audience sees how he struggles with it. One last thing I want to focus on is the paradox and irony. As David Kalat says, "The cop who becomes his own enemy, the honest detective whose thoughtfulness leads him to prosecute the wrong man, the gentle and unthreatening gangster, the wounded woman who remains paradoxically supportive of the many men in her life who spectacularly fail her." This quote is interesting because it shows the irony in the film. Dixon became a cop in order to do good and be the opposite of his father. Then he ends up killing a man and trying to cover it up. Meanwhile Morgan is in an abusive relationship with her husband, Paine, and even after he hits her, she still loves him. Then her father is accused of killing Paine, and she still sticks with him and believes that he is innocent. Then later on with Dixon, even when she finds out that he killed her husband, she doesn't seem mad. Instead she is worried about him going to jail. This is an interesting take on the characters and how they say one thing but their actions are different. Overall, Where the Sidewalk Ends is a great noir film, that captures the criminality of not only the gangsters, but also the police. We are introduced to a detective that is battling his own family image and a woman that is way to forgiving. This show of how guilt is a powerful theme is also important and makes the film the way it is.
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