The Sound of L.A. Noir ² Listening to Marlowe·S Los Angeles In
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Annika Eisenberg *RHWKH8QLYHUVLWlW)UDQNIXUW 7KH6RXQGRI/$1RLU²/LVWHQLQJWR0DUORZH·V/RV$QJHOHVLQ5D\PRQG &KDQGOHU·VThe Long Goodbye DQG%HQMDPLQ%ODFN·V The Black-Eyed Blonde Abstract Cities have distinct sounds. Some cities might sound alike, some may vary by subtle degrees, and RWKHUVH[KLELWVLJQLÀFDQWDFRXVWLFODQGPDUNV%XWKRZGRHVWKLVSOD\RXWIRUFLWLHVLQOLWHUDWXUH" ,QWKLVDUWLFOH$QQLND(LVHQEHUJH[SORUHVZKDW/RV$QJHOHVVRXQGVOLNHLQ5D\PRQG&KDQGOHU·V novel The Long Goodbye ZLWKWKHRFFDVLRQDOJODQFHWRZDUGVHDUOLHUDQGODWHUQRYHOV DQGKRZ&KDQGOHU·VVRQLFHYRFDWLRQRI/$PLJKWÀQGLWVHTXLYDOHQWLQWKHODWHVW3KLOLS0DUORZH novel The Black-Eyed Blonde E\%HQMDPLQ%ODFN QRPGHSOXPHRIWKH,ULVKQRYHOLVW-RKQ %DQYLOOH ZKLFKWLHVLQLQWHUWH[WXDOO\ZLWKFKDUDFWHUVDQGSORWVWUXFWXUHVIURPThe Long Goodbye. Keywords:5D\PRQG&KDQGOHU%HQMDPLQ%ODFNQRLUVRXQGFLW\ A. Eisenberg ÀDU9RO 0D\ The Sound of L.A. Noir IRUXPIRULQWHUDPHULFDQUHVHDUFK ,661 1. Introduction Cities have distinct sounds. Some cities might sound alike, some may vary by subtle GHJUHHVDQGRWKHUVH[KLELWVLJQLÀFDQWDFRXVWLFODQGPDUNVVXFKDV/RQGRQ·V%LJ%HQ%XWKRZ GRHVWKLVSOD\RXWIRUFLWLHVLQOLWHUDWXUH",QWKLVSDSHU,H[SORUHZKDW/RV$QJHOHVVRXQGVOLNH LQ5D\PRQG&KDQGOHU·VQRYHOThe Long Goodbye ZLWKWKHRFFDVLRQDOJODQFHWRZDUGV HDUOLHUDQGODWHUQRYHOVDQGKRZ&KDQGOHU·VVRQLFHYRFDWLRQRI/$PLJKWÀQGLWVHTXLYDOHQWLQ the latest Philip Marlowe novel The Black-Eyed Blonde E\%HQMDPLQ%ODFN QRPGHSOXPH RIWKH,ULVKQRYHOLVW-RKQ%DQYLOOH ZKLFKWLHVLQLQWHUWH[WXDOO\ZLWKFKDUDFWHUVDQGSORWVWUXFWXUHV from The Long Goodbye. Literature has a long tradition of urban novels that made the respective FLWLHVDSSHDOWRDOORIWKHVHQVHVRIWKHLUSURWDJRQLVWV DQGWKHLUUHDGHUV IURPVLJKWWRVRXQGWR WRXFKWRVPHOO5D\PRQG&KDQGOHU·V/RV$QJHOHVLVVXFKDPXOWLGLPHQVLRQDOFLW\WKDWFDQHDVLO\ MRLQWKHUDQNVRIZHOOHVWDEOLVKHGOLWHUDU\XUEDQFODVVLFVRIWKHHDUO\th century, such as Alfred '|EOLQ·V%HUOLQ-RKQ'RV3DVVRV·V1HZ<RUNRU-DPHV-R\FH·V'XEOLQ(YHQHDUOLHUFODVVLFVPLJKW EHLQFOXGHGLQWKHOLVWVLQFH)UDQN0F6KDQHFODLPVWKDW&KDQGOHU´FUHDWH>G@WKHZKROHRI/RV $QJHOHVLQPXFKWKHVDPHZD\WKDWVXFKth-Century novelists as Dickens and Balzac created /RQGRQDQG3DULVIRUIXWXUHJHQHUDWLRQVµ 0DF6KDQH 7R&KDQGOHUZKRIDPRXVO\QRWHGWKDW ´>W@KHLGHDOP\VWHU\ZDVRQH\RXZRXOGUHDGLIWKHHQGZDVPLVVLQJµ Trouble Is My Business YLLL setting and characters were doubtless more important than the solution of the murder mysteries LQKLVQRYHOV,QGHHGZKHQ+RZDUG+DZNVVHWRXWWRWXUQ&KDQGOHU·VQRYHOThe Big Sleep into a PRYLHVWDUULQJ+XPSKUH\%RJDUWDQG/DXUHQ%DFDOOKHGLVFRYHUHGWKDWWKHQRYHOGLGQ·WGLVFORVH who murdered the Sternwood family chauffeur, or whether the man committed suicide. As the story JRHV+DZNVDVNHG&KDQGOHUDERXWWKLVZKRUHSOLHG´GDPPLW,GLGQ·WNQRZHLWKHU´DV&KDQGOHU ODWHUUHFDOOHGLQDOHWWHUWR-DPLH+DPLOWRQ +LQH\DQG0DF6KDQH ,QWKLVFRQWH[W)UDQN MacShane emphasizes the vital entanglement and immense potential of the city setting in crime ÀFWLRQZLWKUHJDUGWR&KDQGOHU´7KHGHWHFWLYHVWRU\VRSHFXOLDUWRWKHPRGHUQFLW\FDQLQYROYHDQ H[WUDRUGLQDU\UDQJHRIKXPDQLW\IURPWKHYHU\ULFKWRWKHYHU\SRRUDQGFDQHQFRPSDVVDJUHDW PDQ\GLIIHUHQWSODFHVµ 7KXVLWPD\VHHPVXUSULVLQJWKDWWRGDWHWKHPDMRULW\RIUHVHDUFKRQ XUEDQVSDFHVLQFULPHÀFWLRQIURPDVHQVRU\SHUVSHFWLYHDGKHUHVDOPRVWH[FOXVLYHO\WRDYLVXDO SDUDGLJP ,W LV WKH ÁDVKLQJ QHRQ OLJKWV WKH LQN\ VKDGRZV DQG WKH EOLQGV REVFXULQJ ZLQGRZV WKDW FRPH WR PLQG DV FKDUDFWHULVWLFV RI WKH KDUGERLOHG DQG QRLU JHQUHV ,Q P\ DUWLFOH , ZDQW WRVKLIWWKHIRFXVIURPYLVXDOVSDFHVDQGSODFHVLQFULPHÀFWLRQWRWKHDXGLWRU\TXDOLWLHVRIWKH XUEDQHQYLURQPHQW,QJHQHUDOWKHVRXQGRIQRLULVVWLOODQXQGHUUHSUHVHQWHGÀHOGZLWK5REHUW 0LNOLWVFK·V PRQRJUDSK Siren City – Sound and Source Music in Classic American Noir UHSUHVHQWLQJDQRWDEOHIRUHUXQQHULQWKHÀHOGRIÀOPVWXGLHV:KLOH0LNOLWVFKDQDO\]HVDOOGLIIHUHQW NLQGVRIVRXQGVZLWKUHJDUGWRÀOPQRLU,IRFXVRQDVSHFLÀFVXEVHWRIVRXQGVXUEDQVRXQGVVRXQGV A. Eisenberg ÀDU9RO 0D\ The Sound of L.A. Noir IRUXPIRULQWHUDPHULFDQUHVHDUFK ,661 WKDWDUHFRQQHFWHGWRDQGUHSUHVHQWDWLYHRIDFLW\VFDSH7KLVOHDGVWRDUHGHÀQLWLRQDQGSUHFLVLRQRI 5D\PRQG0XUUD\6FKDIHU·VRULJLQDOFRLQDJHRIWKHWHUP¶VRXQGVFDSH·DVLQP\GHÀQLWLRQVRXQGVFDSH comprises all of those sounds which the reader of a literary work perceives to be constitutive of a PHGLDWHGH[SHULHQFHRIWKHUHVSHFWLYHFLW\VFDSH>@ ,QDÀUVWSKHQRPHQRORJLFDODSSURDFKWRDW\SRORJ\RIXUEDQVRXQGV,KDYHLGHQWLÀHGIRXU main groups of sounds that are related to their urban environment in one way or another, moving IURPWKHPRUHFRQFUHWHDQGREYLRXVXUEDQVRXQGVWRWKHPRUHDEVWUDFWDQGXQXVXDO7KHÀUVW group consists of all mechanical and technological sounds that are determined by the architectural DQGLQGXVWULDOIHDWXUHVRIWKHFLW\VXFKDVWUDIÀFDQGWUDQVSRUWDWLRQVLUHQVDQGEHOOV ERWKPRELOH DQGVWDWLRQDU\ IDFWRULHVDQGFRQVWUXFWLRQVLWHV7KHVHFRQGJURXSLVVLPLODUO\GHWHUPLQHGE\ the topography of the city. While most discourse on urban space sees this group as a distinct RSSRVLWHWRWKHFLW\WKHERXQGDULHVDUHVXUHO\QRWDVVWULFWQDWXUDODQGDQLPDOVRXQGV²UDQJLQJ from bird song, squeaking rats and barking dogs to the sounds of the sea, lakes or rivers. The WKLUGJURXSFRPSULVHVWKHPDMRUDXGLHQFHIRUDQGDWWKHVDPHWLPHSURPLQHQWSURGXFHURIXUEDQ VRXQGVKXPDQEHLQJVZKHWKHUDVPXPEOLQJFURZGVVWUHHWYHQGRUVRUWKURXJKDGLVWLQFWZD\ RIVSHDNLQJVXFKDVWKH%HUOLQGLDOHFWLQ'|EOLQ·VBerlin AlexanderplatzRUWKH.DQVDVDFFHQWLQ &KDQGOHU·VPlayback$QGÀQDOO\PXVLFFDQDOVRKDYHDJUHDWYDULHW\RIFRQQHFWLRQVWRWKHFLW\ it is performed in, originates from, or is associated with in literature. This includes vocal music DERXWWKHFLW\ZLWK)UDQN6LQDWUD·V¶1HZ<RUN1HZ<RUN·EHLQJRQHRIWKHPRVWIDPRXVH[DPSOHV certain musical styles or forms, such as Chicago Jazz, but also buskers, nightclubs and bars, as ZHOODVUDGLRRUMXNHER[PXVLFSOD\HGLQWKHUHVSHFWLYHFLW\%XWQRWDOORIWKHVHVRXQGVZLOOEH found in any city and not all of them at the same time and in the same place. So rather than merely LGHQWLI\LQJZKLFKNLQGVRIVRXQGVPLJKWEHKHDUGLQDQXUEDQVSDFHWKHPRUHVLJQLÀFDQWTXHVWLRQ VKRXOGDFWXDOO\EHZKRKHDUVWKHP"7KLVTXHVWLRQLVDQDGGLWLRQWR*pUDUG*HQHWWH·VGLVWLQFWLRQ EHWZHHQZKRVSHDNV QDUUDWRU DQGZKRVHHV IRFDOL]HU LQDOLWHUDU\WH[W>@:KRKHDUV" 2. Listen, Marlowe ,Q&KDQGOHU·VQRYHOVDQGLQ%ODFN·VSDVWLFKHWKHKDUGERLOHGGHWHFWLYH3KLOLS0DUORZHLVWKH SURPLQHQWÀUVWSHUVRQQDUUDWRUDQGIRFDOL]HUHYHU\WKLQJLVPHGLDWHGWKURXJKKLPKHLVWKHRQHZKR VSHDNVVHHVDQGIHHOV:KHQKHEHFRPHVXQFRQVFLRXVWKHQDUUDWLYHLVLQWHUUXSWHGZKHQKHIDOOV DVOHHSWKHFKDSWHUHQGV0DUORZHGHVFULEHVKLPVHOIDVD´ORQHZROIµ The Long Goodbye >@ DQG&KDQGOHUZURWHLQWR0DXULFH*XLQQHVV´,VHH>0DUORZH@DOZD\VLQDORQHO\VWUHHWLQORQHO\ URRPVSX]]OHGEXWQHYHUTXLWHGHIHDWHGµ *DUGQHUDQG:DONHU +HLVXVXDOO\VKRUWRQPRQH\ EXWGRHVQ·WUHDOO\FDUHDERXWLWKHUHJXODUO\JHWVLQWRWURXEOHERWKZLWKWKHFLW\·VUDFNHWHHUVDQGWKH SROLFHIRUFHKHOLYHVLQDQLPSHUVRQDOUHQWHGKRXVH²´WKLVZDVZKDW,ZRXOGFRPHEDFNWR$EODQN A. Eisenberg ÀDU9RO 0D\ The Sound of L.A. Noir IRUXPIRULQWHUDPHULFDQUHVHDUFK ,661 ZDOOLQDPHDQLQJOHVVURRPLQDPHDQLQJOHVVKRXVHµ Playback ²DQGKHNHHSVDQ¶RIÀFHERWWOH· in his desk, which he turns to more often than to his mostly female clients. This narrative perspective LPSOLHVWKDWDOO/$VRXQGVUHODWHGLQWKHQRYHOVUHÁHFW0DUORZH·VUHDFWLRQWRDQGSHUFHSWLRQRI WKHPUDWKHUWKDQDQREMHFWLYHPDWWHURIIDFWGHVFULSWLRQRIXUEDQVRXQGVZKLFKDQRPQLVFLHQW QDUUDWRUPLJKWEHDEOHWRFRQYH\7KLVEHFRPHVDSSDUHQWIRUH[DPSOHZKHQ0DUORZHZDNHVXS ZLWKDKDQJRYHUDQGGLVFORVHVDQDFRXVWLFVHQVDWLRQKHZRXOGQRUPDOO\QRWSHUFHLYHFRQVFLRXVO\ Birds chirped in the shrubbery outside and the cars went up and down /DXUHO&DQ\RQ%RXOHYDUGHQGOHVVO\8VXDOO\,ZRXOGQ·WHYHQKHDUWKHP %XW,ZDVEURRGLQJDQGLUULWDEOHDQGPHDQDQGRYHUVHQVLWLYH,GHFLGHGWR NLOOWKHKDQJRYHU The Long GoodbyeI 7R DFFRXQW IRU VXFK D VSHFLÀF VHQVXDO SHUVSHFWLYH WKH GHVFULSWLYH FDWHJRU\ ´3RLQW RI $XGLWLRQµ 32$ ZDVGHYHORSHGDVDQDFRXVWLFDQDORJ\WRWKHWHUP´3RLQWRI9LHZµ7KH32$ EHFDPH HVSHFLDOO\ SURPLQHQW LQ ÀOP VWXGLHV DQG WRRN RQ D VLJQLÀFDQW UROH WR GHVFULEH WKH VXEMHFWLYHUHFHSWLRQRIVRXQGV>@$JHQXLQHO\OLWHUDU\DSSURDFKDVDOUHDG\PHQWLRQHGPRGLÀHV *HQHWWH·VFRQFHSWRIWKHIRFDOL]HULQWRWKHDXVFXOWDWRUZKLFK0HOED&XGG\.HDQHSURSRVHVDVD QDUUDWRORJLFDOFDWHJRU\>@,QJHQHUDOWKHPRVWREYLRXVLQGLFDWRUVIRUDVSHFLÀFSHUVRQDO32$RUD SURPLQHQWDXVFXOWDWRULQOLWHUDWXUHDUHWKHXVHRIYHUEVIURPWKHVHPDQWLFÀHOGRI´OLVWHQLQJµVXFKDV ¶KHDU·¶OLVWHQ·¶HDYHVGURS·¶RYHUKHDU·DQGVRRQ/RRNLQJIRUVXFKLQGLFDWLRQVDVDVWDUWLQJSRLQWIRU DVRQLFUHDGLQJRIDÀUVWSHUVRQQDUUDWLRQVHHPVSODXVLEOHDVEDVLFDOO\HYHU\SKHQRPHQRQLQWKH world may have an acoustic dimension, which – in theory – could be heard, as Toni Bernhart rightly REVHUYHV I &HUWDLQO\GHQVHO\GHVFULEHGVHQVRU\LPSUHVVLRQVRIDFLW\VFDSHDUHDEOHWRHYRNH FHUWDLQVRXQGVLQWKHUHDGHUV·PLQGVHYHQWKRXJKWKHUHPD\EHVXFKQRH[SOLFLWLQGLFDWRUVIRUWKHP %XWH[DPLQLQJVXFKDQLPSOLFLWHYRFDWLRQSRVHVDQDO\WLFDOGLIÀFXOWLHVVLQFHDQ\LQYHVWLJDWLRQRIWKLV NLQGZRXOGKDYHWRWXUQIURPDWH[WLPPLQHQWWRDUHDGHUUHVSRQVHDSSURDFK7KLVLVZK\,UHIUDLQIURP GUDZLQJRQLQGLUHFWHYRFDWLRQVRIVRXQG7KLVDSSURDFKLVVXSSRUWHGE\WKHÀUVWSHUVRQSHUVSHFWLYHV LQ&KDQGOHU·VDQG%ODFN·VQRYHOVZKHUHVLJQLÀHUVIRU0DUORZH·V32$DUHHPSOR\HGWKURXJKRXW ,GHQWLI\LQJWKHSHUFLSLHQWDJHQF\FDQRQO\EHDÀUVWVWHSKRZHYHUVLQFHLWLVHTXDOO\LPSRUWDQW to determine how these sounds are evaluated or semantisized, which metaphors or similes are FKRVHQWREHVWRZDQGFRQYH\DFHUWDLQPHDQLQJ7KLVFDQEHTXLWHREYLRXVVXFKDVZKHQ%ODFN·V 0DUORZHVWDWHV´,OLNHWKHglug-glug-glug WKDWWKHVRGDPDNHVDVLWWXPEOHVRYHULFHLW·VDVRXQG WKDWDOZD\VFKHHUVPHXSµ The Black-Eyed BlondeRULJLQDOHPSKDVLV 7KLVLVUHPLQLVFHQW of a short scene in Farewell, My Lovely, when 0DUORZHÀQGVVKHOWHUDW$QQH5LRUGDQ·VSODFH DIWHU KH KDV EHHQ GUXJJHG DQG KHOG FDSWLYH ´VRPHZKHUH LFH FXEHV WLQNOHG DQG , FORVHG P\ H\HVDQGOLVWHQHGWRWKHVPDOOXQLPSRUWDQWVRXQGVµ 7KLVOLVWHQLQJH[SHULHQFHLVVXEWOHULQ LWVFRQQRWDWLRQWKDQ%ODFN·VSRVLWLYHDVVHUWLRQDQGDOWKRXJKWKHVRXQGVPLJKWEHGHVFULEHGDV unimportant, this short sequence points to an essential distinction between positive and negative A. Eisenberg ÀDU9RO 0D\ The Sound