VLVL2 (14) Movie(s) of the Week, 271-274

[Paul Nightingale]

Yes, the relationship between the two texts is certainly relevant in VL. I
briefly discussed the (1940s) Hollywood censorship of (1930s) noir novels in
Ch10 (192ff), but failed to make the connection to Zoyd's Bert-quote back on
57, so thanks for that. The film would have been familiar to film students
(and their estranged partners, perhaps) from the late-60s; the source novel,
and others like it, were probably 'rehabilitated' critically a decade later
onwards, so do become part of the context for P's writing of the 1980s.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On
> Behalf Of Paul Mackin
> Sent: 26 February 2004 18:34
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> Subject: Re: VLVL2 (14) Movie(s) of the Week, 271-274
> 
> On Thu, 2004-02-26 at 04:32, Paul Nightingale wrote:
> 
> > Cf Zoyd in the hotel scene with Frenesi: "'Feel like Mildred Pierce's
> > husband, Bert,' is how Zoyd described his inner feelings ..." (57). I
> > pointed out at the time that Zoyd, drawing on Frenesi's (and his own)
> > knowledge of film history, is alluding to the fact that, at the end of
> MP,
> > the errant wife returns to her forgiving husband.
> 
> 
> > In each case the reference frames experience in terms of its cultural
> > representation, as performance. For Zoyd an attempt to communicate with
> his
> > wife, but also wishful thinking.
> 
> 
> Yes, wishful thinking about an estranged couple eventually reconciling
> is about as specific as the film comparison can be. Because it was Bert
> who was unfaithful to Mildred and a poor provider for the family, which
> was why Mildred divorced him and went on to became successful in
> business. And Mildred not Bert raised the daughter--disastrously it
> turned out.
> 
> Perhaps the movie DOES apply in some way nobody has put his or her
> finger on.
> 
> Death of Brock?  Doubt it but who knows . . .
> 
> The James M. Cain novel rather than the film version might have had more
> relevance to the Wheeler family. Mildred was more promiscuous and
> opportunistic in the book.