Devil in a Blue Dress

Devil in a Blue Dress

v     Introduction

·         Devil in a Blue Dress is a film which goes back to the year 1948 with color. The protagonist Ezekiel Rawlins (Easy), an African-American veteran, finds himself unemployed after he is fired from his job for racial issues. In his attempt to make some money to pay for his mortgage and bills, Easy accepts a task to what it seems to be a simple searching for a “white” woman named Daphne Monet.

v     Traditional noir

·         Voice-over narration: Easy is the character that drives the narrative forward and also the voice that tells the story.

·         Story-line based in a war veteran: As Easy narrates in two different scenes in the film:

§         “I first came out to Los Angeles…when I got home from the war in Europe with $300 in my pocket and the G.I. bill”

§         I had seen dead bodies before. Cold, hard, still as concrete. Their eyes wide open, staring up at nothing…”

·         Ambiguous protagonist: Even though Easy knows his job as a detective it does not look correct, he accepts it by the need for money. As same as Walter in Double Indemnity (1944) when he accepts to do some illegal modifications to Mr. Dietrichson's insurance to later have his part of the policy’s money. Moreover, even though Easy is confronting different situations that are telling him that everything is going wrong, like Coretta’s and Richard’s McGee murders, he continues his searching for Daphne.

·         Overwhelming situations:

§         He is driving in a white neighborhood, with a white woman in the middle of the night which it is a dangerous situation for a black man because of the anxiety racism in the late '40s.

§         Easy has less than 24 hours to find a culprit for the two murders, Coretta and McGee, otherwise he will be charged for them even though his innocence.

v     The film noir is updated to neo noir:

·         It is not just updated with color to the film images but also to the characters. As David Ansen and Tara Weingarten mention in their article “The Neo-Noir '90s” that “film noir was only with Anglo characters and from their point of view” (71). Neo noir in this film updates such concept, where the African-American is the race that prevails in the film as well as the issues that are this film confronts belong to the black community.

§         The role of the detective is play by a black character: Easy

§         Daphne is a mulatto and in some way she is rejected by both of her communities: black and white.

·         Femme fatale, Daphne Monet, she is not the classic or modern femme fatal that kill because of her awful thoughts. If she does it, it is because is way to protect herself from the wrapped world which has taboos about her origin.

·         Film with a story-line based in late '40s and produce in the year of 1995 which deal with the anxieties of both periods: racism.

v     Sex and Violence

·         The sex and violence elements were kind of taboo in the era of film noir. Although, they were part of classic noir, they were not explicit as the way they are in neo noir. In the article “The Dark Past Keeps Returning: Gender Themes in Neo-Noir” Heather Fireman notes that “the Production Code allows filmmakers in the era of ‘40s and ‘50s to show on-screen murder or  extramarital activities if they were castigate” Something that the neo noir filmmakers do not need to deal with.

§         Although Devil in a Blue Dress it has only one scene about sex between Easy and Coretta, this scene is explicit.

§         When Easy enters into the room, to be interrogated about Coretta’s murder in the police station, one of the walls has blood on it letting the audience know that something else besides interviews have been taking place there. This suggestion is proved when Easy is literally beaten by one of the cops.

§         Mouse appears in his first scene pointing out Frank Green’s head with a gun when he (Frank) literally is cutting Easy’s neck. Easy tries to talk to Frank about Daphne, but he does not obtain any answer from him. And all of a sudden Mouse shoots Frank in his shoulder.

Home Owner

Alleva, Richard. "Denzel Washington: Home owner." Commonweal 122.19 (1995): 16. Religion and Philosophy Collection. EBSCO. Web. May 03 2011.

     It is the mix of races one of the elements that updated classic noir, and it brings with it different anxieties. The minority of that time, African-American, suffer the anxiety of corrupt cops.  Alleva, Richard details the scene how one of the cops take advantage of its power to beat Rawlins during the interrogatory about Coretta's murder. Even though, the other cop tries to be fair about the situation it is clear that the abused of power against black people is present. The way that Easy responds a such act is to confirm that he is not someone who leaves his hand tide-up or do nothing when police want to be over power. Moreover, Alleva focus the way the director of  the movie, Carl Franklin, represent Easy's home. The light color, mellow, denotes that he is pacific and it is his place of rest; although, the he needs to deal with police every day. Therefore, the advantage of color movie is that we, as audience, can have a better idea of that character's moods. Something that it could not be appreciate in the classic noir, where the white and black colors represented more the bad side that the good side. Alleva comments how  Easy show us that he does not give up quickly as the rest of his neighbors do. They are immigrating to other stated because of the lack of work as well as the corruption by the cops. Easy take cares of his house; although, he is unemployment and has a mortgage to pay.

Gates, Philippa. "Always a Partner in Crime." Journal of Popular Film & Television 32.1 (2004): 20-29. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 3 May 2011

     In her article "Always Partner in Crime" Philippa Gates points out, "The detective film is concerned with a hero who triumphs over injustice and evil; however, as in the majority of mainstream American film, that hero is most often white" (1). Therefore, the participation of the black detective to films is a element that updated classic noir.  "Devil in a Blue Dress" gives to its audience a clear issue that the community has had and has: racism. As Gates comments "The film is thus a successful revisit to the noir form because, not only does the film authentically re-create the postwar mood, but it also applies it to a more contemporary issue" (26). Therefore, the present of African-American characters in films brings with it the problems that they confront in a daily basis. Easy in his intent to make money with easy task, as a detective, he finds himself involved in a case with two murders. Another element that Gates comments is that "Devil in a Blue Dress" film brings the present of family as a background as well as colors, but is not just the color to distinguish from black and white; is the participation of its character's emotions as community that classic noir does not have (26). Even though, the concept of family apparently is not present, is around Easy's house where family with their kids are seen what it looks to be that not only Easy suffers repression from cops. Gates finishes his article commenting that "Devil in a Blue Dress" step-up with a white woman as a partner of a black detective.


Guerrero, Ed. "Devil in a Blue Dress." Cineaste 22.1 (1996): 38. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 3 May 2011

     As Ed Guerrero implies in his article "Devil in a Blue Dress" Although L.A. in 1948 is clearly Raymond Chandler's turf, and both Mosley and Franklin pay ample homage to him, this noir journey is definitely viewed through the prism of the black experience." Indeed, is the African-American race which prevails in "Devil in a Blue Dress" film that together with its customs it is clear that classic noir is updated. Black actors are seen playing most of the roles from the neighborhoods to the smoky bars. Cops and politics,both corrupts, and some of the gangster are represent by the Anglo race.

Lefebure, Leo D. "Devil in a Blue Dress: Trouble up to the top." Christian Century 113.17 (1996): 551. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 3 May 2011.

     In his article "Devil in Blue Dress: Trouble up to the Top", Leo D. Lefebure based his commentaries in how biological origin and color skin are a barrier for any individual at the time of post ward. Lefebure points out
"The color line restricts all lives, not only African-Americans but even a rich, white politician who can become mayor but cannot choose his own spouse." Colored people are not the only community who suffered because of their origin,the Anglo race in some way pay the consequences to have a relationship with the. Todd Carter who is running for mayor of Los Angeles renounces to married to Daphne because she is part black. He is afraid confronting his family and society about her fiance's origin. Neo-noir films are characteristic for the anxieties that post ward brings with it. Police makes difference between races, as Lefebure comments about the murders that Easy is confronting. In the first murder, Coretta, it does not look to be important to the police since the victim is black. The other one, Daphne's brother, is a white man, so the police has more interest to resolve it. Black community live from  the segregation of job opportunities to lack of protection from cops.