- Gilda Press Photo - Columbia Pictures
Gilda (1946) is a fascinating case study when separating fact from fiction and immoral from moral. The film works on various levels by incorporating a melodramatic narrative and using film-noir stylistics to tell the tale of a three disillusioned infatuated beings, doomed romantics in an illustrious Buenos Aires. The film is set in the environment it was born out of; playing on the US paranoia that German Nazi criminals has escaped to South America assuming new identities.
Ballin and Johnny
The central theme of Gilda is decency, and this quality is questionable for the three central characters as they deliberately abuse moral precepts of both the audience and within the realm of the cinematic world. Gilda is overt in its depiction of the forbidden, through other mechanisms akin to film-noir. Through the straight, unassuming dialogue, the frivolous open gestures, the constant cavorting and the merciless mind games, the three central characters play with one another, for no other motive then vengeance and perhaps simply to dispirit boredom.
Please note there are spoilers ahead in this article.
Through this dance of betrayal, implied themes are homosexuality and misogyny, all of which are disguised to bypass the then strict production code. An example of implying Freudian connotations is the opening dialogue between the two male figures in the triangle, Ballin Mundson (George Macready), a defaced elder German whom runs a Casino and Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) a young naïve, professional gambler who would do anything for wealth and subsequent authority; Ballin speaks of his cane and subsequent dagger in terms of power, control and authority, an obvious reference to the perfect partner in his professional and private life:
“It is a most faithful, obedient friend. It is silent when I wish to be silent. It talks when I wish to talk."
Later, Johnny after a lucky hand at blackjack easily becomes submissive to Ballin’s request, somewhat smitten by the glitz of the Casino and the dominance smarmy Ballin withholds. Johnny pleasurably and earnestly offers himself to Ballin:
“You see, this way, you'll have two friends. You've no idea how faithful and obedient I can be …for a nice salary”.
Gilda
Seemingly Johnny is bought by Ballin, just as Gilda, (Rita Hayworth) both are seemingly victims of Ballin’s financial security and rich lifestyle. Ballin is stereotypically an antagonist, he’s sly, cunning and deceptive, he isn’t given the charisma of Johnny or the friskiness of Gilda, rather he is built reptilian like, constantly dominating the film visually, orchestrating his own little mind games with the downwardly spiraling Johnny. Ballin is testing Johnny’s loyalty and devotion while dangling Gilda in front of him while Gilda is testing Johnny’s loyalty to Ballin.
Johnny loses his innocence, clearly at the entrance of the Gilda; it is with her infamous introduction, he begins to become volatile and demoralized.
Johnny was content with Ballin before Gilda was revealed to the audience. Equally Gilda replaces Ballin’s phallic cane, much to the dismay of Johnny. Gilda is reckless and is implied to be a tramp as she willingly tortures Johnny by acting upon various advances from assorted men, as Johnny desperately tries to please Ballin by acting as her bodyguard.
Ballin begins to suspect he is losing Gilda to Johnny and later Johnny, in his decent into madness and love/hate relationship with Gilda. Johnny marries Gilda in an attempt to keep her faithful, to the supposedly deceased Ballin, his previous mentor. Interestingly Johnny transforms into Ballin, in his absence.
Johnny becomes his own mentor; he is powerful financially, politically and endeavors to regain Ballin’s empire while physically and mentally holding Gilda captive seemingly to redeem her from her implied sins and revenge for leaving him and marrying Ballin.
While Gilda is nevertheless edgy, it never quite depicts what it is really going on visually, it’s all implied and to be assumed by the open-minded audience. The films presents the scenario, points the audience in the right the direction and lets the audience form their psychological, emotional and intellectual response.
Vanessa Appassamy - Vanessa Claire Appassamy is an established freelance writer and researcher who has been awarded a Master of Arts (Research), Bachelor of ...
