Reflections
on “Prime Cut”
Directed
by Michael Ritchie
Script
by Robert Dillon
Starring
Lee Marvin, Gene Hackman and Sissy Spacek
Dismissed by many as
quirky, violent or outlandish, “Prime Cut” delivers a neo-noir gangster
thriller cum fairytale that mixes satire with thrills while playing with conventions,
both cinematic and fairytale, and makes points about society which remain
remarkably relevant even more than fifty years after its release.
Kansas gangster Mary Ann has borrowed half a million dollars from the Chicago mob and he refuses to repay his debt, resulting in the violent deaths of several envoys dispatched to recover the money and then the hiring of enforcer Nick Devlin by Chicago to recoup their money or inflict punishment on Mary Ann.
It is worth noting that
traditional law enforcement plays no part in the proceedings and we are clearly
in film noir territory with neither of the rival groups respecting law and
order. There are, however, distinct differences between the two camps. The
Chicago city “mob” is polite and maintains a veneer of respectability and
decorum that distracts from the criminal nature of their activities. They
appear to recognise they are dependent on fundamental public freedoms and
rights if their hustles and scams are to be effective. They may be a criminal
enterprise but they are business-like, organised and focused on financial gain,
not exploitation or dominion.
On the other hand, Mary
Ann’s rural Kansas crew is narcissistic, unsophisticated, lawless and casually
disregards values and humanity as, among many other nefarious activities and
actions, they treat young women like cattle to be sold into prostitution or
sexual abuse to the highest bidder at auction.
And so we have two levels
of corruption and amorality – in the city, the gangsters depend on a prosperous
and relatively healthy and happy society to make money, while in the country,
the gangsters have lost sight of consideration and respect and are devoted to
self-indulgence and profit at the expense of others.
Nick Devlin is no angel.
He is a man capable of amoral acts, especially when dealing with amoral people,
and he is willing to make those who deserve it, suffer. However, as is so often
the case in film noir, an apparently amoral agent can have his conscience or
idealistic side awakened and be led to demonstrate compassion and
understanding, showing humanity and hope.
Devlin meets Mary Ann and
threateningly demands repayment of Chicago’s money but he is touched by the
innocence and predicament of Poppy who is to be sold into prostitution or
sexual abuse by the heartless Mary Ann and Devlin takes her away with him, “on
account”.
Devlin treats Poppy with
kindness and respect and this is a key element of the film. He is willing to
accept and live by amoral standards and can operate on the same level as his
opponents to regulate matters, yet he is willing to help those innocents who
are victimised by these amoral standards. He is thus an unexpected and dubious
hero as he discovers or reveals his humanity and the limits to his amoral
conduct.
Indeed, with regard to
the “fairytale” aspect of the film, Devlin may even be viewed as something of a
“white knight” as his light grey suits (and white shoes at one point), elevate
him above the level of his well-dressed colleagues and contrast with the casual
and slovenly appearance of his opponents. These suits may even suggest armour and
relative purity and nobility of purpose as he attacks the lair of the “villain”
and saves the innocent maiden. I should point out that many of the original
versions of fairytales were far more brutal than the sanitised forms we have
come to expect, and included violence, rape and murder, so perhaps the gap
between a fairytale and film noir is not so great after all…
Fundamentally, as a
neo-noir fairytale, the film needs a heroic aspect because otherwise there
would be little interest in simply watching two groups of amoral characters
fight it out amid what would be pointless action sequences with continued and
unchanged amorality as the end result. This way, in keeping with the age-old
conventions of storytelling, we have someone to root for and a principle to
believe in as Devlin’s outlook is challenged and his humanity is awakened. Our
sullied hero defends principle and he destroys an evil organisation, though
this also happens to suit the purposes of his amoral employers…
The depiction of the
Chicago gangsters may also be viewed as reflecting aspects of shady modern
business dealings in which the veneer of respectability and decorum conceals a
grimy, threatening and underhand mentality with businesses and CEOs willing to
use others to maximise profit with a minimum of honest effort.
Equally, the depiction of
the environment in which the Kansas gangsters and Mary Ann operate may resonate
with some present-day audiences as those living in and around Mary Ann’s field
of influence seem willing to turn a blind eye to or wilfully misconstrue his
misdeeds, manipulation and crass determination to have his own way. Even the
apparently outlandish and horrifying auction of young women for immoral
purposes has found vague parallels in modern times…
Clearly, the society
presented in the film is male-dominated and women are treated largely as
objects of pleasure or abuse, but the film does offer a glimmer of hope in that
Poppie is liberated and is shown respect, and she and Devlin go on to free the
young ladies in the orphanage, ending on a note of optimism and contributing to
the modern fairytale quality of the film.
I regard “Prime Cut” as
flawed but involving and thoroughly enjoyable. The combination of film noir and
fairytale is intriguing but isn’t easy to achieve and it’s probably better not
to think too hard about inconsistencies in characterisation, plot and tone.
Better to just enjoy the emotional engagement, the playful and daring
combination of noir and fairytale, and especially the performances of Lee
Marvin, Gene Hackman and Sissy Spacek who carry the film and allow it to
transcend what may be viewed as its imperfections.
My thanks for taking the
time to read this article. I hope you found it of some value.
Stuart Fernie (stuartfernie@yahoo.co.uk)
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