Film: White Heat
8:00 pm
doors at 7:30 pm
Kinonik’s survey of film noir on 16mm continues this summer with this perfect action classic. Raoul Walsh’s protagonists had a knack for going too far, but none went further than James Cagney in this roaring gangster piece. Gang leader Cody Jarrett (Cagney) is an unhinged punk who sleeps in his mother’s lap between jobs; otherwise, he’s continually in motion, blasting away at cops and bystanders. Pure id, Jarrett is arguably the most unbalanced hero in film noir, yet Walsh’s swift, nuanced direction keeps you cheering for him up to the famous ending.
About KinoNoir
The film noir program is a journey into the dark side of domestic entanglements, with the noir lens focused on darkened living rooms and bedrooms. Looking beyond noir’s usual suspects, the lineup includes kept men, dangerous daughters, obsessive uncles, cheating spouses, sons with mother issues, and criminally inclined clans. While the relationships vary, violence, bad ends, psychological damage, and obsessions bind the characters. Screenings will be followed by discussions of the intersection of noir sensibilities and domestic relationships.
Presented in the original 16mm format, this is an important regional opportunity to reconnect with the unique sensory conditions of cinema presented on celluloid film. Join us in staying curious and keeping endangered media histories alive and thriving in Portland.
KinoNoir is presented on the second Monday of the month by Kinonik with support from the Maine Humanities Council.
About Kinonik
Kinonik’s mission is to promote and support the study of cinema through theatrical screenings projected from film. Kinonik screens 16mm films from the donated collection of Juris Ubans and donated academic collections; the eclectic selection offers a rich overview of film from the early days of cinema to the 60s. Join us in the shared darkness to rediscover the power of 24 fps communal cinema.