Some Like It Hot - 'yacht scene' analysis

  Key elements of film form:

   As with all film scenes, film form is the most important element to making them work, or fail. As the camera acts as the camera for the spectator, and sound and lighting create mood and atmosphere, film form is essential to engage the spectator. In Some Like It Hot, film form is used in a variety of ways to engage the viewer, many of which can be duly noted whilst watching this scene.

  Starting with cinematography, the camera takes lots of long-shots at medium close-up to focus the spectator's attention on the dialogue and chemistry between the actors. The camera uses angles to focus on one actor in particular or stays directly centered when focused on both actors. Quite simply, the camera goes where the spectator's attention is needed. To add to this, the use of distance can act as a demonstrator of the level of comfort and intimacy between the two actors, standing back slightly in the beginning as Sugar is nervous before coming closer to the actors, later on, when they are kissing. Moreover, the scene is one continuous shot, with no cuts, adding a sense of realism to it whilst also highlighting the skill of the performers, allowing them to drive the scene instead of editing. The lack of editing gives attention to, not only the performance, but the social contexts in the film which will be explored later on this page.

  Sound is another element which plays a larger part in its absence with no background music which makes the scene less romantic, or possibly less tense, than it could have been. Instead the scene is grounded in realism, a key separation from a lot of the rest of the film which requires more of a suspension of disbelief and relies more on comedic elements. The dialogue has plot relevance in the fake accent put on by Joe to disguise himself, illustrating that, despite the inherent realism of the scene, the relationship is built on a lie and a façade. This is all socially relevant in its ideas of putting on a performance and hiding behind a façade; prevalent themes in 1920s American society. 

  Mise-en-scene plays a part in aiding Tony Curtis's performance of Joe's performance as Sugar's 'ideal man'. The setting of a yacht, owned by someone else, sets this relationships foundations on lies, supported by Joe's outfit, false accent and false reasoning to why he's not attracted by Sugar - which he clearly is. Curtis's use of props such as champagne glasses and a pheasant leg helps him create a persona of not being affected by his attraction to Sugar, kissing her and then immediately drinking or eating. Besides comedic elements, it makes a social point on the, what can be, obsessive treatment of women by men and how women may prefer a more casual interaction. 

  Finally, performance, which has been touched upon before, is essential for the success of this scene. Most notably is the chemistry between Marylin Monroe and Tony Curtis where, despite not being overtly sexual with each other, they connect both platonically and romantically. Individually, Monroe plays into her persona as a sex icon of the time through her revealing costume and playful attitude whilst Curtis plays a gentleman, who the spectator would assume to be infatuated with her, who is disinterested in Monroe's provocativeness. Both of these characters, however, are acting different from themselves to play into what the other person wants. This disingenuousness is key to both the social context of the time and to issues of representation.

Issues of representation:

  One of the key societal issues explored in Some Like It Hot is the representation of gender. On a broader scale, this is through stereotypes and preconceptions. For Joe and Gerald, it is so easy to act like a woman that they don't even need to prepare. This highlights the idea that women are shallow and quite simple. Contrasting the broad range of men shown in the film, most of the women act the same; childish, careless and silly. Any woman that breaks that mold is seen as manly, indicating how the 1920s limited women's freedom of expression to a few specific roles. Men, however, are seen as everything from gangsters to policeman; manly to effeminate; a dynamic of range of people, each independent from the other. However, even in the range of different people can be, each alone is a stereotype, just like for women. Society at the time had preconceived opinions and narratives for everybody, keeping them in boxes.

  In this scene, these themes are explored through the subversion of these expectations. Where the man would be expected to be more dominant and lustful, we see the woman take this role while it's the man being pressured into a situation he doesn't want. Of course, this role reversal is only a result of the false pretenses this meeting is built upon but the meaning is still there; break free from the stereotype.
As this whole film is about men dressing as women, Wilder's intent is very clear.

  The other issue of representation is about queer people, in this cross-dressers but it represents a larger issue, where, defying the restrictive Hay's Code which prohibits anything in films that seems to go against what the Church would approve, Wilder portrayed men dressing as women in a positive way.

Wider social and cultural contexts:

  Apart from the issues of gender and sexual representation prevalent in both 1920s society, when the film is set, and 1950s society, when the film was made, Some Like It Hot addresses other social and cultural issues. Most notably is the defiance of Prohibition where, despite the ban of alcohol sale and consumption, everyone is drinking it illegally anyway. This is evidenced by the casualness of its consumption, in fact Sugar is more worried about being caught drinking by her band leader than by the police. There is also the issue of decadence and over-indulgence where, looking back, the spectator realises the film is set just three years before the Wall Street Crash and Great Depression, but everyone is spending lavishly. Many of the characters in the film aren't particularly wealthy but their attitude still fits these ideas. Women of the time, and in this film, look for wealth and status in a man above all else.

  This is all seen in this scene with the casual consumption of champagne, the expensive suit and revealing dress and just the setting of an empty yacht, filled with more than anyone could need. The mise-un-scene creates an atmosphere which is iconoclastic of the 1920s. -