Body Heat

Reflection Paper: Body Heat


Body Heat is a film noir because it is a crime drama that emphasizes cynical attitudes and sexual motivations.

In what I have reflected in the film, I think Body Heat takes almost all the classic noir elements, and puts them in a modern world without making it feel unnatural. 

The overall goal of the protagonist in the film is to free the femme fatale from her loveless marriage. 

The themes presented include those expected from any film noir, love, murder, deception, and intrigue. The themes of love and deception are most notable as love is a tool for deception. There is no scene in which Matty admits her love was simply a tool to achieve their goal. This is especially true in Body Heat; in fact, Matty would never admit the existence of a plan at all. Sex and greed were prominent and arguably just as important as love and deception. The theme of greed is far more evident in Body Heat as well.

An interesting twist in Body Heat is that instead of planning the murder to receive twice the insurance money, Matty suggests they change the will in order for her to receive all of her husband's fortune. The ending to this film is most satisfactory. It turns out that Matty loved money more.

The cinematography in Body Heat is really good. While many scenes take place in broad daylight, there are also several scenes at night and in fog. 
The movie also uses extreme heat to create a noir atmosphere.

The conventions that best exemplify this are the formula of the story, the themes throughout the films, and the types of characters in the films. Body Heat holds true to the fatalistic tendencies of film noir.

I think that Body Heat maintains the old-school glamour and mystery of classic film noir while adding an element of graphic sexuality that’s unmistakably modern. It is a film that catches attention and draws unexpected conclusions. The lesson I’ve learned in the film is that, not everything you see around you is what they actually seem.