“It’s a dog eat dog world” Sweet Smell of Success and D.O.A

“Sweet Smell of Success.”

Overall, I do not really like this film’s content or plot setup. It has too many unmoral politics and manipulation. But I do like the esthetic makeup of the movie. The picture is clear and the close up shots of the characters enhances the quality of the movie. My critiques are as follows:

Sydney is a character that owes everyone something. JJ is suppose to be his best friend but he does not want to converse with Sydney when he goes to the club. That particular scene reaffirms the precarious position with people and his career. Sydney uses everyone just to succeed for marginal reasons. Just to get something published in a column Sydney acts like a pimp ready to pawn of Rita to Otis the columnist.

Music plays a strong roll in helping the plot move along in this movie. When Sydney leaves Susie at the hotel, you know that he is about to do something bad or manipulative because of the music. When Sydney tells JJ that he is going to take care of the “problem” the music begins again. It is interesting that music surrounding JJ is mostly dark and menacing.

This movie also has a lot of dog imagery. At the beginning of the movie Sydney says that, “every dog will have its day.” This is interesting because Sydney is a dog. Steve, Susie’s boyfriend, critiques Sydney personal morals and politics effectively when he says, “don’t scratch for information like a dog, but do it upfront like a man instead.”

In addition, the relationship with Susie and her brother JJ is weird. Especially, JJ’s possessiveness over his sister, it screams some complexes to me. And when JJ kisses Susie cheek at the studio, it was creepy.

D.O.A

The music in this film functions similarly as, “Sweet Smell of Success,” it helps progress the plot and tie the characters together. When Frank is at his hotel after the big night out at the Jazz club he orders a drink. Simultaneously, eerie music begins in his hotel room, as he is about to drink from the cup. Then he randomly sends the drink away. The same eerie music proceeds around Frank on his way to the doctor. The music of course is a type of foreshadowing of something to come, predictably something bad or menacing. And at the end of the movie when Frank confronts his killer, the club music with the woman’s voice begins again, possible demonstrating the conclusion of the mystery and death to both characters.


In addition, the secretary for Frank is very dramatic, and she is having a relationship with her boss. Interestingly, Sydney in “Sweet Smell of Success” has more than a platonic relationship with his secretary. She actually functions as a moral standard that Sydney judges himself against. But Frank’s relationship is more platonic and intimate with his secretary; but it creates problematic tensions between the two characters. Especially because Frank is a flirter and other women in the movie are very attracted to him.

Furthermore, I thought the club scene featuring the all black band was interesting. The progression of the pace of the music intensifies the chaotic environment of the space in the club. There were also close up shots of the musicians, which mostly focused on the face; it portrayed the intensity of the music and the intensity of the musicians.

In this movie the club functions as a place of danger, sin and adultery. It is in the club where Frank is poisoned and where the married woman is able to openly flirt with him, even though she is intoxicated.