Cycnos | Volume 29.2 - Le Méchant à l'écran. Les paradoxes de l'indispensable figure du mal | III Études de cas

Résumé :

Many of Billy Wilder’s characters spend their time cheating. Charles Tatum (Kirk Douglas), the journalist of Ace in the Hole, is no exception : he plays the hero while in fact he betrays the confidence of a man trapped in a cave and eventually causes his death for having delayed the rescue operations. Interestingly for a 1951 film, Wilder’s reporter is not honest : the only thing that counts is his personal ambition, and he is ready to make things happen for a scoop and, of course, for money. The American audience of the early fifties easily recognized themselves in the huge crowd gathering at the foot of the mountain where the accident occurred. They resented being presented in such a negative way, as “spectators” craving for sensationalism, rejoicing in somebody’s personal tragedy ; as “accomplices” of an unscrupulous journalist. Because of Wilder’s audacity, this film will be his first commercial and critical flop. This article aims at studying the disturbing side of Tatum who may not be a real “villain” but gives the film a transgressive function. His actions and their consequences show the degree of Wilder’s pessimism and disenchantment as regards human nature.

Mots-clés : villains, audience identification, Ace in the Hole, Kirk Douglas, femme fatale, film noir, film reception, good and evil, guilt, lying, tabloid press, Billy Wilder

Date de publication : 2018-08-31