Whipped Walter

Walter Neff certainly fits the archetype of the male lead in film noir. He was weak in falling for Phyllis, or "Baby," as he liked to call her. In the frustrated sense, I struggled at first with how he fit into that characteristic. I then found that there is more than one connotation of the word, and Walter was frustrated in that he was "prevented from progressing, succeeding, or being fulfilled" (Google). 

His failure to succeed with his and Phyllis' plan and to progress in his life spurred from his personal characteristics. As I watched the movie, I recorded many adjectives to describe him, including flirtatious, sarcastic, and naive. The latter is the trait that ultimately leads to his downfall.

Walter's naivety was what brought him into Phyllis' trap. He was caught up in being his flirtatious and sensual self that he was easily, unknowingly tempted into a cunning and ambitious plan to kill Mr. Dietrichson. Once he had agreed to that, there was no going back. That initial interaction in the Dietrichson living room set the standard for the rest of the film. Walter was completely taken away with her beauty and helplessness with her "abusive" husband. From that point on, he was going to help her, and he certainly went to great measures to allow her to get her way. 

This situation is evidence for what his relationships were like with women. He was what we would refer to as "whipped" today. He was easily tempted by beautiful women, and this characteristic led him to some crazy actions. When he came across both Phyllis and Lola, he was quickly drawn into their issues and offered his manly assistance. With Phyllis it was the major plot to kill her husband for money, and with Lola it was her problems with Nino. He liked to chase women, complete with their problems and emotions and all, to fulfill his pleasure-seeking senses. Being too caught up in desire led him on a dangerous, doomed pathway.

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Despite his personality traits that ultimately led him to make rash decisions, Walter was also sarcastic and clever. At the end of the movie, he mocks Phyllis by asking her "Why don't you shoot again, Baby," (see in video below) because he knows she won't have the guts to do it from a shorter distance. At this point, we see Walter's naivety turn into a sort of contempt. As a male, he didn't like being manipulated by a woman, and he made sure to express and play that up in the conversation that he had with Phyllis before he shot her.