White Heat (Raoul Walsh, 1949) On Top of the World?

[breinka]

Something that puzzles me the most about White Heat is the fact that Cody does mention a couple of times that he and his mother had talked about how they would one day be on top of the world, something that initially sounds like Little Caesar’s proclamation to be somebody. And yet, what is Cody doing to put himself at the top of the world? He never seems interested in the money that he and his gang steal—in fact they are all wearing denim jeans at the opening of the film, a clear indication of the working class in 1949. That certainly is a different look than the traditional gangster in a pin-striped suit audiences have grown used to. On top of that, he’s willing to put himself in jail in order to escape the cops. That seems like the opposite of being on top of the world; it seems like the bottom of the barrel.

I would argue that being on top of the world to Cody is the idea of being in control. He doesn’t care what the job is or who gets killed in the process as long as Cody can prove that he is in control and can take the money when he wants. He and his mother make sure that nobody sees too much of his headaches so that no one will think about taking the gang away from him. Even in prison, Cody gets a full share from any heists pulled. And as far as prison goes, Cody puts himself in there by his own admission. Cody pulls the strings himself to get him where he wants to go, and makes sure that he controls his own fate. The strongest evidence of Cody’s quest for total control, however, is at the very end. All of his gang is either dead or arrested, he’s been betrayed by the only one he thought he could trust, and he has no way out, except one: he himself shoots the chemical tank that he stands on to set off the fiery inferno that ultimately does him in. And of course as he does, he shouts to his mother that they finally made it to the top of the world. Cody has finally proven that he has complete control over his destiny by choosing the time and manner of his death, by ensuring that no one else gets to decide his fate.

[MRHigh]

As The film progresses the theme of control accentuates itself. The final line of Cody "Im on top of the world, ma," can be viewed in this light. As Reinka pointed out, Cody doesn't seem concerned with the perceived gains of the gangster life. Some might argue that this is evidence that Cody is crazy, yet it is clear that the world around him is out of control. Is is so strange that he wants to control his fate? Perhaps Cody seeks out the gang life for a sense of family, this would explain why Fallon's betrayal is so devastating, In addition, this would explain why Ma is such a part of the gang, especially to Cody.

This does seem to present a analogy with the America in 1949. The reality of nuclear annihilation was a frightening prospect; people rallied behind their nations in the face of global powers too powerful to be confronted by any private interest. One might consider the gang mentality a miniature of this larger trend. Thus the end of the film illustrates explicitly the fear which gripped America. In a nation or gang there is one leader who guides the fate of the others. In the face of inevitable lose one might choose to fight to the end. This may have been noble in the middle ages, but with the advent of nuclear weapons this could manifest as nuclear action. Cody's final lines point to this, in the face of inevitable lose chooses to maintain his pride: his control. In my view, North Korea can be seen as the modern Cody. Today the fear of Nuclear war starting at the hands of a ego is still a reality.

[aburns]

I agree that Cody felt as if he always needed to be in charge, and I think that it was his mother that convinced him that this was the way to live (which is similar to Alex relationship with his mother in “Notorious”). However, I don’t think that he really was completely in control for most of the movie. For the first half of the movie, Cody relied on his mother, who was obviously calling most of the shots. In fact, her death caused him so much grief that he lost complete control of himself and flung himself down the dinner table. I do believe that Cody was aware of what he was doing when he planned to go to prison and was, to a certain extent, in charge or the gang and their actions. But I believe that ultimately, Cody’s sanity and self control were dependent upon his mother’s existence.

After his mother’s death, when he had full control of his life, Cody had lost quite a bit of control, over his wife, his gang, and himself. I thought it was interesting that he developed a family-like relationship with Vic/Hank, whom he hadn’t known for a long time at all. Once again, Cody appeared to be in control, but he relied too much upon Vic and his ideas and opinions. Verna even takes note of this when she tells Vic/Hank to remind Cody that he should take a vacation, implying that she knew Cody wouldn’t listen to her, but would listen to him. It was only at the end of the movie when Cody had lost his mother, his “little brother”, his gang and his wife that he took complete authority over his actions and blew himself up.

[R.Davis-Larry]

I agree with the argument that being on top of the world is being in control. It seems that all Cody ever wants is control. He may not buy fancy items for himself or barely anything for his wife, since she continues to talk about having expensive things. Cody is focused on control. He continues to do criminal acts because it gives him a sense of control. When he puts fear into others, then he is in control. As was mentioned, he put himself in jail, he plans the heists, and he eats when he wants to eat. He wants to prove that he is independent, when in reality he is a very dependent person. It is as if he in control and powerless at the same time. He needs friends and he needs his mother. Cody is so dependent on people that he befriends someone who is a convincing criminal in disguise. I think this is why Cody questions his sanity in the film. He questions his sanity when he realizes that he is dependent on people. In the woods, when he talks to his mother, this shows that he is still depending on his mother for guidance. When he realizes that Pardo is a cop, Cody questions his sanity because the things he believed are now contradicting themselves. Cody mentions that he does not trust what he does not know and yet he puts a lot of trust in Pardo. It is also in these moments when Cody is not in control. Pardo has tricked Cody and he has let his mother out of his sight. Most people would lose their sanity if they lost control of themselves.

Another interesting idea that is related to “control” and “power” in the film is justice. Is it justice if a murderer kills himself instead of being tried? I would say it is not. It is harder for people to come to grips with a death when they are not allowed to face the murderer. Cody chooses his own death, thus escaping ridicule and the possibility of not being in control. Even his last act was him trying to be in control. By killing himself, Cody misses out on the chance to have the murders and down falls pinned on him. He escapes reality. Cody escaping reality is what he does through out the entire movie. It is an injustice to have someone else serve time for a crime they did not commit and it is also and injustice to never find anyone responsible for a crime. So, in a way, Cody is even in control of justice.

[sbirkinshaw]

The idea of control was very prominent in the film. It was not just an issue for Cody but for other parties in the film as well. This is especially true for the authorities who are bent on apprehending Cody and his secret accountant friend with all the connections. When watching the film one quickly sees the source of control in regards to the federal agents perusing Cody. Their control is completely reliant on the technology they used. We first see a striking example of this technological control in the scene where the agents are following the ‘Ma’ character after she went out to buy Cody some strawberries.

In this scene one cannot help but notice that the agents are communicating with phone-like instruments. I was shocked to see this. I said to myself, “There were no cell phones back then!” I felt like a fool after I quickly realized that this was what the police radio of the time looked like. I was fully intrigued at their use of such an advancement. This was such a change from the tactics used in ‘Little Caesar.’ How did they finally apprehend Caesar in the end? The head cop used the newspaper, something which has existed in America since before the stars and stripes.

I was amazed at the precision and the control the authorities had in ‘White Heat.’ It was so much more like watching a modern movie. It had a sense about it that reminded me of “Enemy of the State” or “Born Identity.” Both of these movies seek to wow the audience with the authoritative use of precise technological control and networking to pursue the suspect. In these more modern films, one finds it somewhat chilling to whiteness the capability to pinpoint someone’s exact location, anywhere on the planet in a matter of seconds. It can make one feel exceptionally small. “White Heat” arguably inspired this idea. In the film we saw what technology could do, and also where it might lead.

This was apparent at the end of the film when Cody is engulfed by the billowing explosions he caused. MRHigh pointed out in an earlier post on this thread about the compelling analogy presented in the film regarding America and nuclear power. I can only say that the first thing I thought of when I saw the explosion at the end of the film was nuclear holocaust. It was as if the film was saying that seeking power and control will lead to destruction. Sure, Cody was on top of the world. However, it’s a long way down from the top.

[P Baird]

I believe that sbirkinshaw has touched on some very interesting points. Throughout the film, the “T-men” use technology to battle Cody and his gang. Not only the radios, but also the complicated driving pattern, tear gas, the oscillator, a primitive fax machine, and firearm optics are all examples of “gadgets” that helped in the bringing down of Cody. While the government uses such advancements time and time again in the film, Cody’s gang perform their heists in a primitive style. The train robbery was like that of, The Great Train Robbery or Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. I mean that the ways in which crime was performed had not changed in over a hundred years. Even Cody’s big idea with the truck, is taken from the Trojan War, which took place thousands of years ago. While this time tested style seems to work at first, eventually the T-Men's advanced technology and tactics prove too much for the gangsters. The film seems to be commenting on the end of an era in crime. Cody Jarret embodies this era, an era of big egos and simple heists. If gangsters would ever be able to stand up against the “Coppers” again, they would have to advance their tactics and technology as well.

[nlipton]

The character Cody from White Heat is a little more material minded than this response leads onto, however; I agree that his main interest is having control over his situation and destiny. The characters relationship with his mother, domination of all people and situations with exception to his mother, and obviously intelligence all point to a man that would want to make his mother proud, and feel a sense of dignity in regards to his accomplishments, and that could be why his slogan is, “Top of the world.” I think the saying, when coming from Cody, has less to do with the materialistic sense of wealth and luxury, and more to do with the respect and admiration associated with his name, his legend, and his persona.
I came to this conclusion by considering his actions, lifestyle, personal relationships, and the importance of power a man of Cody’s nature posses. As Breinka stated in the brief response, Cody wanted control, and that is all too apparent throughout the film. Cody’s control issues are brought on by his lifestyle, one of crime, corruption, manipulation, and fun. He holds a strong relationship with his mother, something that most of us can relate to. I understand the importance of telling your mother you’ll be successful, Cody simply seems to have taken the idea farther due to his intensified mother/son relationship. As the big man of the criminal underworld Cody’s mother is his safe keeper though. She is the one that he knows will not double cross him, will not rob him, or do any of the things a fellow criminal would do. So the bond between them becomes strong, leading to an increased desire to please. Also, as the boss in this world Cody must maintain a level of control to remain in a position that provides general safety from possible predators, and in a perfect world, he would be so powerful that he could even deceive the authorities to be.
I believe that was the most significant part about his slogan, it was that when he was in control he was on top. That when even the cops (representing the Law) couldn’t contain him he was as powerful as a man could be. So in that regard, I believe Breinka has made a valid argument in this response.

[lbourgeois]

Some people have smartly pointed out in this thread that Cody was completely obsessed with control. Cody is driven by the power of being absolutely in control of his environment. And while this may make him a monster, what is most interesting is not Cody by himself, but the nature of Cody's relationship with the world. His gang knows he is a crazy guy but they stand by as he kills their brethren without remorse. The T-men aren't much better. As Baird points out the T-men had very technologically advanced tools for tracking Cody and created a very sophisticated means of monitoring Cody, a subject of their organizational purview. In contrast, Cody actually uses a Trojan horse for his plan, suggesting a raw incarnation of nature.

It seems that the people Cody knows all use him for something. They use the fact that he is a sick monster who will do the horrible things necessary to get what they all want. And just like the mother who believed in Cody's migraines, so too does the gang's belief in Cody turn him into the monster he becomes. In regards to the T-men it seems that instead of containing Cody the technology only further emboldens him and is another challenge for him to beat. While at one point the T-men could have choose to stop Cody as he escaped from prison, they decided on the risky route of trying to follow him where he would go and then arrest him. Technology, the film suggests, is a dangerous illusion of control. And maybe the freedom and control that Cody madly desires cannot be found in a world dominated by this technology and industry of an increasingly automated society.

[K Doherty]

White Heat is another example of a character fearing a life without recognition. Cody is a short ugly mobster who is concerned about his mother and his image. His wife sandbags him but he disregards the actions and stays with he; no because he loves her but because it’s good for his image. His whole life is just about making it to the top. I’m always confused as to what that actually means for the characters that want to be on top. They have this global domination attitude but at best they just become the top dog in their area. This film just reminded me of Brian De Palma’s Scarface; an underdog guy who just wants to be on top and does things his way to get there. The movies don’t compare that well, but both of them died in the presence of a globe.

Cody’s death was very dramatic, but all I could think was that he never reached his goal of being on top of the world. His death, and jail sentencing made the papers, but in general, he wasn’t running the show. He was never on top of the world; he was always at the mercy of the judicial system. He was always a prisoner of the system because of how he operated. Little Caesar is a better film to compare with this one because the stories are similar. Rico was more of a compassionate character than Cody, but both of them had ridiculous egos.

Cody’s mother, Ma Jerrett, is the only person he truly cares about in this world. He is obsessed with her. I think it is because Ma is the only person gives Cody the acknowledgement he thinks he deserves. Personal relationships and the validation others give you is all any character ever really wants in a movie. Office Space proved that it wasn’t having the corner office that will make you happy, feeling free and having positive personal relationships with the people in your everyday life make you happy. In The Night of The Hunter, it’s not the money that solves the children’s problems, it’s the healthy relationship they have with Rachel Cooper that ultimately leads them to safety and happiness. And in White Heat the only time Cody truly feels on top of the world is not when he is shot to death, but it is when he is in the presence of his mother. The downfall of characters like Cody and Rico will always be that the world will never care about them, and they should just worry about those close to them.

[K.Duncan]

I feel that the ending of the film was a comment on the fate of a person who achieves placement at the “top of the world” by the means that Cody used; the film could also be an indictment of what being at the top of the world actually means. Cody is a vicious individual, this much is certain. To him money, influence, status (not necessarily respect), and a woman are all that make a man in this life; and he will do anything to make sure he has these objects in his possession, if only for the sake of outward appearances. While watching the film, the viewer is not given the idea that Cody really cares for anyone or anything he owns, save for his dear old mother. The reason he is so attached to his mother could be as was suggested, she is the true brains behind Cody’s whole operation, but I am inclined to think differently. Even if Cody’s mother was controlling him completely, would Cody still have the power he has over people? He is still an imposing force in situations that require action. The role of Cody’s mother is undeniable, but Cody does have more power to his person than may be seen.

[ltauber]

I find the role of Ma fasting, I think K. Duncan has an interesting point, that she is the "true brains behind Cody's whole operation". The notion of Codys headaches, and how she is the only one who essentially cradles him when he is in pain, reflects the fact that she fosters his bad habits and evilness. The fact that his father died in an insane asylum foreshadowings the end of his own life, and perhaps inevitable submission to the institution. At the end of the film, when cody is standing on top of the gas truck claiming he made it to the top of the world, I cant help but question the authenticity of this statement. not only has he not made it to the top of the world, but he is surrounded by people who want to kill him, and he is standing on a vehicle in which he used as a guise in his robbery ruse. his proclamation that he has made it to the op of the world is so incorrect that I interpreted it as an exhibition of his insanity. Finally engulfed in flames, his life really comes to nothing. After bouts of brutality, theft, obsession, I realized how truly messed up Cody his. Beyond immoral behavior and violence, his mind is incredibly convoluted and contaminated by his fixation of his mother. whether or not she had been such an awful woman, the relationship was still unhealthy and did not allow him to grow up and move beyond his ego centric ways.

[jwong]

I wholly agree with the opening thread in that there is nothing more important to Cody than being “on top of the world.” Similarly, I too found it difficult to find a sound explanation for what this phrase really means throughout the entirety of the film. Cody and his gang seem to have little material interest in the money they acquire from their multiple heists – jewelry, fine suits, and fancy cars are never purchased or flaunted in a manner that would be consistent with many gangster themed films. Interestingly enough this rejection of material wealth that Cody exudes is surprisingly appealing. Unlike the characters in “Little Caesar,” another gangster flick, who yearned for the fast life, Joe, or recognition, Rico, Cody simply lives his life to the fullest. Now, living life to the fullest for Cody is committing crime and being “on top of the world” – which in their own respects are not admirable things yet something about Cody and his lifestyle are seductively appealing. He does what he wants, when he wants and seemingly sees no wrong in it.

The last seen of White Heat, where Cody is effectively trapped and doomed to death or a lengthy prison sentence, is extremely telling of Cody’s personality. It is all or nothing with Cody. Even after his partners in crime are long gone, dead or captured by the police, and his friend-turned-undercover cop has betrayed him it is still his way or no way at all. Living life to the fullest may have brought Cody his greatest joys in life but it also was his down fall.

[A. Bengel]

I think breinka raises an interesting point. Throughout “White Heat”, Jarrett’s behavior exhibits a prevalent need for control. This can especially be seen in the way he treats his men, knocking them about just to prove that he’s still the boss. He despises “Big” Ed because he represents a possible upset from Jarrett’s power. It would therefore seem no coincidence that Cody’s dream of being “on top of the world” is shared by only one other person, the very person who exercises the most control over him.

I took Jarrett’s search for the “top of the world” to be a quest not necessarily for power and respect, like Rico’s in “Little Caesar”, but to upset the balance. In discussion we talked about why Cody does what he does. Rico makes his ambitions very clear, but Cody’s motives are much more ambivalent. The closest we reached toward a consensus was to say that Jarrett was merely rebelling against a controlling society. How better to do so than to take control of your own life. This further evidences brienka’s point that what Jarrett wanted, what would put him “on top of the world”, was to have his own life in his hands.

It is significant that when he’s about to explode, Cody doesn’t merely say that he made it to the “top of the world”. He addresses his ma, the one person who ever had any sway over him. Maybe he wasn’t looking only for his own freedom from society, but for that of his mother as well. Although she died while still on the run from the cops, Jarrett’s end, his final act of defiance, sets her free.

[kflagg]

I agree with that control is one of the largest issues in this story and it is the main catalyst for the characters actions. From Cody’s birth up until her death, Ma has held complete reign over Cody’s life. Perhaps she controls Cody in an effort to protect him from the fate her husband and older son suffered. Her control hindered the maturation process and he never really fully developed into a man as we see with the way he runs his gang and his relationship with his wife. Though Cody gives off an air of poise and power in the beginning; the first scene with his mother shows him sitting in her lap like a young child. Whether Cody realizes it or not, he wants control over his mother as evidenced by the headaches he faked as young child to gain attention. But it is not until she is dead that he realizes how little power he had over his own life and his life soon comes to an end without his mother’s guidance. I see the relationship between Cody and his mother as a message that parents hold too much sway over the lives of their offspring and how impressionable children can be. His mother raised him into the man she wanted him to be and this ultimately led to his demise. She shaped him into the mold of his father and I see that his is where the Oedipus theme comes into play that previous posters have pointed out. The selfish way in which she raises Cody ruins any shot he has at a healthy life and we see just how dangerous control over another person’s life can be.

[PHarrison]

I don’t see the mother as being the leader of the Gang. She is not mean, she is not overbearing, and she doesn’t boss Cody around. If anything, she is a doting mother that unfailingly supports her son, giving him the strength and the encouragement to stay strong despite his epileptic seizures and psychotic episodes. In the beginning of the film, when Cody has his first seizure, Ma actually tries to get him to leave the mountains, “It’s the mountains, the cold air.” “Lets get out son.” . I don’t see where Ma called the shots when Cody was in charge, and in fact, Cody often shows an intelligence that belies his psychotic behavior. When it appears as though he is going to be caught and tried for the murders that occurred during the bloody train heist, he is able to create an alibi by admitting to a lesser crime that happened at the same time as the train robbery. Though he still is in jail, it is a petty crime, not the death sentence. He is also the one who is familiar with the story of the Trojan horse and is able to apply it successfully to his own use. What is obvious though is that Cody and his mother are very close, in fact she is the only person that Cody trusts.

His affection for his mother is ultimately used against him when Nick Fallon uses the knowledge of their closeness to manipulate Cody and earn his friendship. When Cody has his second seizure while in prison, he crawls to Hank,/Vic who helps him by using the same words of encouragment as Ma. “You’re a top man aren’t ya? I always believed in you,” while rubbing his head and neck. “Don’t let it beat you. You don’t want a bunch of two bit thugs see Cody Jarrett down on his knees do you?” By acting just like Ma, Nick Fallon succeeds in forming a bond with Cody, who brings him into the gang, which ultimately leads to his defeat.