Otto Preminger's 'Laura', 'Where the Sidewalk Ends', and 'Angel Face': An obsession with Freudian psychology

This dissertation analyzes the Freudian themes present in Otto Preminger's three main films noirs: Laura, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and Angel Face. Freudian psychology is a key element in the film noir series, and Preminger utilized Freudian motifs in his noir films more than any other director in the series. In his three main noirs, he presents the Freudian ideas of obsession, the Death Principle, the Oedipus Complex, and the Elektra Complex. Preminger illustrates these ideas through a number of talking cures that his characters use to explain their motives and to work through their neuroses. The film Laura explores the Freudian themes of sexual obsession, neurosis, and the Death Principle. Where the Sidewalk Ends depicts the Freudian themes of the Oedipus Complex and the Death Principle. Angel Face examines the Freudian themes of the Elektra Complex and the Death Principle. Whereas previous scholars have emphasized Preminger's legacy as an excellent craftsman, a groundbreaking producer-director, and an artist who infuses his noirs with moral ambiguity---which they view as the key trademark of his noir and non-noir films in general---this dissertation aims to prove that Freudian psychology is the dominant element in his main films noirs, and it is far more prominent in his main noirs than in other directors' noirs. His noir films emphasize psychology above plot and action more so than any other films in the noir series of the classic period of the 1940s and 1950s. Whereas other directors often utilize stylized cinematography and complex plots, Preminger explores his characters' states of mind. He presents characters who are highly aware of their neuroses, and who are also concerned with curing themselves---but who sometimes choose self-annihilation, thereby acknowledging the inevitable doom and nihilism in the noir universe.