Coffee and Noir: THE BIG HEAT (pt 2)

every instance of coffee in noir: 025

You learn a lot about a noir character by their coffee: sugar? cream? more whiskey than caffeine?

I’m cataloging every noir scene where coffee plays a role — rote and ritual, soul-dark or cream and sugar, served from dingy diners to shiny penthouses.

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The first use of coffee in The Big Heat is one of the most famous in cinema . . . but it has a second act.

“Were you in an accident?” “Yes.”

Debby doesn’t elaborate on what caused her burns, in fact she lies, but she has neither forgotten nor forgiven.

“It’ll burn for a long time, Vince.”

Debby doesn’t want mere revenge, she serves boiling, poetic punishment befitting the crime.

Listen to the way she describes how Vince will suffer!

(remind you of something? maybe it’s this one.)

Having been scarred by the boiling coffee Vince threw at her, Debby schemes and plots and returns the favour, not even caring what further retribution it brings so long as she can bring down the man who ruined her.

And bring him down she does.