The Man with the Golden Arm shows a different side of Frank Sinatra similar to his role in From Here to Eternity, perhaps because he strongly wanted to play the part in both. In the film it is really hard to explain whether or not the character of Frankie Machine is a hero or antihero. I guess it really depends on what you view as a hero. If you think that hero is someone who is squeaky-clean, never breaks the rules, or always does the right ‘lawful’ thing than I would have to say Frankie Machine isn’t one of them. Likewise, if an antihero is something like The Punisher, fighting crime by killing criminals, or riding a black bike and taking names I do not think that quite fits Frankie either. At the end of the day though I would probably have to say he is a hero for the simple fact that he longs for redemption despite his surroundings, which are arguably what hinders him from doing so. At the end of the movie I’d argue that that redemption he seeks is finally achieved because he has kicked his addiction and cleared his name with the cops after the true killer (his wife) is exposed.
Until next time!
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