The Man With the Golden Arm

Frank Sinatra had a breakout role in The Man With the Golden Arm because it depended so heavily upon him truly getting lost in his role as a heroin addict. His twitches and eye movement throughout the film reflected his junkie status and his desperation came through on the screen. His acting when in an altered state did not seem unnatural. For instance, stumbling out of the card game and then auditioning for the drum position, Sinatra seemed to be sweating and disheveled with unsteady hands and an even less steady head. I was a bit skeptical of how accurate Sinatra's scene while trapped in the apartment and allowing the drug to leave his body was; but, I also do not have the knowledge of how one would act in that situation. This role required a high level of maturity in acting on the part of Sinatra. The early Sinatra could never have played such a disturbed role.

Frankie Machine, who was played by Sinatra, would classify as an anti-hero because he obviously was a good person at heart yet his flaws and weaknesses kept him from embodying a hero-type role. One can make assumptions about him being a quality being because of his relationships with his supposedly handicapped wife, his quirky but loyal best friend and his close female friend--Molly. He tried to be understanding towards his wife and did not leave her initially because he felt a sense of duty. He also showed that he had a soft spot for his quirky but loving friend. His relationship with Molly when clean displayed his potential as a person. However, his weakness for heroin as an escape and his inability to detect dishonesty in his wife seem very unheroic. Throughout the film, Molly, not Frankie, stands out as being the biggest hero of the film. Molly encouraged Frankie to pursue music and ditch drugs, and she also had the ability to communicate in extremely tense situations. Molly saved Franie's life.