FILM 322 - Film Genres: Film Noir

5 credit hours

A study of one of the clearest examples of how a genre can arise, develop, and then define the parameters of further additions to its canon. The plot structure, moral tone, characterizations, even lighting style in this particular type of crime story are all largely determined by films which have defined what a new contribution to the genre must be. Of particular interest is the representation of woman as “femme fatale,” and how that characterization has developed. The films to be studied include such classics as The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Chinatown. GN