Film noir
Subject Overview
This subject explores a brief history of film noir and also conventions of film noir. Students will discover its unique visual style and how the classic film noir films ofHollywood have influenced the neo-noir films of today. Students will be introduced to the characters of film noir including the ‘hard-boiled detective’ and the ‘femme fatale’ and examine the stylistic choices that directors make. This subject will also expose students to the critical debate of whether film noir is a genre in its own right or a sub-genre of crime fiction.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain the translation of the French term, ‘film noir’ and the concept of film noir as a style
- Identify and describe at least three conventions of film noir
- Recount the historical context of the development of film noir with reference to audiences and their social situation at the time
- Compare and describe neo-noir films to classic noir films and identify similar conventions between texts.
Prerequisites
Prerequisite subject is
- Genre