ENGFLM 1696 - FILM NOIR

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course will explore the notion of 'film noir' in a trans-national and trans-medial context. We will examine the classic films noir of the period 1941-1958 (e.g. Double Indemnity, The Killers and The Naked City), the films considered to be 'neo-noir' since the 1970s (e.g. Taxi Driver, Blade Runner, Fight Club and Memento), and the international films described as 'global noir' from Japan, Hong Kong, Europe, and many other places throughout the world (e.g. Better Tomorrow, Branded to Kill, Sonatine, and Oldboy). We will also explore how the generic modes and conventions of film noir have been incorporated into other media such as comics, animations, and video games (e.g. Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, LA Noir and Heavy Rain). We will look at these films and media objects from the perspective of film art and history, of their relationship to wider socio-cultural contexts, and of their exploration of gender and sexuality. The course will explore debates as to whether film noir is a style, a genre, an idea in criticism, or a marketing category. We will examine the roots of film noir in German expressionism and hard-boiled detective fiction. We will examine the work of significant directors of these films, in both Hollywood and beyond, including Billy Wilder, Robert Siodmak, Fritz Lang, Orson Welles, Nicholas Ray, Guy Ritchie, Takashi Beat, Seijun Suzuki, John Woo, Johnnie To, and Park Chang-wook.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Seminar
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

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