GS 140 - Film Noir

Institution:

Mount Mercy University

Subject:

Description:

Flashing neon signs reflecting from the wet pavement of dimly lit streets, shady characters lurking in doorways, cynical anti-heroes and dangerous women - these are the ingredients of film noir, a uniquely American style of movie making first identified by French film critics in the early 1950s. Essentially a "B" picture genre existing at the fringes of mainstream Hollywood during the forties and fifties, filmnoir nevertheless attracted major directors as diverse as John Huston, Billy Wilder, Orson Welles, and Alfred Hitchcock, artists whose contributions to the genre are counted among the masterpieces of American film. This course will trace, through the screening of 11 films and an examination of two short novels, the history of film noir from its roots in the detective fiction of the twenties and thirties through its influence on present day film directors, who continue to find inspiration in the shadowy world of moral ambiguity tucked away in the dark corners of our collective subconscious.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.mtmercy.edu

Phone Number:

(319) 363-8213

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Four-one-four plan

The Course Profile information is provided and updated by third parties including the respective institutions. While the institutions are able to update their information at any time, the information is not independently validated, and no party associated with this website can accept responsibility for its accuracy.