Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: WHAT FILM NOIR SAYS ABOUT AMERICA (BAKER)

Department: College Courses

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 1

Description: Art has always been fascinated with crime, using the inherent human interest in the subject to examine and reflect upon feelings of moral ambiguity. Film noir is a subgenre of crime film popularized in the 1940s that was fueled by a sense of cynicism and aimlessness found in the face of a new American society. Even though American life has changed, noir remains – from ""Out of the Past"" to ""Blade Runner"". Using this simultaneous history of film noir and America, we will answer the question: how can films reflect, and make statements about, the societies they are created within? Students will work through the history of Hollywood noir films from the 1940s through the 2020s, learning about the tropes that define the subgenre and the history surrounding the genre’s popularity. Students will be equipped to examine and contextualize the meanings behind films using their newfound understanding of America, the noir genre, and film analysis. To hone this skill, students will participate in class discussions, respond on discussion boards, and construct an argumentative paper on a film of their choosing. Note: Noir films often contain explicit content, and information on how this content will be addressed is in the syllabus.