The Birth of Film Noir

About this course:

Post World War II, America's mood turned increasingly dark, leading to the growing popularity of filmmaking called film noir. Featuring such elements as fatalism, brooding lighting, cynical heroes, and duplicitous females, the genre captured growing disenchantment in cultural norms. In this course, we discuss what comprises film noir, from stylistic touches to conflicted stories and characters through such films as The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, The Killers, and White Heat.