The Philosophy of Film Noir (The Philosophy of Popular Culture) [Hardcover]

Mark T. Conard (Editor)

Book Description

Series: The Philosophy of Popular Culture | Publication Date: January 27, 2005

A drifter with no name and no past, driven purely by desire, is convinced by a beautiful woman to murder her husband. A hard-drinking detective down on his luck becomes involved with a gang of criminals in pursuit of a priceless artifact. The stories are at once romantic, pessimistic, filled with anxiety and a sense of alienation, and they define the essence of film noir. Noir emerged as a prominent American film genre in the early 1940s, distinguishable by its use of unusual lighting, sinister plots, mysterious characters, and dark themes. From The Maltese Falcon (1941) to Touch of Evil (1958), films from this classic period reflect an atmosphere of corruption and social decay that attracted such accomplished directors as John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, and Orson Welles. The Philosophy of Film Noir is the first volume to focus exclusively on the philosophical underpinnings of these iconic films. Drawing on the work of diverse thinkers, from the French existentialist Albert Camus to the Frankurt school theorists Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno, the volume connects film noir to the philosophical questions of a modern, often nihilistic, world. Opening with an examination of what constitutes noir cinema, the book interprets the philosophical elements consistently present in the films -- themes such as moral ambiguity, reason versus passion, and pessimism. The contributors to the volume also argue that the essence and elements of noir have fundamentally influenced movies outside of the traditional noir period. Neo-noir films such as Pulp Fiction (1994), Fight Club (1999), and Memento (2000) have reintroduced the genre to a contemporary audience. As they assess the concepts present in individual films, the contributors also illuminate and explore the philosophical themes that surface in popular culture. A close examination of one of the most significant artistic movements of the twentieth century, The Philosophy of Film Noir reinvigorates an intellectual discussion at the intersection of popular culture and philosophy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Nietzsche declared "God is dead," little did he know he was helping to launch a new cinematic genre characterized by shady characters and seamy plotlines involving fallen women, murder and betrayal. But noir is inevitably more than just stylish filmmaking or the marriage between American hard-boiled fiction and German expressionism, according to the philosophers, film historians and English professors who contributed to this book: film noir "challenged widespread assumptions about material and moral progress" and represents a "systematic deconstruction of the American Dream." Examining classic noir films and books by writers such as Albert Camus, Dashiell Hammett and James Cain, contributors discuss essence of film noir as reflecting a sense of disenchantment, "inversion of traditional values" and the "spiritual defeat of modernity." In her essay on The Maltese Falcon, Deborah Knight draws the distinction between the emotionally conflicted detective Sam Spade and his more detached predecessor, Sherlock Holmes. Philosophy professor Steven Sanders sifts through existentialist texts and classic noir films to find the meaning of life, while several contributors weigh in on themes of morality and Pulp Fiction gets a deep scholarly massage from Conard. Dense and intriguing, the book suggests noir is best perceived as a slightly warped mirror held up to contemporary society.
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Review

"A satisfying book, as each of the authors brings a unique perspective to the discussion and they are able to isolate, identify, and explain some of the more subtle aspects of a genre which, on the surface, seems all about gangsters and pretty girls who done somebody wrong." -- Blogcritics

"Explores the philosophical underpinnings of movies from the classical noir period and... suggests that films aren't noir merely because they share a consistent tone, or certain visual conventions, with the likes of The Maltese Falcon, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Double Indemnity." -- Boston Globe

"The essays work both as solid primers into philosophy, stretching from Aristotle to Schopenhauer, and as lucid excursions into the genre's dark, mean streets.... A fascinating, readable, and provocative book.... Highly recommended." -- Choice

"An intellectually seductive, hard-boiled romp through a world of moral murkiness, femme fatales, and desperately lonely protagonist." -- Eric Bronson, editor of Baseball and Philosophy

"The collection aims to achieve two goals: to introduce genuine philosophical problems and film noir characteristics, while providing sufficiently in-depth discussion that those familiar with either philosophical methods or film noir will not find the material too elementary. Although facing a difficult task, Conard has put together a collection that succeeds in both respects." -- Intertexts

"Dense and intriguing, the book suggests noir is best perceived as a slightly warped mirror held up to contemporary society." -- Publishers Weekly

"An excellent book, giving readers a very good sense of the rich philosophical resources in film noir." -- Thomas Hibbs, author of Shows About Nothing: Nihilism in Popular Culture from t

"This collection of essays, delving into the films and elucidating their philosophical depths, is challenging and engaging. Read it and prepare to be provoked." -- Les Reid, Philosophy Now

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (January 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813123771
• ISBN-13: 978-0813123776
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,878,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helps you understand film noir better, January 11, 2008

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Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Philosophy of Film Noir (The Philosophy of Popular Culture) (Paperback)

I love film noir, so I was thrilled to find this book on my doorstep for review. The Philosophy of Film Noir, is part of the "Philosophy of Popular Culture" series from the University Press of Kentucky. Edited by Mark T. Conard, it is a collection of essays from noted scholars representing a wide range of viewpoints on the art form known as film noir.

The book discusses both the "classical" period of film noir, using movies such as The Postman Always Rings Twice and The Maltese Falcon to illuminate the ideology behind the dark and seedy road that is pure noir. More recent incarnations of noir, the neo-noir, are also dismantled for assimilation. An entire chapter is dedicated to the neo-noir masterpiece, Pulp Fiction.

Of special interest for fans of film noir is the section entitled, From Sherlock Holmes to The Hard Boiled Detective by Jerold J. Abrams, in which he compares the detective model created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and re-envisioned by Raymond Chandler.

While The Philosophy of Film Noir may seem dry and challenging at times, it does give readers a glimpse beyond the celluloid to the dark soul and meaning behind these popular films.

Armchair Interviews says: A book for lovers of film, especially film noir.