The Philosophy of Neo-Noir (The Philosophy of Popular Culture) [Hardcover]

Mark T. Conard (Editor)

Book Description

Series: The Philosophy of Popular Culture | Publication Date: January 5, 2007

Film noir is a classic genre characterized by visual elements such as tilted camera angles, skewed scene compositions, and an interplay between darkness and light. Common motifs include crime and punishment, the upheaval of traditional moral values, and a pessimistic stance on the meaning of life and on the place of humankind in the universe. Spanning the 1940s and 1950s, the classic film noir era saw the release of many of Hollywood's best-loved studies of shady characters and shadowy underworlds, including Double Indemnity, The Big Sleep, Touch of Evil, and The Maltese Falcon. Neo-noir is a somewhat loosely defined genre of films produced after the classic noir era that display the visual or thematic hallmarks of the noir sensibility. The essays collected in The Philosophy of Neo-Noir explore the philosophical implications of neo-noir touchstones such as Blade Runner, Chinatown, Reservoir Dogs, Memento, and the films of the Coen brothers. Through the lens of philosophy, Mark T. Conard and the contributors examine previously obscure layers of meaning in these challenging films. The contributors also consider these neo-noir films as a means of addressing philosophical questions about guilt, redemption, the essence of human nature, and problems of knowledge, memory and identity. In the neo-noir universe, the lines between right and wrong and good and evil are blurred, and the detective and the criminal frequently mirror each other's most debilitating personality traits. The neo-noir detective -- more antihero than hero -- is frequently a morally compromised and spiritually shaken individual whose pursuit of a criminal masks the search for lost or unattainable aspects of the self. Conard argues that the films discussed in The Philosophy of Neo-Noir convey ambiguity, disillusionment, and disorientation more effectively than even the most iconic films of the classic noir era. Able to self-consciously draw upon noir conventions and simultaneously subvert them, neo-noir directors push beyond the earlier genre's limitations and open new paths of cinematic and philosophical exploration.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""Conard can fell confident that these terrific essays will be of interest to film enthusiasts, particularly fans of Neo-Noir. Additionally, for those who come to this volume with some background in philosophy, not only will they be pleased to find fellow philosophers offering accessible introductions to philosophical thinkers and ideas but they are sure to increase their understanding of noir, Neo-Noir, and many familiar film titles, as well as more deeply appreciate the ways in which popular film and television offer wide and varied avenues to doing good philosophy. " --Kimberly A. Blessing, co-editor of Movies and the Meaning of Life" --

""Much has been written about neo-noir's distinction from classic noir... but the 13 new essays in this anthology rejuvenate the discussion. Strongly recommended." --Library Journal" --

""Is Neo-Noir anything more than film noir in technicolor? Taking up such latter-day classics as Chinatown, Blade Runner, and Memento, this volume explores how contemporary filmmakers have taken up the challenge of classic film noir and broadened the genre. In this analysis, even the pastel shades of South Beach take on a dark coloring in Miami Vice. These probing essays locate what is neo in Neo-Noir and thus define it as a postmodern genre." --Paul Cantor, author of Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalizatio" --

""This collection will serve as a terrific interdisciplinary guide through the chaotic, intriguing world of postmodernist thought as it relates to film and philosophy." --Choice, publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries" --

""Much has been written about neo-noir's distinction from classic noir... but the 13 new essays in this anthology rejuvenate the discussion. Conard and his contributors see to it that these essays are accessible to nonacademic readers." --Library Journal" --

""Conrad's collection provides room for abstract thought through a sustained philosophical engagement with the sub-genre.... written in 'nontechnical language and require no knowledge of philosophy to appreciate or understand.' --Film-Philosophy" --

About the Author

Mark T. Conard, assistant professor of philosophy at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, is the editor or coeditor of many books, including The Philosophy of Film Noir and The Simpsons and Philosophy.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 222 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky; First Edition edition (January 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813124220
• ISBN-13: 978-0813124223
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,417,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars noir techniques, perspectives, and subjects of second wave of movies in the genre, January 30, 2007

By 

Henry Berry "Henry Berry" (Southport, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Philosophy of Neo-Noir (The Philosophy of Popular Culture) (Hardcover)

Neo-noir films incorporated the visual style, characterizations, and subject matter of the classic film noir of the 1940s and '50s. But this latter film genre was able to employ more advanced film techniques; and with the replacement of the moralistic Production Code with the more flexible modern ratings system, neo-noir film was able to add new dimensions of subject and visual matter. The 1974 "Chinatown" may be "the first authentic neo-noir," writes Richard Gilmore, professor of philosophy at a Minnesota college. The TV program "Miami Vice"--first program, September 1984--was set in the Great Miami area for its "cycle of decline, decay, development, and renewal (invariably followed by further repetitions of the cycle) [which] affirmed the indeterminacy and contingency of the postmodern noir," as Stevens Sanders, emeritus professor of philosophy at a Massachusetts university writes. Thirteen essays by these and other philosophy professors relate neo-noir films not only to the film noir which preceded them, but also philosophical thoughts and ethical perspectives of Sartre, Plato, Kant, Kierkegaard, Marx, and others. Blade Runner, L. A. Confidential, The Onion Field, Parallax View, Dances With Wolves, and Raiders of the Lost Arc are among the films analyzed as neo-noir or which contain elements of this genre. This collection of essays is a companion of the editor Conard's "The Philosophy of Film Noir."

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most intriguing books I have read, February 23, 2007

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James Xabregas "JamesX" (Townsville, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Philosophy of Neo-Noir (The Philosophy of Popular Culture) (Hardcover)

As the title suggests, this book covers the philosophical background behind films defined as neo-noir. Surprisingly this contains a large number of films most people wouldn't readily identity as Film Noir. Blade Runner, Memento, A Simple Plan and the works of Quentin Tarantino and the Cohen Brothers are amongst some of the movies that are analysed in depth. Many other movies are touched upon including Fight Club, Minority Report, The Bourne Identity and many others. The essays in this book give new insight into these movies and are easily readable by those without any background in philosophy. I would highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book! Just about what I was looking for., January 14, 2010

By 

Michael Gmirkin (Beaverton, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Philosophy of Neo-Noir (The Philosophy of Popular Culture) (Hardcover)

This book is a series of essays on the topic of neo noir films, citing specific films for topical treatment in each essay. Such as Memento, China Town, etc. Gives some clues on how Neo Noir differs specifically from classic noir. How the noir genre has changed since the classic era.

Each "chapter" is basically its own essay on some aspect or interpretation of the Neo Noir genre. Haven't quite finished the book, but have liked the half I've read so far.

Those who like this might also check out such titles as Tech-Noir: The Fusion of Science Fiction and Film Noir, The Philosophy of Film Noir) or Neo-Noir, Neo-Noir: The New Film Noir Style from Psycho to Collateral, Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir and Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner. Haven't picked them up yet, but they all look a bit interesting.