Product Description

"Yes, I killed him. I killed him for the money and for a woman. I didn't get the money, and I didn't get the woman. Pretty, isn't it?" -- Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity, 1944

• An examination of 'classic' film noir (1940-59) which explores its contexts of production and reception, its visual style, narrative patterns and themes and character development.
• Traces the complex development of 'neo-noir' from Night Moves and Taxi Driver to Pulp Fiction and Memento.
• Is an accessible, informative and stimulating introduction Film Noir

This is an examination of a celebrated, but also contested, body of films whose history is more extensive and diverse than American black and white crime thrillers of the forties. A background chapter situates film noir within its cultural context, describing its origin in German Expressionism, French Poetic Realism and in developments within American genres, the gangster/crime thriller, horror and the Gothic romance and its possible relationship to changes in American society. Andrew Spicer discusses 'classic' film noir (1940-59) and investigates 'neo-noir' and British film noir. Films discussed include both little known examples and seminal works such as Double Indemnity, Scarlet Street, Kiss Me Deadly and Touch of Evil. A final section provides a guide to further reading, an extensive bibliography and a list of over 500 films referred to in the book. Film Noir is an accessible, informative and stimulating introduction that will have a broad appeal to fans and enthusiasts of the film noir genre.

Andrew Spicer is at the University of West England

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #236723 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

From the Back Cover
"Yes, I killed him. I killed him for the money and for a woman. I didn't get the money, and I didn't get the woman. Pretty, isn't it?" -- Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity, 1944

* An examination of 'classic' film noir (1940-59) which explores its contexts of production and reception, its visual style, narrative patterns and themes and character development.
* Traces the complex development of 'neo-noir' from Night Moves and Taxi Drive to Pulp Fictionand Momento.
* Is an accessible, informative and stimulating introduction Film Noir
This is an examination of a celebrated, but also contested, body of films whose history is more extensive and diverse than American black and white crime thrillers of the forties. A background chapter situates film noir within its cultural context, describing its origin in German Expressionism, French Poetic Realism and in developments within American genres, the gangster/crime thriller, horror and the Gothic romance and its possible relationship to changes in American society. Andrew Spicer discusses 'classic' film noir (1940-59) and investigates 'neo-noir' and British film noir. Films discussed include both little known examples and seminal works such as Double Indemnity, Scarlet Street, Kiss Me Deadly and Touch of Evil. A final section provides a guide to further reading, an extensive bibliography and a list of over 500 films referred to in the book. Film Noir is an accessible, informative and stimulating introduction that will have a broad appeal to fans and enthusiasts of the film noir genre.

Andrew Spicer is at the University of West England

About the Author

Andrew Spicer is at the University of West England

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Customer Reviews

A Brilliant Trip Down These Mean Streets
This is a textbook designed to introduce film noir to college students. However, it could be read with profit by anyone with an interest in the film noir phenomenon.

Spicer packs an incredible amount of information in the small space he has. He refers to the latest books and is incredibly thorough. He does a fine job on the origins of film noir, covering not only "tough guy" authors and German expressionism, but also Weimar "street films," French poetic realism and expressionism in American film before noir.

What I found especially interesting was the way Spicer continually breaks down noir and neo-noir into different eras. He sees a difference between noir of the Forties and Fifies, and he distinguishes between early neo-noir and late neo-noir, with Body Heat being the breaking point. I found that very useful, since the neo-noir era has lasted so long by now. It is hard to think of The Long Goodbye and Reservoir Dogs as fitting in the same era, so it is good to have a distinguishing framework.

Spicer also covers British film noir, and he breaks that down into different eras as well. To someone very familiar with the American noir cannon, this is like discovering a new continent of films.

So I would strongly urge any film noir enthusiast to get Spicer's book. You will learn something you didn't know before, or find out about films you will want to see.

So this is a book that

Excellent Intro to Film Noir Theory. Concise and Readable.
"Film Noir" is an excellent introduction to film noir theory. Author Andrew Spicer, a professor of film studies, has packed all of the key definitions, elements, and influences on film noir into just over 200 very readable pages. "Film Noir" is well organized, in the style of a text book. Pictures are few, as are detailed descriptions of plots. The book covers both classic and neo-noir,1940-2000, with about half of the book dedicated to each. The discussion of classic noir includes the definitions and evolution of the style, the conditions of production, themes, narrative strategies, gender roles, and three noir auteurs (Anthony Mann, Robert Siodmark, Fritz Lang). Spicer divides neo-noir into two periods: modernist and post-modern. Modernist refers to the 1967-1976 period when films were characterized by the near-complete collapse of the Hollywood studio system, unprecedented directorial power, and a conspicuous absence of femmes fatales. The post-modern era began in 1981, with studios jumping back into the noir picture and dedicating big budgets and big stars to noirs, betting on commercial success. Most of the films discussed in "Film Noir" are American, but the book's last chapter is dedicated to British film noir. Appendices (although they are not labeled as such) include excellent lists of American and British film noirs, organized chronologically and grouped by era. There is an index of names and an index of films. "Film Noir" is academic, but it's a good, concise analysis for anyone who wants analysis but isn't up to heavy-duty film theory that is so often tedious. It's a very readable, useful intro to film noir theory, covering 60 years of American and British noir, with the occasional reference to German and French films as well.