2:30P-3:45P  TR (70) 3 cr
7:00P-11:00P  T (Film Showing)

ABOVE SECTION REQUIRES SPECIAL FEE

Topic: THE FILM NOIR

French movie critics originally used the term "film noir" to describe a group of
Hollywood thrillers that were released in Paris soon after World War II--including such pictures
as DOUBLE INDEMNITY, LAURA, and MURDER, MY SWEET.  Over the next fifty years,
the term was used by critics and filmmakers throughout the world, and it has become one of the
most amorphous yet important categories in American cultural history.  Virtually every major
American director of the sound period has made at least one "film noir," and the classic thrillers
of the 1940s still have a powerful hold on the contemporary imagination.

This course will survey the history of American film noir, beginning with early examples
such as the ones listed above, and ending with such recent pictures such as PULP FICTION and
DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS.  I plan to emphasize several issues, including the literary influences
on noir, the changing patterns of Hollywood censorship and politics since 1945, and the
evolution of film style.

A weekly series of films will be shown in conjunction with the class, encompassing a
wide variety of major features, B-pictures, and noir parodies.  The course will be made up of
both lectures and discussions.  Required readings will include at least one short novel, a
reference book, and a collection of critical writings.  Students are expected to regularly attend the
film showings.  Grades will be based on attendance and participation in the class, plus two
written examinations and a 7-8 page critical paper.

This class may be used for credit by students who are working toward a Certificate in
Film Studies.