Darkness calls : a critical investigation of neo-noir / Sue Short.

By:

Short, Sue, 1968- [author]

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: [s.l.] : Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.Description: viii, 261 pages ; 21 cmContent type:

text

Media type:

unmediated

Carrier type:

volume

ISBN:

9783030138097

Subject(s):

Film noir -- History and criticism

DDC classification:

791.4365

Incomplete contents:

1. Introduction: In pursuit of the neo-noir -- 2. Crime, corruption and social critique: a thematic overview of noir -- 3. Conflict and crisis: masculinity and noir -- 4. Fear and fantasy: women in noir -- 5. Noir by any other name? Generic confusion and diffusion -- 6. A lighter shade of noir: differing uses of comedy -- 7. Fatalism vs free will: nihilism and noir.

Summary: "This book examines the contrasting forms new-noir has taken on screen, asking what prompts our continued interest in tales of criminality and moral uncertainty. New-noir plots are both familiar and diverse, found in a host of media formats today, and now span the globe. Yet despite this apparent prevalence - and increased academic attention - many core questions remain unanswered. What has propelled noir's appeal, half a century on after its supposed decline? What has led film makers and series-creators to rework given tropes? What debates continue to divide critics? And why are we, as viewers, so drawn to stories that often show us at our worst? Referencing a range of films and series, citing critical work in the field - while also challenging many of the assumptions made - this book sets out to advance our understanding of a subject that has fascinated audiences and academics alike. Theories relating to gender identity and neo-noir's tricky generic status are discussed, together with an evaluation of differing comic inflections and socio-political concerns, concluding that, although neo-noir is capable of being both progressive and reactionary, it also mobilises potentially radical questions about who we are and what we might be capable of." -- Back cover.

List(s) this item appears in: New Titles

Holdings ( 1 )
Title notes ( 3 )

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds	Course reserves
Reserve - Overnight loan	CYA Library Reserve	791.4365 SHO (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Available		00000011527		Vasilaki, Rosa

Total holds: 0

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"This book examines the contrasting forms new-noir has taken on screen, asking what prompts our continued interest in tales of criminality and moral uncertainty. New-noir plots are both familiar and diverse, found in a host of media formats today, and now span the globe. Yet despite this apparent prevalence - and increased academic attention - many core questions remain unanswered. What has propelled noir's appeal, half a century on after its supposed decline? What has led film makers and series-creators to rework given tropes? What debates continue to divide critics? And why are we, as viewers, so drawn to stories that often show us at our worst? Referencing a range of films and series, citing critical work in the field - while also challenging many of the assumptions made - this book sets out to advance our understanding of a subject that has fascinated audiences and academics alike. Theories relating to gender identity and neo-noir's tricky generic status are discussed, together with an evaluation of differing comic inflections and socio-political concerns, concluding that, although neo-noir is capable of being both progressive and reactionary, it also mobilises potentially radical questions about who we are and what we might be capable of." -- Back cover.