"Film noir" is sometimes described as a film genre, but this course considers "noir" as a distinctively transmedia phenomenon that finds its clearest expression in a body of American films and a corresponding set of American radio dramas and novels produced during the middle of the twentieth century. Thus, we will look at, listen to, and read noir in its various manifestations, paying careful attention to how noir mediated some of the period's most troubling issues, including an uncertain economic and political situation, sometimes violent racial tensions, and a contentious struggle to renegotiate gender roles.

Course Requirements:

Attendance/participation, weekly readings and screenings, audiovisual essays.

Intended Audience:

Students interested in the relationship between films, history, and culture.