Format:
1 Online-Ressource (VIII, 261 p. 1 illus)
Edition:
1st ed. 2019
ISBN:
9783030138073
Series Statement:
Springer eBooks
Content:
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
Content:
This book examines the contrasting forms neo-noir has taken on screen, asking what prompts our continued interest in tales of criminality and moral uncertainty. Neo-noir plots are both familiar and diverse, found in a host of media formats today, and now span the globe. Yet despite its 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
Additional Edition:
ISBN 9783030138066
Additional Edition:
Erscheint auch als Druck-Ausgabe ISBN 978-3-030-13806-6
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1007/978-3-030-13807-3
