Film Noir and Hard-Boiled Crime Stories

Film Noir and Hard-Boiled Crime Stories Hard-boiled fiction introduced the tough and savvy private detective, the duplicitous femme-fatale, the innocent victim of circumstance, and the confessing but remorseless murderer.

Film Noir and Hard-Boiled Crime Stories Creators of this uniquely American crime genre engaged existential themes of isolation, anxiety, futility, and death in the thrilling context of the urban crime thriller.

Film Noir and Hard-Boiled Crime Stories The film noir brought these features to the screen, and offered a distinctively dark visual style compatible with the unorthodox narrative techniques of hard-boiled fiction writers.

Hardboiled Fiction Associated with detective stories Unsentimental portrayal of crime, violence, and sex Depiction is brutal and direct, with no reservations Portrays harsh realities of life Life is morally chaotic Often includes a murder mystery

Edgar Allen Poe defined the detective story in the 1840’s, the basics of which undermine much hardboiled fiction Hardboiled fiction was developed in the early 1920’s by Carroll John Daly

Popularized throughout 1920’s by Dashiell Hammett Refined in late 1930’s by Raymond Chandler Although still popular today, hardboiled fiction saw its height from 1920-1950

The economic boom following the First World War plus the introduction of Prohibition in 1920 encouraged the rise of the gangster and organized crime. This was the upbringing of the hardboiled detective

City streets were ridden with crime, violence, poverty, drinking, and death. Out of these streets, the hardboiled detective was born

Common Themes Hardboiled stories are of a gritty nature Typically a thug protagonist and antagonist Dialogue usually lower class; less sophisticated Main character is a vagabond, dedicated to his work and justice Troubled, but strong (and lovely) heroine Antagonist motivated by personal gain and disruption of social order

Typical Hardboiled Detective Tough personality and attitude Independent of others, often no family and few friends Cynical city-dwellers Willing to break the law to ensure justice

Typical Hardboiled Detective Basic characteristics of the hard-boiled detective: Male White Heterosexual Loner drinker

Typical Hardboiled Detective P.I. (Private Investigator) Works & Lives in an urban center Tough and unsentimental Willing to break the law or resist authorities Beset by attractive, but morally compromised women Typically the narrator

Typical Hardboiled Detective Not afraid to shoot when necessary Don’t live by strict ethical codes Sometimes WWI veterans. Exposure to death and hardship makes them tough, pessimistic Ambivalent attitude towards police: want to rid America of crime Stereotypical diet of black coffee, fried eggs, and cigarettes

Typical Hardboiled Detective Often have beautiful women as their clients

Hardboiled vs. Mystery/Detective Hardboiled fiction changed the face of mystery and detective writing Protagonists with the tough attitude are unique to hardboiled Hardboiled detectives confront danger and partake in violence Depicts real situations on the streets

Why “hardboiled”? The term hardboiled was derived as a comparison between a hardboiled egg and the detectives of the fiction. Both are relatively tough!

Publication Originally published in pulp magazines, most famously Black Mask Late 1920’s, Hollywood began hiring writers in the genre to write movie scripts 1930, detective radio shows went on air

Publication detective comic strips, followed by comic books 1931, Newspapers began printing detective comic strips, followed by comic books

Noir Fiction 1930s victim, suspect, criminal sexual tension self-destructive direct, gritty realism more variety in plots

Film Noir 40s/50s low lighting black and white German expressionism hardboiled/noir

Film Noir Film Noir is a STYLE of filmmaking commonly found in crime, mystery, or thriller genres Rather than PLOT being supreme, it is TONE and MOOD

Cynicism pessimism darkness corrupt characters; crooked cops, double- crossers fatalistic themes Hopelessness harsh view of American life

Femme Fatale Femme fatale is French for deadly woman An incredibly attractive woman who leads men into danger

Femme Fatale Also called “vamps” because they are associated with vampires. The logic is that they leave their lovers mere shells of their former selves.

Femme Fatale In hard-boiled fiction the protagonist is usually romantically interested/obsessed in the femme fatale She typically scorns marriage and familial relationships because they are too restraining.

Femme Fatale In the event that the femme fatale is married, the relationship is associated with boredom, unhappiness, and a sense of being caged by their husbands. "He keeps me on a leash so tight I can't breathe." Double Indemnity (1944)

The Role of the Femme Fatale The femme fatale is incredibly strong willed and endlessly pursues her own means. Provides a stark contrast to the misogynistic attitudes of the other characters.

The Role of the Femme Fatale The femme fatale usually dies at the end of the story. However she still exudes some control over men from her grave. The men are unable to forget her and in film noir the audience can’t forget her either.

Film Noir and Hard-Boiled Crime Stories

A Beg, Borrow, and Steal, Non-Profit Production - 2017