Essay
The essay for this lesson is required to be 750-1,000-words and
clearly demonstrate your understanding of the prompt. Essays should be 5 or
more paragraphs with a clear introduction, thesis statement and conclusion,
written in APA format (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/). Once completed, submit your work to the Essay Dropbox. You
may select from one of the following prompts:
How
are the attributes of film noir of the post-war era illustrated in The
Maltese Falcon and Sunset Boulevard? Use specific examples in your
response.
Compare
and contrast The Maltese Falcon and Sunset Boulevard. How are the
attributes of film noir illustrated by the films? Use specific examples in
your response.
Discuss
the hallmarks of the femme fatale archetype. What is a quintessential
femme fatale? Use specific examples from Sudden Fear and The Killers in
your response.
Why
did film noir emerge as a distinct style during World War II? Discuss the
attributes of film noir and relate its overall tone to historical and
sociological factors.
Use these writing guidelines:
Include
a cover page and a reference page in addition to your required word count.
Use
correct APA v. 7 format
Include
introduction and conclusion header
Use
section headings to organize.
Double-space
text.
Use
size 12 Times New Roman font.
Indent
paragraphs.
Include
in-text citations.
Use
correct spelling, grammar, sentence structure and verb tense.
Write
in 3rd person
Reading 1.1: Notes on
Film Noir
Read this essay by
film theorist and filmmaker Paul Schrader where he identifies what he considers
the defining cultural and formal elements of film noir. Additionally, you will
learn about the four conditions in Hollywood in the ‘40s that brought about film
noir, more on the attributes of film noir, its creativity, stylistic elements,
themes, and notable actors and directors.
Read the following
materials:
Notes on Film Noir by
Paul Shrader (1971) from Grant, B.K. (1971). Film Genre Reader II (pp.
213-226). Austin: University of Texas Press.
Reading 1.2: Femme
Fatale
Read this essay to
investigate the femme fatale trope in more depth and gain a deeper
understanding of how iterations of the femme fatale across the different phases
of film noir reflect socio-historical shifts.
Read the following
materials:
Boozer, J. The lethal
femme fatale in the noire tradition, from Journal of film and video, Vol. 51,
No. 3/4, (Fall/Winter 1999/2000), pp. 20-35, Illinois.
Reading 2.1: Characteristics
of Film Noir
Read Chapter 4 of Dames in
the Driver’s Seat, The Killers (1946): Quintessential Noir? to
learn how this film fits into the film noir genre/style, and as preparation for
a comparison paper you will write.
Read the following
materials:
Note: this link launches to
the cover page of the text. You will need to navigate to the pages listed
below:
The Killers (1946):
Quintessential Noir?from Wager, J.B. (2005).
Dames in the Driver’s Seat: Rereading Film Noir (pp. 39-53). Austin: University
of Texas Press.
Reading 3.1: Class,
Post-Classic and Postmodern Film Noir
Read the Introduction
and Part I (chapters 1-3) to gain an understanding of classic, post-classic,
and post-modernist film noir, women and men in film noir, and race in film
noir.
Read the following
materials:
Note: This link launches to
the cover page of the text. You will need to navigate to the pages listed
below:
Introduction: Dames
and Driving and Part
I: Contents and Contexts from
Wager, J.B. (2005).
Dames in the Driver’s Seat: Rereading Film Noir (pp. 1-38). Austin: University of Texas Press.
Reading 3.2:
Contemporary Film Noir
Read the chapter
in Dames in the Driver’s Seat that corresponds to the film you
selected to prepare you to write a paper on a modern example of film noir.
Note: This link
launches to the cover page of the text. You will need to navigate to the
pages listed below:
Read the following
materials:
Wager, J.B. (2005).
Dames in the Driver’s Seat: Rereading Film Noir. Austin: University of Texas Press.
L.A. Confidential – pp. 75-90
Fight Club – pp. 101-116
Fargo – pp. 129-142
Jackie Brown – pp. 143-154
Twilight – pp. 117-127
Mulholland Falls – pp. 91-99