Film Noir Reader

Interviewees include Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard), Otto Preminger (Laura), Joseph Lewis (Gun Crazy and The Big Combo), Curtis Bernhardt (Possessed and A Stolen Life), Edward Dmytryk (Murder, My Sweet and Crossfire), and Fritz Lang (Scarlet Street and The Woman in the Window).

This text identifies a handful of plot elements that consistently recur within film noir and analyses in depth the memorable pictures that, while being vivid prototypes of certain cinematics themes, bend and break their moulds to find new ways to enthral and frighten us.

From The Maltese Falcon (1941) to Touch of Evil (1958), the classic film noir is easily recognizable for its unusual lighting, sinister plots, and feeling of paranoia. For critics and fans alike, these films defined an era. The Philosophy of Film Noir explores philosophical themes and ideas inherent in classic

Abstract:

The Historical Dictionary of Film Noir is a comprehensive guide that ranges from 1940 to present day neo-noir. It consists of a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, a filmography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on every aspect of film noir and neo-noir, including key films, personnel (actors, cinematographers,