The Crime Film

Catalog description

This course provides an introduction to the theory and study of the crime film within the larger umbrella of film noir in Hollywood and international cinema. From narrative conventions and visual style to the technological, artistic, and political capabilities of this particular sub-genre, this course examines the cultural contexts of the crime film as well as its driving aesthetic principles and potential for political and social commentary on issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality. Students will learn how to situate the crime film and film noir technologically, aesthetically, and narratively in film history both in and beyond Hollywood, and will point to contemporary renditions of the crime film in cinema today.