Film noir is usually associated with a series of darkly seductive Hollywood thrillers from the 1940s and 1950s--shadowy, black-and-white pictures about private eyes, femme fatales, outlaw lovers, criminal heists, corrupt police, and doomed or endangered outsiders. But Film Noir: A Very Short Introduction demonstrates that the genre has much earlier origins and is more international in scope. The key themes and styles of film noir are discussed along with some of the most iconic film noirs, exploring important aspects of their history and ongoing influence: their critical reception, major literary sources, methods of dealing with censorship and budgets, social and cultural politics, variety of styles, and future in a world of digital media and video streaming.

"Film noir is one of the most intriguing yet difficult to define terms in cinema history. First associated with Hollywood thrillers of teh 1940s and 50s, film noir has become fully international in its nature and appeal, attracting the interest of great directors right up to our present time. In this Very Short Introduction James Naremore analyses classic examples of the films, as well as a few lesser known noir pieces, highlighting their key themes and styles, and their major literary sources. He considers their methods of dealing with censorship, and looks to the future of noir in a world of digital media and video streaming."--Provided by publisher.

Film is considered to be the dominant art form of the twentieth century. It can be considered many other things; a record of events, a modern mythology, a career, an industry, an art, a hobby, and much else. Michael Wood explores the history of film, its venture into the digital age, and its role and impact on modern society.

This first book published on film noir established the genre--a classic, at last in translation.

Film noir, one of the most intriguing yet difficult to define terms in cinema history, is usually associated with a series of darkly seductive Hollywood thrillers from the 1940s and 50s - shadowy, black-and-white pictures about private eyes, femme fatales, outlaw lovers, criminal heists, corrupt police, and doomed or endangered outsiders. But as this VSI demonstrates, film noir actually predates the 1940s and has never been confined to Hollywood. International in scope, its various manifestations have spread across generic categories, attracted the interest of the world's great directors, and continue to appear even today. In this Very Short Introduction James Naremore shows how the term film noir originated in in French literary and film criticism, and how later uses of the term travelled abroad, changing its implications. In the process, he comments on classic examples of the films and explores important aspects of their history: their critical reception, their major literary sources, their methods of dealing with censorship and budgets, their social and cultural politics, their variety of styles, and their future in a world of digital media and video streaming. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Preface; 1 Desert Climates; 2 Desert Landscapes; 3 The Nature of Deserts; 4 People and Deserts; 5 Deserts Connections.

With more than 250 images, new information on international cinema—especially Polish, Chinese, Russian, Canadian, and Iranian filmmakers—an expanded section on African-American filmmakers, updated discussions of new works by major American directors, and a new section on the rise of comic book movies and computer generated special effects, this is the most up to date resource for film history courses in the twenty-first century.