Dr. Aeon J. Skoble --
341 Tillinghast, x2460
Email:
askoble@bridgew.edu Web:
http://webhost.bridgew.edu/askoble
Office hours: MTR 11-12, or
by appointment
Required Texts:
The Philosophy of Film Noir, Mark T. Conard, ed. (Univ. Press of
Additional
readings to be distributed in class or via web
For
film viewings, you can either (a) borrow them from your local public library, (b)
rent/stream them from Netflix, or (c) buy/stream them at Amazon
Overview and objectives:
The classic period of Film
Noir is generally taken to range from The Maltese Falcon (1941) to Touch
of Evil (1958), in a cycle of films notable for their unusual lighting,
disorienting photography, mysterious characters, sinister plots, and a dark (noir) atmosphere that mirrored concerns
about corruption, crime, and social decadence.
This course is aimed at examining the philosophical roots, and ramifications,
of these films. We will also consider
some films from the neo-noir catalogue, and examine how the noir legacy was
translated to the small screen, with an eye towards their philosophical
dimensions. Some of the issues involved
this semester include: the question of genre, existential themes, values and
nihilism, moral ambiguity, reasoning and detection. We will simultaneously be using film to
understand philosophy and philosophy to enhance our
appreciation of the films.
Requirements:
This is a one-credit
class. We will meet once a week to
discuss the films and the readings, and you will write an 8-10 page paper on a
topic to be determined later by mutual agreement, which is due April 23. In our final meeting, April 30, we will
discuss the papers.
Required film viewings:
Classic noir You should
watch these as soon as possible, but not later than January 29:
The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep,
Kiss of Death, Laura, Detour,
The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Big Clock, Double Indemnity, Touch of Evil
Neo-noir you should watch
these as soon as possible, but not later than Feb 20:
TV Noir selected episodes
(TBA) of Dragnet, Secret Agent, The Fugitive, Miami
Vice
General Outline:
Jan 22 intro to topic;
opening discussion of classic film noir
Jan 29
Feb 5
Feb 12
Feb 19 (class meets WED 2/21)
Feb 26
Mar 5 spring break week
Mar 12 begin discussion of
neo-noir
Mar 19
Mar 26
Apr 2
Apr 9 - Noir television; the
legacy and future of film noir
Apr 16 no class; state
holiday
Apr 23 -- Papers due; final
discussion of readings
Apr 30 -discussion of student
papers