Film Noir and Schrader

I would always overlook those black and white old fashioned dark films of the late 30's to late 40's. My mom loves these types of movies, and whenever I would ask her what she is watching, she would answer and I would just walk away because I was never interested. Little did I know that I would come across the same movies later in my life and practically adore them. Whether it’s the fast-paced, witty dialogue, the intensely created sexual undertones, or the story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, films among the film noir movement manage to withstand the tests of time. Before setting foot in this class, I knew that film noir’s weren’t exactly a genre, so the bit about such claims in Schrader’s article did not surprise me. However, what did surprise me was the fact that film noir went through an evolutionary cycle, so to speak. The first phase in the cycle is what I would identify film noir to be, “the private eye” phase. The second phase was similar, but it took a more consequential approach, that is, the problems within the film were on a larger scale (government corruption, street crimes, etc.). The last phase was the surprising one to me, where films are even more cynical, displaying a so called “tragic hero.” I was surprised to see Panic in the Streets on the list, however. This was one of the few noir films I viewed before coming to this class, and it didn’t seem as grim as what Schrader would explain. Not only did the main character solve his case, but he came back home to his wife at the end. Maybe I just missed some message the film presented that would suggest its release during the third phase of film noir. Besides this, I’m pleased with the selection of films among film noirs that we are viewing, because it is quickly becoming my favorite type of film.