One Hour Intro: Labyrinths Of Desire - An Introduction To Noir

In this beginners' level introduction to film noir we will investigate what it is that makes this genre so darkly alluring and persistent, looking at its expressionist styles, pulp-fiction heritage, steamy, disorientating cityscapes and stench of criminality. We will also trace the genre through to the present
day. Above all, we will look at noir's familiar character types: the private eye, attempting to keep his bearings in a deceptive world without losing his macho prowess; the villains and perverts who beset him and of course the femme fatale, the bad girl whose legs and stresses he finds so hard to resist. Led by Andy Moor, Reader in Cinema History at Manchester Metropolitan University.