*****  I doubt you'll find a simple definition for the good reason that
film noir is a genre "created" by critics rather than filmmakers,
audiences or what have you.  (Nobody in the 40s or 50s was saying "Hey
let's go see a film noir tonight" or "Hey let's put a twist on that old
film noir formula.")  It's not even necessarily crime movies; even
though i can't think of an example where there is *no* crime at all,
that may not be the main focus of the film.  LT
 
 
 
In <[log in to unmask]> "Peter S. Latham"
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>
>I have been looking for a simple and quotable definition of "film
noir."
>Unlike most film terms which have fairly standard meanings, the
definitions
>of "film noir" that I have seen vary widely, e.g. "any crime movie
depicitng
>a fatalistic universe made between 1941 and 1960" or "any crime movie
made in
>black and white with odd camera angles and low-key, high contrast
lighting"
>etc. etc. Any thoughts?
>
>Peter
>
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