RARA-AVIS: Noir: style vs typology

From: William Denton ( buff@pobox.com)
Date: 13 Feb 2003


On 13 February 2003, Mark Sullivan wrote:

: Mario, you put into words something that has been nagging at me
: throughout this discussion. Are we talking about story or presentation?
:
: Sure, there are plenty of stories prior to those we accept as noir that
: have noirish plotlines. But are they told in a noir style? Although
: Willeford based the story of Cockfighter on Homer's Odyssey (as did the
: Coens in the movie O' Brother), is the model noir? I think not.

Nor do I. History is full of bleak and tragic twisted stories, as well as tough people trying to do what's right in a world of evil, but that doesn't mean they're noir or hardboiled stories (or even proto-). The writing style key, and it didn't come along until the twentieth century.

Bill

-- 
William Denton : Toronto, Canada : http://www.miskatonic.org/ : Caveat lector.


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