Kerry J. Schooley wrote:
I'd like to add to the other responses that noir does not
represent the tragic view of the universe. Tragedy is the
failure to transcend specific human circumstance, usually
character flaws, but allows the romantic view that such
transcendence is not only possible, but desirable. Noir
precludes the possibility of transcendence, and questions the
desirability of attempts to do so.
************ Good comments, Kerry. I have a slightly
different take on it.
The protagonist is screwed both in tragedy and noir. There
might be slightly different reasons why they are screwed, but
it doesn't amount to much. The tragic protagonist is screwed
because of a character flaw. In American Naturalism, the
granddaddy of noir, the protagonist was screwed for being in
the wrong place at the wrong time, pessimistic determinism,
but the criminal slant that noir emphasizes seems to shift
the responsibility for being screwed back towards the
protagonist, with the character's doom hinging upon some bad
action. Once that bad action occurs, there is very little
chance for salvation.
As far as transcendence goes, tragedy and noir both have a
point of no return. Step over this line and you're hosed.
Don't step over the line and you might be OK. Transcendence,
I guess.
I don't agree with your comment that noir questions the
desirability of attempting to extract oneself from the abyss
(transcendence?). Just the opposite, I think. The struggle is
everything. It defines. The fact that the deck is stacked
doesn't matter. The point is that you're in the race, win or
lose. With all the fumbling, fear, and fuck-ups, there is a
grace and beauty in the struggle.
miker
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