Re: RARA-AVIS: Cain and Hammett

From: Terrill Lankford ( lankford2000@earthlink.net)
Date: 03 Oct 2007


-----Original Message-----
>From: William Ahearn < williamahearn@yahoo.com>
>Sent: Oct 3, 2007 7:21 AM
>To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: RARA-AVIS: Cain and Hammett
>
>
>--- jacquesdebierue < jacquesdebierue@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>> What do you mean by "screwed"? That there is
>> something wrong in the
>> head with the character or that he ends up screwed?
>
>In the context of the conversation, it's dead, in
>prison or insane.
>

That's it? One of those three? I can think of a thousand other ways a character could end up "screwed". I would hope that noir is not as limited as this. If so many, many novels that are categorized as noir are not, in fact, noir. As for movies, poor Eddie Muller would have to go back and cut out about two thirds of each of his excellent noir tribute books. Most films that are considered noir do not end with their protagonists in any of those three conditions.

I'm with the minority (Kerry?) on this. I think THE MALTESE FALCON is noir. But then again, I'm the guy who thinks arguments over definitions are for people with too much time on their hands. I'd rather talk (or read) about content.

TL



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