Comments on: Light in the Shadows: Noir and Redemption http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/light-in-the-shadows-noir-and-redemption.html filmsnoir.net: an oasis of noir in a desert of banality Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:50:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Tony D'Ambra http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/light-in-the-shadows-noir-and-redemption.html/comment-page-1#comment-513 Tony D'Ambra Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:53:10 +0000 http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/light-in-the-shadows-noir-and-redemption.html#comment-513 A conservative journalist, Steven Martinovich, has today posted a commentary on the book at http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0608/0608artsofdarkness.htm: "Although they can be bleak and filled with anti-heroes, he argues, film noir was also a positive movement which featured its protagonists on spiritual quests for redemption. Film noir is actually a conservative-friendly film genre, writes Hibbs... It can certainly be argued that many of the protagonists in film noir begin with utter confidence and come to realize that their carefully ordered world is merely an illusion, more binding than liberating. Inquiry and penitence often begins their journey to redemption." One could equally apply a Marxist critique here, where the 'illusion' is a manifestation of 'false consciousness' and liberation is the destruction of the illusion, which can in film noir just as likely destroy the noir protagonist as redeem him... A conservative journalist, Steven Martinovich, has today posted a commentary on the book at http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0608/0608artsofdarkness.htm:

“Although they can be bleak and filled with anti-heroes, he argues, film noir was also a positive movement which featured its protagonists on spiritual quests for redemption. Film noir is actually a conservative-friendly film genre, writes Hibbs… It can certainly be argued that many of the protagonists in film noir begin with utter confidence and come to realize that their carefully ordered world is merely an illusion, more binding than liberating. Inquiry and penitence often begins their journey to redemption.”

One could equally apply a Marxist critique here, where the ‘illusion’ is a manifestation of ‘false consciousness’ and liberation is the destruction of the illusion, which can in film noir just as likely destroy the noir protagonist as redeem him…

]]> By: Tony D'Ambra http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/light-in-the-shadows-noir-and-redemption.html/comment-page-1#comment-328 Tony D'Ambra Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:05:39 +0000 http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/light-in-the-shadows-noir-and-redemption.html#comment-328 As always Lloyd, thanks for your input. I have responded in a separate post today: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/the-dark-self-the-origins-of-film-noir.html As always Lloyd, thanks for your input.

I have responded in a separate post today:

http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/the-dark-self-the-origins-of-film-noir.html

]]> By: film noir movie reviews directors books articles posters frames trailers dvds http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/light-in-the-shadows-noir-and-redemption.html/comment-page-1#comment-327 film noir movie reviews directors books articles posters frames trailers dvds Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:03:50 +0000 http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/light-in-the-shadows-noir-and-redemption.html#comment-327 [...] of mardecortesbaja.com has responded to my post yesterday, Light in the Shadows: Noir and Redemption: Hibbs writes: “In its assumption that a double” — that is a “dark self” — “lurks [...] [...] of mardecortesbaja.com has responded to my post yesterday, Light in the Shadows: Noir and Redemption: Hibbs writes: “In its assumption that a double” — that is a “dark self” — “lurks [...]

]]> By: Lloydville http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/light-in-the-shadows-noir-and-redemption.html/comment-page-1#comment-326 Lloydville Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:50:49 +0000 http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/light-in-the-shadows-noir-and-redemption.html#comment-326 Hibbs writes: "In its assumption that a double" -- that is a "dark self" -- "lurks just beneath the surface of the most ordinary individuals, noir punctures naive, conventional assumptions about human behavior." This I think is exactly right, and I can't understand your position that the emergence of a film tradition with this underlying theme precisely in the wake of the global catastrophe of WWII and in the shadow of nuclear annihilation had nothing to do with those phenomena. To me, the connection is self-evident, and if it's a cliche, it's a cliche because it's true. Hibbs writes: “In its assumption that a double” — that is a “dark self” — “lurks just beneath the surface of the most ordinary individuals, noir punctures naive, conventional assumptions about human behavior.”

This I think is exactly right, and I can’t understand your position that the emergence of a film tradition with this underlying theme precisely in the wake of the global catastrophe of WWII and in the shadow of nuclear annihilation had nothing to do with those phenomena.

To me, the connection is self-evident, and if it’s a cliche, it’s a cliche because it’s true.

]]>