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No Genre for Old Men: Age and Masculinity in Michael Winner's 1978 "The Big Sleep"

100%
Usiekniewicz M.
Panoptikum
|
2015
|
issue 14(21)
14-29
EN
In the 1978 adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep, Philip Marlowe, the iconic noir detective, was portrayed by then seventy years old Robert Mitchum. As a result, the detective figure known for his tough working-class masculinity was transformed into an elderly affluent gentleman. The casting choice was an attempt to connect the neo-noir film to its 1940s predecessors, but even despite famous cast members Winner’s movie met with little popular, critical or academic interest. Yet the film serves as a valuable illustration of the challenges of reviving hegemonic masculinity models within genre revivals. My analysis will show how the tension in representations of aged masculinity unravels the logic of neo-noir and masculinity inscribed in the neo-noir hero. Though both noir and neo-noir share an investment in patriarchy, Winner’s film renders the attempts to revive its void. By casting an elderly 1940s icon the film rather than neo became “dated noir,” while its depiction of masculinity proved nothing more than a nostalgic cry for an imagined past of hegemonic masculinity.
2
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Cold-noir. Czarny kryminał i Skandynawia

80%
Włodek P.
Panoptikum
|
2017
|
issue 17(24)
126-143
EN
Film noir which achieved the peak of its popularity in the 1940s and 1950s in the United Stated was a very American phenomenon, born from the American experience and space – sense of being lost in a big, anonymous, unfriendly metropolis serving as a metaphor for the sense of being lost in a labyrinth of post-war existence. In the same time, from the very beginning of the 1940s, film noir was an international phenomenon, successfully lasting in forthcoming decades not only in America, but also elsewhere – it became defining for cinema and television of both France and Scandinavia. Indeed, most famous Scandinavian books, films and TV series are made in a neo-noir manner, with an addition of some significant local qualities. Nordic noir, unlike neo-noir in e.g. the contemporary USA, does not consist of postmodern stylization and intertextuality, but focuses on problems that define modern societies – social conflicts and controversies like racism, homophobia, patriarchy, violence against women and children, hatred towards immigrants and institutional inability to make them fit, challenges of ecology and so on. The article focuses on these aspects of Nordic noir as shown in two highly popular and critically acclaimed TV shows – The Killing (Forbrydelsen, 2007-2012) and The Bridge (Bron/Broen, 2011-2017).
3

“That Show You Like Might Be Coming Back in Style”: HowTwin PeaksChanged the Face of Contemporary Television

80%
Moldovan R.
American, British and Canadian Studies Journal
|
2015
|
vol. 24
|
issue 1
44-68
EN
The present study revisits one of American television’s most famous and influential shows, Twin Peaks, which ran on ABC between 1990 and 1991. Its unique visual style, its haunting music, the idiosyncratic characters and the mix of mythical and supernatural elements made it the most talked-about TV series of the 1990s and generated numerous parodies and imitations. Twin Peaks was the brainchild of America’s probably least mainstream director, David Lynch, and Mark Frost, who was known to television audiences as one of the scriptwriters of the highly popular detective series Hill Street Blues. When Twin Peaks ended in 1991, the show’s severely diminished audience were left with one of most puzzling cliffhangers ever seen on television, but the announcement made by Lynch and Frost in October 2014, that the show would return with nine fresh episodes premiering on Showtime in 2016, quickly went viral and revived interest in Twin Peaks’ distinctive world. In what follows, I intend to discuss the reasons why Twin Peaks was considered a highly original work, well ahead of its time, and how much the show was indebted to the legacy of classic American film noir; finally, I advance a few speculations about the possible plotlines the series might explore upon its return to the small screen.
4

A Romanian Jew in Hollywood: Edward G. Robinson

80%
Moldovan R.
American, British and Canadian Studies Journal
|
2014
|
vol. 22
|
issue 1
43-62
EN
The present study aims to investigate the contribution that actor Edward G. Robinson brought to the American film industry, beginning with his iconic role as gangster Little Caesar in Mervyn Le Roy’s 1931 production, and continuing with widely-acclaimed parts in classic film noirs such as Double Indemnity, The Woman in the Window and Scarlet Street. Edward G. Robinson was actually a Romanian Jew, born Emmanuel Goldenberg in Bucharest, in 1893, a relatively little known fact nowadays. By examining his biography, filmography and his best-known, most successful films (mentioned above), I show that Edward G. Robinson was one of classical Hollywood’s most influential actors; for instance, traits of his portrayal of Little Caesar (one of the very first American gangster films) can be found in almost all subsequent cinematic gangster figures, from Scarface to Vito Corleone. In the same vein, the doomed noir characters he played in Fritz Lang’s The Woman in the Window and Scarlet Street are still considered by film critics today to be some of the finest, most nuanced examples of noir heroes. Therefore, the main body of my article will be dedicated to a more detailed analysis of these films, while the introductory section will trace his biography and discuss some of his better-known films, such as Confessions of a Nazi Spy and Key Largo. The present study highlights Edward G. Robinson’s merits and impact on the cinema industry, proving that this diminutive Romanian Jew of humble origins was indeed something of a giant during Hollywood’s classical era.
5
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Detours of absurdity: Coen brothers’ Fargo in the noir melting pot of genre patterns

71%
Żyto K.
Literatura i Kultura Popularna
|
2018
|
vol. 24
39 - 54
EN
The idea of film noir, especially neo-noir, viewed as a stable and clear genre has as many supporters as detractors. The controversy is nothing new, and a compromise is still elusive. The reason for such an impasse is not merely the intransigent stance of opponents, the strength of their arguments, but is also a result of the hybridization of genres in main stream cinema (and elsewhere). I discuss the problem presented by film noir in the context of the question of generic identity on the example of the Coen brothers’ Oscar-winning Fargo. The movie is an interesting case study as it does not make use of any of the genres typical for film noir in its unadulterated form (i.e. genres associated with film noir in its classical era). In Fargo, Joel and Ethan Coen skillfully combine elements of the detective story (though not necessarily associated with hard-boiled fiction) with crime shows, gangster movie with thrillers about psychopaths, comedy with tragedy and family drama with melodrama of mischance. The result remains the same — the world of Fargo stays noir, dark and pessimistic and permeated with the absurd.
6

Bezdroża i długie trwanie filmu noir

71%
Smoliński S.
Kwartalnik Filmowy
|
2023
|
issue 123 Tempo i rytm
240-246
PL
Książka Patrycji Włodek „Wszystko noir?”. O inspiracjach i wariantach – życie po życiu film noir (2022) jest analizą wybranych aspektów czarnego kryminału łączącą refleksję nad kinem klasycznym z omówieniem najnowszych dzieł gatunku. Autorka ogranicza perspektywę do kina amerykańskiego i szuka powtarzalnych tropów (np. femme fatale i homme fatale) oraz przykładów tematycznego i narracyjnego wykorzystania pojęcia gaslighting. Na szczególną uwagę zasługują rozważania autorki o filmie noir jako nurcie osadzonym w konkretnych przestrzeniach (np. rural-noir, Cal-noir) i podatnym na mariaż z innymi podgatunkami (stoner noir). Ograniczenie pola badań do kina amerykańskiego uniemożliwia jednak głębsze osadzenie filmu noir w kontekście globalnym. Włodek nie stawia przy tym pytania o przyczyny niesłabnącej popularności czarnych kryminałów i ich dzisiejszą funkcję kulturową oraz ideologiczną. Wartością pracy jest jednak odwołanie się do licznych dzieł spoza kanonu filmu noir.
EN
Patrycja Włodek’s book “Wszystko noir?”. O inspiracjach i wariantach – życie po życiu film noir [“Everything Noir?”: On Inspirations and Variants – Life after Life of Film Noir] (2022) is an analysis of selected figures and aspects of film noir, combining a reflection on classic cinema with a discussion of recent works in the genre. The author limits her perspective to American cinema and looks for recurring tropes (e.g., femme fatale and homme fatale), as well as examples of thematic and narrative use of the concept of gaslighting. Particularly noteworthy is the author’s consideration of film noir as a trend embedded in specific spaces (e.g., rural-noir, Cal-noir) and open to merge with other subgenres (stoner noir). However, limiting the field of study to American cinema prevents the analysis of film noir from being more deeply embedded in a global context. At the same time, the author does not question the enduring popularity of crime thrillers and the cultural and ideological function they serve today. The book’s value, however, is its reference to a rich array of works outside the film noir canon.
7
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Klasyczny film nor, kino modernistyczne, modernie – czyli tam i z powrotem

70%
Żyto K.
Media – Kultura – Komunikacja Społeczna
|
2014
|
issue 10/2
38-54
EN
The main aim of the article is to present classical film noir as a modernistic phenomenon in its roots. So-called “modernity” has many faces and is defined and understood in different ways. In film studies, modernistic cinema most often is identified with cinéma d’auteur. What is more, modernistic narration is situated in contrast to classical narration. The first part of the text concentrates on depicting how classical film noir foreshadows modernism in cinema and breaks the rules of classical narration. In the second part, film noir, as a phenomena of the classical Hollywood production, is considered in the context of modernity, particularly so-called “low” modernity, or, as other researchers describe it, “vernacular” modernity. Classical film noir as a result takes its energy and sources from social, cultural, economic changes of early modernity and remains critical in its depiction.
8

Paranoja noir. Ukryta rzeczywistość czarnego kryminału

57%
Włodek P.
Kwartalnik Filmowy
|
2022
|
issue 117 Kino nieznane/ukryte
77-97
PL
Paranoja jest częstym tematem filmowo-serialowym, ujawniającym się zarówno w udramatyzowanych reprezentacjach zaburzeń, jak i w narracjach spiskowych. Niekiedy paranoja funkcjonuje nie tylko jako element fabularny, ale też określa strukturę narracji oraz dobór pozostałych środków filmowych. Może również funkcjonować jako metafora. Przykładem zjawiska filmowego, w którego tożsamość jest wpisana – zarówno jako temat, jak i kategoria determinująca atmosferę danego dzieła – jest film noir. W trzech konwencjach należących do szerokiego spektrum filmowego czarnego kryminału paranoja stanowi także metaforę i pozwala zbudować komentarz do świata pozaekranowego. Są to gothic noir, puzzle/mind-game films i stoner noir, których twórcy, posługując się subiektywizującymi zabiegami narracyjnymi, łączą jednostkowe postrzeganie paranoiczne z obiektywnie istniejącymi spiskami, problematyzując w ten sposób rzeczywistość współczesną realizacji w kategoriach zarówno indywidualnych, jak i zbiorowych.
EN
Paranoia is a frequent cinematic subject in movies depicting both representations of paranoid personalities and conspiracy theories. It might be not only part of the plot (events), but also an important factor influencing the narrative structure and other filmic devices. It might also serve as a metaphor. This happens in film noir, where paranoia is both a subject and an element influencing the general vibe. In three categories of film noir – gothic noir, puzzle/mind- -game films and stoner noir – filmmakers use subjectivisation and other narrative devices in order to introduce paranoia both as a metaphor and a commentary on contemporary social reality.
9
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Uwięziony przez femme fatale w bezprawnym świecie: Prosta sztuka powieści Hard-Boiled i filmu Noir.

41%
Antoniak K.
Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Sklodowska, sectio FF – Philologia
|
2020
|
vol. 38
|
issue 1
EN
The article presents the beginnings of the hard-boiled novel and film noir, which date back to the 1920s and 1930s. Difficult economic and political conditions of that time gave rise to the  new genres in literature and cinematography. The classic novels by Raymond Chandler and DashiellHammett present a world, where crime goes unpunished and order can never be restored. An important role in novel narrative, enabling the authors to build such a vision, is played by the city, presented as a labyrinth that lures the main character in. A lonely detective fights against injustice and often falls for a femme fatale, who abuses him for her own purposes. The paper analyses the history, evolution and characteristics of the literary genre in order to showcase the impact of hard-boiled novels on film noir, as well as to outline the principles of “simple” art of hard-boiled novels and film noir.
PL
Historia powieści hard-boiled i filmu noir sięga lat dwudziestych i trzydziestych XX wieku. Trudne warunki ekonomiczne i polityczne tamtych czasów dały początek nowemu gatunkowi literatury i kinematografii. Klasyczne powieści przedstawiają świat, w którym zbrodnia pozostaje bezkarna, a porządek nigdy nie zostaje przywrócony. Miasto, przedstawione jako labirynt wciągający głównego bohatera, odgrywa ważną rolę w narracji. Samotny detektyw walczy z niesprawiedliwością i często zakochuje się w femme fatale, która wykorzystuje go do własnych celów. Artykuł analizuje historię i ewolucję owego gatunku literackiego oraz próbuje uchwycić prostą sztukę powieści hard-boiled i filmu noir.
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