Workshops
Warm a winter's weekend with the hot chill of noir!
There are no available registration dates at this time.
NOTE: This class will be held in a live, online format using the Zoom Platform.
Class meets Sat/Sun 10:30am-5:30pm ET with breaks
Film noir is at once a genre, a style, and a worldview. In this class, we will view and discuss classic and recent examples of this fascinating cinematic form.
We will examine the roots of film noir in American crime fiction by authors such as Chandler, Hammett, and Spillane, and in German Expressionist films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and M. We will then review the birth of classic noir in the ‘40s and ‘50s by screening clips as well as full features by directors such as Huston, Hawks, Welles, and several more. Finally, we will examine the development of neo-noir from the ‘70s onward. The course is intended for students interested in exploring and discussing this fascinating form’s visual vocabulary, themes, and influence on world cinema.
Our sessions together will involve lecture, clips and discussion. You will also be watching two films each day at your location.
Please note: Participants might incur modest streaming costs to watch films outside of class.
Take a journey into the rich history of this seductive genre!
Header Image: ©Nina Poole
Film Stills taken from “The Third Man” by Carol Reed (top) & “Blood Simple” by Joel and Ethan Cohen (bottom)
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Instructor: Kenneth James
Kenneth James (M.F.A., Ph.D.) has worked in nonfiction television as a screenwriter, producer, director, and editor. At Maine Media and elsewhere, James has taught courses in the histories of narrative film, documentary, animation, and film noir, as well as screenwriting, directing, animation, pre-production, and more.
