Final Paper: Genre Study on Film Noir

In this course, we have discussed the role of Hollywood genre in shaping audience expectations of a film, focusing both the film and the audience. Kiss Me Deadly exemplified “film noir,”, you must compare and contrast this film to a modern (post-1980) example of the genre. 

Compare Kiss Me Deadly(1955) to LA Confidential(1997) or Body Heat(1981)

Focus the comparison on a series of questions, including but 

Not limited to the following. What were the narrative and cultural intentions of the respective filmmakers – IE, what kinds of stories did they want to tell? How did they design their films and use their genre to achieve their goals? How did they innovate or alter the older generic tradition? Additionally, compare and contrast the specific technical and narrative techniques employed by each film to create meaning, using accurate technical terminology. 

You must also use accurate timecodes when referring to the movie scene.

Your paper must be 7-10 pages, typed, double-spaced. Be clear and concise. Support your thesis with specific examples of narrative and stylistic techniques and their effects. In addition to any internet sources, you must cite at least three NON-INTERNET WORKS in support of your argument. These works can be films we saw, films or media you have seen outside of class, articles, contemporary newspaper reviews of a film, et cetera. Proofread your work — grammatical and spelling errors will count against your grade. All sources must be from the United States and English.