Film Noir Reader 2 edited by Alain Silver & James Ursini

 

(oversized pb; 1999: nonfiction/essay collection)

From the back cover

“In the wake of the remarkable success of Film Noir Reader, this new collection further explores a genre of limitless fascination—and one that continues to inspire and galvanize the latest generation of film makers.

“Again heavily illustrated, with close to 150 stills, Film Noir Reader 2 is organized much like the earlier volume. It begins with more ‘More Seminal Essays,’ including a New York Times attack on crime pictures, written more than half a century ago, before the French had even given the genre a name; a look at its early development by the noted French director Claude Chabrol; and an analysis, by the American critic Stephen Farber, of how film noir reflects the violence and ‘Bitch Goddess’ values of contemporary society.

“Part Two, ‘Case Studies,’ covered specific films, with Robert G. Porfirio comparing the 1946 and 1981 versions of The Postman Always Rings Twice, editor Alain Silver exploring ‘Hitchcock’s Noir Landscape,’ Grant Tracey’s reading of ‘Samuel Fuller’s Tabloid Cinema,’ and Francis m. Nevins tracing the transformation of Cornell Woolrich’s fiction into such movie classics as Rear Window and Phantom Lady.

“‘The Evolution of Noir,’ the book’s final section, focuses on the neo-noir of our own time: ‘Son of Noir’ (Richard Jameson), and such timely subjects as ‘Noir Science’ (editor James Ursini) and ‘Girl Power: Female Centered Neo-Noir’ (William Covey). It also considers British film noir (Tony Williams) and the cross-cultural movement of ‘Abstract Expressionism and Film Noir’ (Kent Minturn). . .”

 

Review

This multiauthor essay collection, like many anthologies, is hit-and-miss, depending on who’s writing and what they’re writing about. The essays I didn’t enjoy were largely über-academic and pedantic, as if written to impress (hoped for) peers rather than edutain/educate laymen readers like myself (which is fine, if that was their intent; that said, this is a volume largely intended for the public at large, not an purely academic journal). Also, some of the essayists seem perfectionist, almost snide in their assessments/tones (e.g., Claude Chabrol, who’s made some good films, but has his fair share of less-than-stellar works). Some readers may well disagree with my reaction to those oh so lofty, high on intellectualistic language writers, and that’s fine—I’m guess that’s why Silver and Ursini included such a mix, to appeal to a wider audience. At any rate, the following essays stood out in their overall, straightforward excellence, relative conciseness, lack of five-dollar words (when fifty-cent words would do the trick), and worthwhile observations:

“Three Faces of Noir” – Tom Flinn (1972)

“Violence and the B**ch Goddess” – Stephen Farber (1974)

“Whatever Happened to Film Noir? The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946-1981)” – Robert G. Porfirio (1981)

“Creativity and Evaluation: Two Film Noirs of the Fifties” – Robin Wood

“Translate and Transform: from Cornell Woolrich to Film Noir” – Francis M. Nevins

“Film Noir and Samuel Fuller’s Tabloid Cinema: Red (Action), White (Exposition) and Blue (Romance)” – Grant Tracey

“Son of Noir” – Robert T. Jameson

“Writing the New Noir Film” – Sharon Y. Cobb

“Girl Power: Female-Centered Neo-Noir” – William Covey

“Noir 101” – Philip Gaines

Ultimately, Film Noir Reader 2 has enough interesting, generally worthwhile essays in it to make it worth reading and buying, particularly if you’re not familiar with the genre and looking to fix that—even its bordering-on-obscurantist works are an educational, in the sense that it warns film noir neophytes the kinds of [censored] they might have to deal with while wading through the murky shadows of noir cinema.