The Philosophy of Film Noir

A drifter with no name and no past, driven purely by desire, is convinced by a beautiful woman to murder her husband. A hard-drinking detective down on his luck becomes involved with a gang of criminals in pursuit of a priceless artifact. The stories are at once romantic, pessimistic, filled with anxiety and a sense of alienation, and they define the essence of film noir. Noir emerged as a prominent American film genre in the early 1940s, distinguishable by its use of unusual lighting, sinister plots, mysterious characters, and dark themes. From The Maltese Falcon (1941) to Touch of Evil (1958), films from this classic period reflect an atmosphere of corruption and social decay that attracted such accomplished directors as John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, and Orson Welles. The Philosophy of Film Noir is the first volume to focus exclusively on the philosophical underpinnings of these iconic films. Drawing on the work of diverse thinkers, from the French existentialist Albert Camus to the Frankurt school theorists Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno, the volume connects film noir to the philosophical questions of a modern, often nihilistic, world. Opening with an examination of what constitutes noir cinema, the book interprets the philosophical elements consistently present in the films—themes such as moral ambiguity, reason versus passion, and pessimism. The contributors to the volume also argue that the essence and elements of noir have fundamentally influenced movies outside of the traditional noir period. Neo-noir films such as Pulp Fiction (1994), Fight Club (1999), and Memento (2000) have reintroduced the genre to a contemporary audience. As they assess the concepts present in individual films, the contributors also illuminate and explore the philosophical themes that surface in popular culture. A close examination of one of the most significant artistic movements of the twentieth century, The Philosophy of Film Noir reinvigorates an intellectual discussion at the intersection of popular culture and philosophy. Mark T. Conard, assistant professor of philosophy at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, is the editor or coeditor of many books, including The Philosophy of Martin Scorsese and The Philosophy of Neo-Noir. A satisfying book, as each of the authors brings a unique perspective to the discussion and they are able to isolate, identify, and explain some of the more subtle aspects of a genre which, on the surface, seems all about gangsters and pretty girls who done somebody wrong. -- Blogcritics Explores the philosophical underpinnings of movies from the classical noir period and . . . suggests that films aren\u27t noir merely because they share a consistent tone, or certain visual conventions, with the likes of The Maltese Falcon , The Postman Always Rings Twice , and Double Indemnity . -- Boston Globe The essays work both as solid primers into philosophy, stretching from Aristotle to Schopenhauer, and as lucid excursions into the genre\u27s dark, mean streets. . . . A fascinating, readable, and provocative book. . . . Highly recommended. -- Choice An intellectually seductive, hard-boiled romp through a world of moral murkiness, femme fatales, and desperately lonely protagonist. -- Eric Bronson, editor of Baseball and Philosophy The collection aims to achieve two goals: to introduce genuine philosophical problems and film noir characteristics, while providing sufficiently in-depth discussion that those familiar with either philosophical methods or film noir will not find the material too elementary. Although facing a difficult task, Conard has put together a collection that succeeds in both respects. -- Intertexts Dense and intriguing, the book suggests noir is best perceived as a slightly warped mirror held up to contemporary society. -- Publishers Weekly An excellent book, giving readers a very good sense of the rich philosophical resources in film noir. -- Thomas Hibbs, author of Shows About Nothing: Nihilism in Popular Culture from t This collection of essays, delving into the films and elucidating their philosophical depths, is challenging and engaging. Read it and prepare to be provoked. -- Les Reid -- Philosophy Nowhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_american_popular_culture/1018/thumbnail.jp

The Philosophy of Horror

Sitting on pins and needles, anxiously waiting to see what will happen next, horror audiences crave the fear and exhilaration generated by a terrifying story; their anticipation is palpable. But they also breathe a sigh of relief when the action is over, when they are able to close their books or leave the movie theater. Whether serious, kitschy, frightening, or ridiculous, horror not only arouses the senses but also raises profound questions about fear, safety, justice, and suffering. From literature and urban legends to film and television, horror’s ability to thrill has made it an integral part of modern entertainment. Thomas Fahy and twelve other scholars reveal the underlying themes of the genre in The Philosophy of Horror. Examining the evolving role of horror, the contributing authors investigate works such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), horror films of the 1930s, Stephen King’s novels, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining (1980), and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960). Also examined are works that have largely been ignored in philosophical circles, including Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood (1965), Patrick Süskind’s Perfume (1985), and James Purdy’s Narrow Rooms (2005). The analysis also extends to contemporary forms of popular horror and “torture-horror” films of the last decade, including Saw (2004), Hostel (2005), The Devil’s Rejects (2005), and The Hills Have Eyes (2006), as well as the ongoing popularity of horror on the small screen. The Philosophy of Horror celebrates the strange, compelling, and disturbing elements of horror, drawing on interpretive approaches such as feminist, postcolonial, Marxist, and psychoanalytic criticism. The book invites readers to consider horror’s various manifestations and transformations since the late 1700s, probing its social, cultural, and political functions in today’s media-hungry society. Thomas Fahy, director of the American Studies Program at Long Island University, is author or editor of numerous publications, including Staging Modern American Life, Freak Shows and the Modern American Imagination, and two recent horror novels, Sleepless and The Unspoken. The Philosophy of Horror captures some of the lively conversations occurring at the intersection of horror and philosophy. The volume collects a group of original essays that engage a wide variety of artifacts—TV shows like Ghost Hunters, classic films like The Black Cat, and novels such as In Cold Blood—and take up a wide variety of theoretical questions ranging from the ethics of retribution, the notion of the sublime, and human nature. --Kendall R. Phillips, author of Projected Fears: Horror Films and American Culture A deadly serious contribution to scholarship on horror and a deliciously evil way of engaging philosophy. --Eric Bronson, author of Poker and Philosophy: Pocket Rockets and Philosopher Kings The Philosophy of Horror provides new insights into a familiar genre. And, like the Cedar Point commercial that comes on each autumn, advertising family-friendly October weekends, it’s \u27fun scary, not scary scary.\u27 --The Plain Dealer [The Philosophy of Horror] demonstrates how horror films essentially make us philosophical skeptics for a couple hours before we return to everyday life. . . . it’s “fun scary, not scary scary.” It definitely made me chuckle. --The Plain Dealer It’s precisely the extreme nature of horror that makes it such a lightning rod for debates about hot-topic issues within American culture—like racism, women’s rights, consumerism and sexuality—along with broader issues of morality....Philosophy of Horror addresses the latter, with contributions about the hidden messages of everything from The Birds to Hostel. --Thomas Rogers,Salon Fahy…examines the reasons why audiences continue to revisit horror and why fear is the underpinning of some of American culture’s most well known television and film productions and works of literature. --tucsoncitizen.com The Philosophy of Horror is an intelligently written, perceptive, engrossing work that attempts to answer many disturbing questions. The arguments are presented in a clear manner and are supported by appropriate examples…The [book] is recommended not only for enthusiasts of the genre, but also for anyone who has ever wondered why some people enjoy horror films. The book raises some questions about our own psyche worth pondering about. --Mayra Calvani, New York Journal of Books [Fahy] gathers essays by 12 philosophers, literary scholars, and others on the appeal and repulsion of horror films and the questions they raise about fear, safety, justice, and suffering. --Moving Image Archives A selection of 14 essays exploring ways horror plays with philosophical concepts, primarily looking at films and TV, but also fiction. --Locus The philosophy of Horror demonstrate the range and diversity of purposes served by horror films and fiction. --Booksquawk.com If you wish to have your horizons broadened, and new ideas brought up and explored, then you\u27d do well to pick this up. --Rock Star Journalisthttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_american_popular_culture/1008/thumbnail.jp

Vertical Readings in Dante's Comedy

"Vertical Readings in Dante’s Comedy is a reappraisal of the poem by an international team of thirty-four scholars. Each vertical reading analyses three same-numbered cantos from the three canticles: Inferno i, Purgatorio i and Paradiso i; Inferno ii, Purgatorio ii and Paradiso ii; etc. Although scholars have suggested before that there are correspondences between same-numbered cantos that beg to be explored, this is the first time that the approach has been pursued in a systematic fashion across the poem. This collection – to be issued in three volumes – offers an unprecedented repertoire of vertical readings for the whole poem. As the first volume exemplifies, vertical reading not only articulates unexamined connections between the three canticles but also unlocks engaging new ways to enter into core concerns of the poem. The three volumes thereby provide an indispensable resource for scholars, students and enthusiasts of Dante.

Reconsidering the Tribune in Early Gothic Architecture of Twelfth-Century Northern France

This work reconsiders the tribune, its functional and symbolic importance in Gothic style architecture of twelfth-century France. Three case studies, the cathedrals of Notre-Dame of Noyon and Senlis and the priory church of Saint-Leu at Saint-Leu-d’Esserent, serve as a means to examine the origins, function and medieval conceptions of this enigmatic second story. An analysis of the cathedral fabric, together with the episcopal palace and chapel, in conjunction with an examination of the sociological and political context are undertaken in an effort to start a new dialogue regarding this architectural entity, long neglected in the discourse of Gothic architecture. The outlier in this study is the Cluniac priory of Saint-Leu, constructed with a tribune-like elevation yet lacking a proper tribune; the priory serves as a foil with which to test the assumptions surrounding the cathedral case studies. The careful examination of evidence reveals a nuanced understanding of this architectural entity, undermining the traditional narrative that holds it to be purely a constructional device used by medieval builders in the race for taller, more spacious churches. This new perspective situates the tribune in the broader context of the episcopal complex as an architectural entity physically and symbolically linking the different buildings of the cathedral, episcopal chapel and palace. Finding its roots in royal and imperial architectural complexes of the Byzantine and medieval empires the tribunes of Notre-Dame of Noyon and Senlis express propriety befitting the stature of the bishop and his cathedral, while this second story as a space of devotion confirms its spiritual supremacy. Notably, the use of this architectural form at this time occurs when bishops sought to reassert their authority, following a period of institutional weakness

Vertical Readings in Dante's Comedy

"Vertical Readings in Dante’s Comedy is a reappraisal of the poem by an international team of thirty-four scholars. Each vertical reading analyses three same-numbered cantos from the three canticles: Inferno i, Purgatorio i and Paradiso i; Inferno ii, Purgatorio ii and Paradiso ii; etc. Although scholars have suggested before that there are correspondences between same-numbered cantos that beg to be explored, this is the first time that the approach has been pursued in a systematic fashion across the poem. This collection – to be issued in three volumes – offers an unprecedented repertoire of vertical readings for the whole poem. As the first volume exemplifies, vertical reading not only articulates unexamined connections between the three canticles but also unlocks engaging new ways to enter into core concerns of the poem. The three volumes thereby provide an indispensable resource for scholars, students and enthusiasts of Dante.

The Architecture of the Great House in the Contemporary Postcolonial Novel

This project explores the use of the symbol of the Western European Great House by contemporary postcolonial novelists and consists of four chapters, each focusing on the ways that the power structures connected to the Great House impact the lives of the characters in four different postcolonial locations: Ireland, South Africa, Puerto Rico, and India. The use of the Western European Great House in Edna O\u27Brien\u27s House of Splendid Isolation (1994), André Brink\u27s Imaginings of Sand (1996), Rosario Ferré\u27s The House on the Lagoon (1995), and Salman Rushdie\u27s The Moor\u27s Last Sigh (1995) reveals the continuing impact of colonial power structures in the wake of formal colonialism. The form and function of the houses in the novels provide insight into two key questions facing the postcolonial world: To what extent and in what forms are the power dynamics erected by Western European colonizers still operating? And, what can and should be done with the lingering power structures that divide and oppress by means of gender, race, and class? The Great House enables these writers to investigate and problematize the power structures it represents. The architectural settings reveal not only that the colonial power structures were never airtight and impervious but also that they still exist, even if in ruins, and must be dealt with. Bringing together novels set in diverse places exposes the continuing potency of the power structures erected through the colonial process while concurrently highlighting the differences in the ways the power structures operate in each specific postcolonial location. This project underscores the significance of architecture to postcolonial literary studies by highlighting the important relationship between the built environment and society

The Advocate - Dec. 17, 1959

Original title (1951-1987)--The Advocate: official publication of the Archdiocese of Newark (N.J.)

Vertical readings in Dante's Comedy : Volume 2

Vertical Readings in Dante’s Comedy is a reappraisal of the poem by an international team of thirty-four scholars. Each vertical reading analyses three same-numbered cantos from the three canticles: Inferno i, Purgatorio i and Paradiso i; Inferno ii, Purgatorio ii and Paradiso ii; etc. Although scholars have suggested before that there are correspondences between same-numbered cantos that beg to be explored, this is the first time that the approach has been pursued in a systematic fashion across the poem.Publisher PD

Building Across the Sacred Landscape: The Romanesque Churches of Verona in their Urban Context

This project explores the intersection of art, religion, and community within the historical context of the Middle Ages, where architecture acts as an expression of the experience of urban life, as well as an affecting locus of social interaction. It focuses on medieval Verona, where the immense architectural renovations of the eleventh and twelfth centuries were an integral response to a period of intense social and religious transformation. Here, the churches are examined as an ensemble, as a network of interconnected buildings that were produced under similar social circumstances. Instead of focusing on defining a Veronese architectural style through a number of decorative features, however, this dissertation explores difference as being an important factor in defining the look of each Veronese church, focusing on the Romanesque churches' relationships to the city, floorplans, and elevations as evocations of a period of considerable creativity. This variation is considered in terms of the experiences of the communities and individuals who commissioned them, and how the buildings' historical and cultic associations were identified within the larger urban context