The Maltese Falcon to Body of Lies: Spies, Noirs, and Trust (Recencies Series: Research and Recovery in Twentieth-Century) (Recencies Series: Research ... in Twentieth-Century American Poetics) - Softcover

Hallberg, Robert Von

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0826351360 ISBN 13: 9780826351364

Publisher: University of New Mexico Press, 2015

Synopsis

Film noir is by definition dark, but not, this book argues, desperate. Examining twenty-eight great noir films from the earliest examples of the genre, including The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, and Out of the Past, to such twenty-first-century spy films as The Good Shepherd, Syriana, and The Bourne Ultimatum, this study explores the representations of trust and commitment that noir and spy films propose. Through thorough examination, von Hallberg provides insights into the cultural history of film and our cinematic experience with the concept of trust.

About this title

Review:

"A compelling and marvelously personal essay on the psychology and morals of trust in the beleaguered world of noirs and spies, a world riddled by suspicion, shame, and guilt, yet not, it appears, without hope."--Maria DiBattista, author of Fast-Talking Dames

About the Author:

Robert von Hallberg is a professor of literature at Claremont McKenna College, USA, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of five books, most recently Lyric Powers.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0826351360
• ISBN 13: 9780826351364
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240