Film Noir and Los Angeles: Urban History and the Dark Imaginary

This book explores the intersection of film studies and urban theory in a spatial exploration of twentieth-century Los Angeles, using the dark lens of noir to historicize the city's urban form. It demonstrates an innovative approach to urban historiography and reveals postmodern expressions in Hollywood cinema, making it relevant to students and researchers in film, literature, cultural, and urban studies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 212 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book seamlessly weaves together film studies and urban theory to embark on a spatial exploration of twentieth-century Los Angeles. Through the lens of noir, the author delves into an alternative urban history of Los Angeles, shaped by the fictional modes of detective fiction, film noir, and neo noir. The author's meticulous analysis examines the dark portrayals of the city in Raymond Chandler's crime fiction, ranging from classic novels like "Farewell, My Lovely" to iconic films like "Double Indemnity" (1944) and "The End of Violence" (1997). By utilizing these fictional elements as the foundation for historicizing the city's unparalleled urban form, the analysis showcases a groundbreaking approach to urban historiography. Furthermore, this book uncovers some of the earliest manifestations of postmodern expression in Hollywood cinema, making it an invaluable resource for students and researchers in the fields of film, literature, cultural studies, and urban exploration. Moreover, scholars interested in the histories of Los Angeles and the American noir imagination will find this book particularly intriguing.

Weight: 400g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367547998