Film Noir: Influences and Inspirations
When we think of film noir, certain styles, images, and stories quickly come to the fore: Dark shadows, a blonde with darker intentions, her cigarette smoke, her smoking gun. These immediate points of reference stem from the genre’s heyday during the 1940s and 1950s, when they were a popular Hollywood studio output for critics and audiences alike. This Learning Beyond the Classics series takes a classic Hollywood film noir from that period and pairs it with an international film for comparisons that reveal how genre qualities adapt to other audiences and influence how we watch the source material classics.
About the Instructor
Susan Ohmer is a Professor Emerita at the University of Notre Dame, where she taught in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre from 1998 to 2022. Her professional service includes serving as a board member and officer of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies and as co-editor of the journal The Moving Image. She also serves on the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and WNIT boards.
About Learning Beyond the Classics
Learning Beyond the Classics brings the film studies classroom experience to the general public. The series includes a weekly reading, introductions from film experts, and a discussion after the film. All are welcome to sign up for the series. Come to explore and appreciate classic films at a new level.
Cost
Packages are no longer available to purchase. Tickets are available to purchase for individual film screenings. The film screenings are free for university and high school students.
