Film Noir: Light and Shadow

Film Noir: Light and Shadow
edited by Alain Silver and James Ursini
Paperback ISBN: 9781495058974
February 2017
352 pages
Applause Theatre and Cinema Books

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Film noir is a rich source for academic study. It lends itself to close examination, dissection, comparison, research and deep thought. For classic film buffs and academics alike, studying film noir is a pleasure. Not only do watching these movies bring us joy but the exploration into the nuances of the genre is just as rewarding.

Film noir experts and authors Alain Silver and James Ursini teamed up to create Film Noir: Light and Shadow, a new anthology that collects essays written by film professors and other writers. Silver and Ursini have collaborated on various other film noir books. In this tome, the essays focus on the visual aspects of the film noir genre. All elements of the visual style of noir are explored including visual motifs, lighting, camera movement, positioning, framing, use of close-ups, title sequences and landscape. Other topics include symbolism, song and dance, dream sequences, the portrayal of romance, gangsters, cinematography, expressionism, TV noir and more. There are a few articles on film noir elements in movies outside the genre including It's a Wonderful Life and Hitchcock's canon. Many of your favorite films noir are discussed including The Killers, Out of the Past, Double Indemnity, In a Lonely Past and more.

The book doesn't rely solely on text to explain the visual elements of film noir. There are over 700 images in the book including title sequences, publicity photos and a variety of screen caps. The book contains fourteen original essays as well as some updated previously published pieces. Included among the authors are Richard Edwards, who taught the TCM and Ball State University online course on film noir back in 2015, as well as Cheri Chinen Biesen, Imogen Sara Smith and others.

I've partnered with Applause Theatre and Cinema Books to offer my readers an opportunity to check out this book. I'm hosting a giveaway for 2 copies of Film Noir: Light and Shadow. This contest is open internationally and runs until midnight EST on Wednesday July 5th. Two winners will be chosen on Thursday July 6th and contacted via e-mail. Good luck!

Giveaway is now over! Congrats to the winners Maddy A. (favorite film noir: Crossfire) and David N. (favorite film noir: The Big Heat). Thanks to everyone who entered!