I would second Juri's recommendation of the Shrader article.
I suspect it is the pioneering piece in Film Noir studies,
originally appearing in Film Comment 8:1 (Spring 1972), and
reprinted in shortened form in Film Genre Reader and Film
Genre Reader II, which also includes a nice piece by John
Cawelti on Chinatown and articles on American Gangster &
Black Gangster films. Haven't checked recently, but it was
still available a couple of years ago.
Probably both the stimulating and irritating thing about
Shrader is his tendency to list categories and
characteristics: 7 stylistic features of noir, 3 phases, 4
influences. Interesting perhaps, from the creator of Taxi
Driver, is his nomination of the noir masterpiece, Kiss Me
Deadly in 1955. "Its time delay gives it a sense of
detachment and thoroughgoing seediness--it stands at the end
of a long sleazy tradition." Now there's a man who knows why
we all love this stuff.
Bill Hagen
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