Starts June 1, 2015

Summer is cooler in the shadows.

We invite movie fans from around the world to join us for a flexible, multimedia investigation and celebration of film noir.

In this nine-week course, we’ll go back in film history to investigate the "The Case of Film Noir"—the means, motives, and opportunities that led Hollywood studios to make these hard-boiled crime dramas, arguably their greatest contribution to American culture.

This course will run concurrently with the Turner Classic Movies "Summer of Darkness” programming event, airing 24 hours of films noir every Friday in June and July 2015. This is the deepest catalog of film noir ever presented by the network (and perhaps any network), and provides an unprecedented opportunity for those interested in learning more to watch over 100 classic movies as they investigate “The Case of Film Noir.”

Both the course and the associated films will enrich your understanding of the film noir phenomenon—from the earliest noir precursors to recent experiments in neo-noir. You will be able to share thoughts online and test your movie knowledge with a worldwide community of film noir students and fans.

Course Outcomes

gain a deeper appreciation of classic Hollywood movies

be able to identify the characteristics of a film noir

able to explain the origins and history of film noir

be able to perform close analyses of films noir

What is Film Noir?

Film Noir and Its Influences

Film Noir in the Studio System

Film Noir Themes and Characters

Film Noir in the Postwar Period

Frequently Asked Questions

Students willTopics include

Do I need access to TCM to participate in this course?

No. For non-TCM subscribers, we will have free links to online public domain films noir, so anyone can participate fully in this course.

How long is this course?

Nine weeks, since it is designed to run in conjunction with TCM's "Summer of Darkness."

Will this course offer a certificate of completion?

Yes.

What kind of time commitment may I expect?

For students who seek to complete the course, it will take between two and four hours each week, not including additional time to watch a few films noir each week on your own or on TCM. For students who wish to participate but are not interested in a certificate of completion, we still want you to be involved. This course is flexible in its design, and you may choose to do as much or as little as you have time for each week.

Are there any synchronous or live events in this course?

Yes. The course will use social media and Google Hangouts on Air to have a few live events. But in case you are not available when an event is occurring, an archived video copy will be available for later viewing.

Will the instructor be involved in the course?

Yes.