Before taking this class, I had encountered Noir and film noir. Having read The Maltese Falcon and watched movies such as Sunset Boulevard, I was under the impression that the noir genre depicted dramatic, yet unrealistic stories. Having read The Maltese Falcon now for the second time, and as I begin to read Farwell, My Lovely, I would argue that while these stories are dramatic, they attempt to show the darkness and imperfections of reality and human nature through their morally ambiguous characters.
One of the first things that I learned about Noir in high school was the translation of the word which means black. The noir genre then reflects the darkness which exists in the world; a world where there is death, corruption, and morally ambiguous characters. These characters aren’t trustworthy, are selfish, and are often making decisions that are not necessarily right, yet I would argue that noir is attempting to reflect the harsh reality that we live in. I would like to think that people are inherently good, and it is always easy to make the right decision, but unfortunately that is not the world we live in. It’s difficult to do the right thing, especially when the “right thing” counters your self-interest. Being heroic and doing what needs to be done in the name of morality is not as easy as the protagonist of other pieces of fiction show it to be, and the world of noir reflects that.
When discussing the character of Sam Spade in class, we tried to discern if we trusted him or if we thought he was a good guy. Although it would be easy to classify Spade as someone who only cares about himself and doesn’t do what is morally right, I think it is important to remember that he is human, and in a world plagued with darkness, we are all just trying to do our best. Noir captures this complexity of human nature. Some people are selfish and are just doing whatever they can to get ahead, like Gutman or Joel Cairo, but there are also people like Spade, or even Jules from Pulp Fiction, who may at first glance be characterized as immoral characters, but rather in reality and the context of noir, they simply people attempting to do what they think is right and trying to survive, just as we the readers are.
I think it’s interesting that you ephasize Sam Spade’s humanity, especially when often times he seems inhuman and larger than life–almost more of a tall tale than a man. However, I think that emphasizing Spade’s humanity makes the Noir story so much stronger. I think this connect well to the idea that the reason why Humphrey Bogart was so famous was his ability to show perhaps the most human emotion: fear. I also like your discussion of the meaning of the word “noir”.
I enjoyed reading about your perspective on the literal and figurative meaning of noir and how the books we have read embody both of those meanings. Not only are there explicit representations of literal darkness and deception, but also the darkness that exists within us all. The analysis of the actual word, “noir”, can provide clues to what noir truly is.
I agree with your discussion of the complexity of human nature when applied to the Noir genre. I think that the atmosphere of the noir novel creates a space to discuss the realities of what our human desires can lead us to – crime, deception, murder. Characters like the examples you gave show a more realistic heroine than some other genres. They don’t always do the most morally just thing, but they do what is necessary to get what they want. Which is the same thing that we all do, even if we are too proud to admit it. I think that is why we enjoy watching characters like Sam Spade, who embody man’s inherent selfishness and follow through with their desires.