The Maltese Falcon to Body of Lies
The Maltese Falcon to Body of Lies
Spies, Noirs, and Trust
Film noir is by definition dark, but not, this book argues, desperate. Examining twenty-eight great noir films from the earliest examples of the genre, including The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, and Out of the Past, to such twenty-first-century spy films as The Good Shepherd, Syriana, and The Bourne Ultimatum, this study explores the representations of trust and commitment that noir and spy films propose. Through thorough examination, von Hallberg provides insights into the cultural history of film and our cinematic experience with the concept of trust.
A compelling and marvelously personal essay on the psychology and morals of trust in the beleaguered world of noirs and spies, a world riddled by suspicion, shame, and guilt, yet not, it appears, without hope.
Robert von Hallberg is a professor of literature at Claremont McKenna College and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of five books, most recently Lyric Powers.
