The city of Los Angeles has always served as a source of fascination for America and the world, and, throughout the 20th century, its history and culture have been shaped by the enigmatic style/genre called noir. In this course, we will explore the literature and film that came to represent the city and, to an extent, the nation. From hardboiled detective stories to movies that reveal the dark underbelly of American culture, the work we do in this course will hopefully allow us to learn more about ourselves and the way that the stories we tell define us. We’ll read and watch works by Raymond Chandler, Dorothy B. Hughes, Howard Hawks, and David Lynch, among others.

Departmental approval is required for this course.