AbstractsBusiness Management & Administration

TWO VERSIONS OF MORALITY IN NOIR AND NEO-NOIR FILMS TROUGH 'THE BIG SLEEP'(1946) AND 'DRIVE'(2011)

by Josephine Pilegaard Hansen




Institution: Roskilde University
Department:
Year: 2016
Keywords: noir; neo-noir; morality
Posted: 02/05/2017
Record ID: 2097569
Full text PDF: http://rudar.ruc.dk/handle/1800/26483


Abstract

Around the time of, and in between, the making of the classic film noir “The Big Sleep”(1946) and neo-noir film “Drive”(2011) social and cultural structures within society changed, which is why the two films portray a different view on moral ambiguity, that resulted in a new perspective on the freedom of choice. When looking at the “The Big Sleep” and “Drive” as representatives of their special characteristics within their styles, through neo-noir as development from classic film noir, it is the different way of portraying moral ambiguity which will be the focus of this project. The project then aims to look at the films as products of their time to discover the greatest differences and similarities. When obtaining knowledge about these differences and similarities, they can help understand the development of the moral ambiguity in connection to for example the restrictive Production Code and liberating Rating System. To achieve the results we choose to approach this project through the theory New Historicism, to ensure that “The Big Sleep” and “Drive’s' portrayal of moral ambiguity will be understood in a context with their different surrounding relations. Methodological triangulation will be applied to do a qualitative comparative, a genre and a thematic analysis within the dimensions Text & Sign and History & Culture to focus both on different parts of the filmic effects and to broaden the project into a historical and cultural context. In 'The Big Sleep' the production company had a responsibility to implement a certain morality, which 'The Big Sleep' indirectly fights against, whereas in Drive the production companies had more freedom, so that the individual could be morally ambiguous. Advisors/Committee Members: Pecic, Zoran (advisor).