Review by Choice Review
Park (formerly, Sarah Lawrence College) begins his well-researched study of film noir by asking, "Is it a genre, a style, or a period?" He gives a learned, clearly written chapter to each of these alternatives, and he answers "yes" to all three: film noir is a genre and a style and a period (1940-60). Chapter 6 is dedicated to the films of Alfred Hitchcock, whose Vertigo Park considers the ultimate noir film. Some cinephiles may quarrel with that assessment. Throughout his lively, wide-ranging analyses, Park engages with important predecessors in noir criticism, notably, James Naremore's authoritative More than Night (CH, Apr'99, 36-4393; rev. ed., 2008). Park's book makes an interesting intervention in the noir debate, but his is not the last word. Five appendixes list important films in various noir subcategories. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. R. Ducharme emeritus, Mount Saint Mary's University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
