Shades of noir

Beyond such acknowledged film noir classics as Double Indemnity (1944), one contributor sees noir elements in recent black-oriented films such as A Rage in Harlem (1991), while another attempts to explain the noir significance of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). The more interesting selections here include an essay on female characters and one on the making of Fritz Lang's The Blue Gardenia (1953). Other pieces, notably the introduction and essay by Copjec, become bogged down in virtually impenetrable academese and are too nitpicky to interest most readers. Not really suitable as an introduction to the genre, this is worth considering as a secondary source for larger collections.
- David C. Tucker, DeKalb Cty. P.L., Decatur, Ga.