A product of the Great Depression and World War II, reflecting a world where the system will not save you.
Protagonists who are outsiders, often "haunted by the past" or trapped in "claustrophobic" situations. Key Ingredients: What to Look For Faculty Article: Writing Noir - Gotham Writers Workshop A product of the Great Depression and World
A "gray area" where heroes have criminal pasts and villains have understandable motives. from the French for "black film
Noir, from the French for "black film," describes a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity. It is not just a genre but an on the world. Core Themes " describes a mood of pessimism
The sense that the characters are "screwed from the start" and that their eventual defeat is inevitable.