Today on A Public Affair, film critic and retired lecturer Eileen Jones discussed Film Noir, how monsters represent our own fears, and the social political atmosphere in Hollywood. People have always had a fascination for the darker aspects of human nature, and are both terrified and drawn to films with elements that push the limits of the human capacity for evil. From the 1700s era’s interest in medieval gothic, to southern gothic, and now true crime, this craving for darkness won’t be going away anytime soon. Film Noir in the the 1940s and 50s was an important counterpoint to the musicals and westerns in the post-war era characterized by their depiction of the American dream and Hollywood happy endings. Film Noir always ended in death and despair. It seemed to provide some relief that not everything will turn out right.

Today, Neo-Noir and True Crime take the front seat for people who have a desire for darkness. Jones noted that True Crime media made a space for people’s inner turmoil, which if left unrestricted, could feed a person’s dark thoughts, rather than serve as an innocent outlet.

Jones also discussed how Hollywood tends to lean centrist left, but the subject matter of the movies is the only part of Hollywood reflective of those views. The actual filmmaking process is not leftist, and still relies on historical power structures which people are hesitant to address because of their fight for careers in the industry. There is a price to be paid if you speak out about your political stance or personal values being violated in your workplace. Because academia has an even smaller pie, academics struggling for their slice stay quiet and inequalities are even more prevalent.

Eileen Jones is a film critic at Jacobin magazine and co-host of the Filmsuck podcast. She is a retired lecturer in the Department of Film and Media at the University of California at Berkeley, where she also earned her Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Film Studies.

Photo courtesy of Leah of Flickr from a Screenshot taken from the film Phantom Lady, made by Robert Siodmak in 1944.

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