More on Japanese Noir at the San Sebastian Festival (was: Subtitles and noir)

[Aaron Gerow]

On May 12, 2008, at 2:28 PM, Jasper Sharp wrote:

> Some of these seem to be stretching the definition of noir  
> somewhat, by any standards. (ie Youth of the Beast)
> I'd have thought Shinji Aoyama's An Obsession would have been a  
> prime candidate however, especially in a program that's already  
> showing Stray Dog.

Well, that's the problem in general with the use of the term "film  
noir" in many cases, not just Japan: in many cases, it seems anything  
with gangsters and detectives that is a bit pessimistic is "film  
noir," regardless of their historical or aesthetic conditions. I  
still hope people would clearly define what they mean by "film noir"  
and detail the historical and aesthetic situation that they think  
justifies the use of the term.

Aaron Gerow
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Film Studies Program
Assistant Professor
Film Studies Program/East Asian Languages and Literatures
Yale University
53 Wall Street, Room 316
PO Box 208363
New Haven, CT 06520-8363
USA
Phone: 1-203-432-7082
Fax: 1-203-432-6764
e-mail: aaron.gerow at yale.edu
site: www.aarongerow.com