CFP: Film Noir (6/1/14; 10/29-11/1/14)

From: Cynthia Miller <[email protected]>

CALL FOR PAPERS
CFP: Film Noir
An area of multiple panels for the 2014 Film & History Conference:
Golden Ages: Styles and Personalities, Genres and Histories
The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor=92s Club
Madison, WI (USA)
October 29-November 2, 2014
DEADLINE for abstracts: June 1, 2014

AREA: Film Noir

Emerging during World War II and reaching its peak in the decade that =
followed, film noir emerged from the seamy underbelly of popular =
culture. It drew from pulp detective stories and the hard-boiled crime =
novels of authors like James M. Cain, flouting the dictates of the =
industry=92s moral guardians and embracing violence, blatant sexuality, =
and societal conflict. This style forced audiences to re-examine =
American values, including traditional gender roles, race, and =
sexuality; and as its social context changed, so too did film noir=92s =
critique.

What can be said about the effects that film noir has had upon =
traditional Western societies? What cultural or historical factors =
affected audience perceptions of these stories, and their subsequent =
pleasures? How did female spectatorship figure into postwar narratives? =
How has the anti-hero figured prominently in the deconstruction of =
patriarchy, if at all? This area, comprising multiple panels, explores =
the concept of Golden Ages across the production systems surrounding =
Film Noir. Topics might include the following:

=95	Decoding the Production Code through Film Noir
=95	Feminism, female sexuality, and fandom
=95	Gay, Lesbian characters and Queer considerations
=95	Racial relations, and social disruption
=95	The existence, or non-existence, of Neo-Noir
=95	The Family in Film Noir
=95	The military man or woman in wartime Films Noir
=95	The recognizable star vs. the unknown actor in Films Noir
=95	The Tough Guy guise, and the fascination with the Femme Fatale
=95	Wet, dangerous, and dark: the visual tropes of the Film Noir =
city

Proposals for individual papers should include a 200-word abstract and =
the name, affiliation, and contact email of the presenter. Proposals for =
complete panels (three related presentations) are also welcome, but they =
must include an abstract and contact information, including an e-mail =
address, for each presenter. For updates and registration information =
about the upcoming meeting, see the Film & History website =
(www.filmandhistory.org).

Please e-mail your 200-word proposal by 1 June 2014, to the area chair:

Darrell M, Newton
Salisbury University
[email protected]=

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