Crime

Crime looks at the origins of this popular film genre, as well as the key themes and issues involved in the study of crime films, such as the appeal of violence, the investigative structure of crime drama, and society and ideology. These themes are investigated through the study of contemporary and classic films with particular case studies on the 'family' or oedipal thriller, and the conspiracy thriller. Films discussed include: Scarface (1932) Angels with Dirty Faces (1935) Mildred Pierce(1945) The Parallax View(1974) Hana-bi (1990) Reservior Dogs(1992) Pulp Fiction (1994) Catch Me If You Can (2002) Mystic River(2002) Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005) Michael Clayton(2007) Gone Baby Gone (2007) The author considers crime film within the context of society and social relations, the role of the anti-hero, the identification between on screen representations of violence and behaviour and the phenomenon of 'cool' violence.