Film Noir: Hollywood's Darkest Timeline

Skip the monsters and ghosts—Hollywood’s real dark side is film noir. Translated as “black cinema,” film noir brims with gritty plots, seedy characters, and shadowy cities—including Chicago. 

In this hour-long talk, Dr. Kelli Marshall guides you through noir's French origins, cultural influences, aesthetics, and recurring character types. Along the way, you’ll revisit classics like Double Indemnity and Murder, My Sweet and discover lesser-known gems such as Undertow—all part of America’s darkest, most psychologically unsettling era of filmmaking.