8.0 Significant Shift in Perspective: Cult Noir

 8.0 Significant Shift in Perspective: Cult Noir


Seconds (1966)


Rock Hudson is a revelation in this sinister, science-fiction-inflected dispatch from the fractured 1960s. Seconds, directed by John Frankenheimer, concerns a middle-aged banker who, dissatisfied with his suburban existence, elects to undergo a strange and elaborate procedure that will grant him a new life. Starting over in America, however, is not as easy as it sounds. This paranoiac symphony of canted camera angles (courtesy of famed cinematographer James Wong Howe), fragmented editing, and layered sound design is a remarkably risk-taking Hollywood film that ranks high on the list of its legendary director’s achievements.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to:

1.Describe stylistic and thematic elements of noir and how they change in the 1960s utilizing
    blacklisted actors and taking on themes such as the precariousness of the American dream and
   critique of American capitalism 
2.Identify and assess John Frankenheimer and James Wong Howe's unique contributions in regards to
   noir elements of lighting, characterization, theme, mood and tone in Seconds.
3. Assess Seconds (1966) 

To-Do List
To meet the objectives of this module, you will complete the following activities and assessments:

1. Read Paul Schrader's "Notes on Film Noir,"  Download "Notes on Film Noir,"Film Comment, 1972
2. Watch Seconds and clips
3. Complete the Midterm


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