Detour

Thursday, September 25

DFAB Room 131

6:00 PM

This semester, we're going to change things up a bit.  The usual art documentaries will return next in the spring.  This semester, however, we will be taking a look at the work of filmmakers who set out to take certain film genres and elevate them to works of art.  Each evening there will be a brief discussion about the particular genre and how the film is representative of that genre.  We'll also discuss the innovative and artistic choices made by the filmmakers.  After the film, there will always be time for discussion.

First off, we will look at the art of film noir.  This term refers to the dark, gritty crime dramas of the 1940s and 50s that emphasized cynical attitudes, violence, and sexual motivations.  The low-key black-and-white visuals, stylish editing, and pulp fiction roots of these films are iconic characteristics.

The example of film noir that we will watch is Detour, a classic of the genre.  Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and adapted for the screen by Martin Goldsmith and Martin Mooney from a novel of the same name by Goldsmith, Detour was produced on an extremely low budget--as were many of films in this genre--with bare sets and minimal lighting.  But the unpolished surface is misleading. This film is held in very high regard by critics for reasons we will discuss at the showing.

Detour follows a piano player named Al, who is bitter about working as a piano player a New York nightclub for very little pay. His frustrations become unbearable when his girlfriend leaves to seek fame in Hollywood, leaving Al behind.  He eventually decides to join her, but with so little money, he is forced to hitchhike his way across the country.Along the way, chance events trap Al in a tightening net of violence and trouble.

Come join us Thursday night, September 25, at 6:00 PM in DFAB 131 to watch and discuss the art of film noir in Detour.