THOUGHTS ON NOIR

A classic Noir dictum: 

"You choose a dame with a past and a hero with no future."

I've found Noir to be a curious commentary on American culture after World War II-the period I was born in. 

For many guys who came back alive from combat found it hard to fit into the societal constraints of the time. Certainly one ethos of Noir was this for men who barely could contain their aggression:

"I did a lot of killing in the war. It didn't bother me. So, I became a cop, later a detective. I liked the adrenaline rush that you could not get as a civilian." 

Some couldn't stand the whole chain of command BS they had to endure in the service so being a cop was pretty much the same. They became private investigators instead.

The women they mixed with for one reason or another had rejected societal norms for their gender, giave the Church the middle finger and enjoyed their sexuality. They paid a dear price:

They were labeled shameless sluts, predatory sinners bent on destroying a good man's life and reputation. 

Noir helped breed the Beat generation and eventually by the mid-60's, American culture cataclysmically blew apart and the repercussions continue today.