Lengthy essay examines film noir's history, conventions and aesthetics, and analyzes how postwar America affected the genre.

Find a collection of six complete, reprinted essays on film noir, provided by the University of California at Berkeley.

Critical anthology of articles and essays on film noir. Read the extensive selection available, or order a print copy.

Read an intro to the genre before plowing through long synopses of some of its representative films, including "The Third Man" and "Laura."

Illustrated essay by Michael Mills touches the femme fatale's role in classic film-noir pieces.

Humorous essay takes a look at the predominance of bowling scenes in some of the genre's best-known films. Includes photos.

Hollywood studio was best known for its lavish musicals in the 1940s. Read an essay discussing three of its uncharacteristic film noir releases.

Brief essay from Modern Times takes a look at film noir's storytelling structures and common elements. With photos.

The Family in Film Noir and other essays. Interesting series of essays on the role of women in these films and their recurrent themes.

Brian W. Fairbanks' examination of the visual style of film noir describes its influences and its changes in style over the years.

Dan Jardine's review of the book "Somewhere in the Night, Film Noir and the American City" is also an excellent overview of the genre as a whole.