Commentary
In the genre of film known as Film Noir—made in Hollywood during the late 1930s and ‘40s—the defining mark is the loss of trust. Everyone has a racket. Someone who seems good is mostly just pretending. Information about the real story comes at a high cost. No one talks without coercion or payment. Bribes, blackmail, betrayal, and murder are all treated with shocking nonchalance. Seeming innocence is a mask for scam. There are layers upon layers of corruption. To be a cheat is the norm. To exploit another is a way of life.
