Fatalism in American Film Noir

The crime melodramas of the 1940s shared many formal and thematic elements, from unusual camera angles and lighting to moral ambiguity and femmes fatales. Robert Pippin argues that many of these films also raise distinctly philosophical questions. Where most Hollywood films of that era featured reflective individuals living with purpose, and effecting desired consequences, the typical noir protagonist deliberates and plans, only to be confronted by the irrelevance of such deliberation...
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The crime melodramas of the 1940s shared many formal and thematic elements, from unusual camera angles and lighting to moral ambiguity and femmes fatales. Robert Pippin argues that many of these films also raise distinctly philosophical questions. Where most Hollywood films of that era featured reflective individuals living with purpose, and effecting desired consequences, the typical noir protagonist deliberates and plans, only to be confronted by the irrelevance of such deliberation and by results that contrast sharply with his or her intentions or true commitments.