Klasyczny film nor, kino modernistyczne, modernie – czyli tam i z powrotem

The main aim of the article is to present classical film noir as a modernistic phenomenon in its roots. So-called “modernity” has many faces and is defined and understood in different ways. In film studies, modernistic cinema most often is identified with cinéma d’auteur. What is more, modernistic narration is situated in contrast to classical narration. The first part of the text concentrates on depicting how classical film noir foreshadows modernism in cinema and breaks the rules of classical narration. In the second part, film noir, as a phenomena of the classical Hollywood production, is considered in the context of modernity, particularly so-called “low” modernity, or, as other researchers describe it, “vernacular” modernity. Classical film noir as a result takes its energy and sources from social, cultural, economic changes of early modernity and remains critical in its depiction.