Shots in the Mirror Ch. 2 Flashcards
What are the three ideological ideas of crime movies?
Crime can be explained
There are individuals equipped to figure out the causes and solutions to crime
Crime can be defined
What is an explanatory psycho?
A character whose craziness is used to account for their crime
What is a cameo psycho?
A character whose criminality is given and not explained
Who claimed people are born bad?
Cesare Lombroso
What impact does a movie have on criminology?
It popularizes criminological chosen theory and creates a lasting effect
Where do explanatory psychos get their origin?
German expressionism
How are criminological theories chosen for movies?
Whatever is popular at the time
What are the four causes of criminality?
Environment, psychopathy, aspirations for a better life, and biology
How do noirs depict male vs female criminals?
Males are repugnant but normal people
Females are abnormal and morally depraved
What do crime films tend to ignore?
The causes of crime
What are born criminals?
Throwbacks to a previous evolutionary stage mirrored by hereditary defects
How does the theory chosen impact the success of the film?
The films with a theory one step ahead of popular opinion are more successful
Or
The more complex the theory the more successful the film
What do movies with an environmental justification imply?
Characters have few options and their choices are very deterministic
