The Simple Art of Murder

When thinking of Noir, the first thing that comes to mind is a black and white Hollywood scene: a dimly lit, hazy, smoke-filled office with “Private-Eye” across the door, the hardboiled detective wearing a trench coat and hat, sitting back with cigarette at hand, a seductive woman caught up with unsavory characters, a mystery to be solved, dough to be made. Sometimes, the best part about certain genres of fiction is how incredibly romanticized they have become.

I find it interesting and slightly amusing that the rules that Raymond Chandler laid down for authors of detective fiction have basically become the most familiar of clichés. Although Chandler’s intention was that the genre become more realistic, serious, and significant, I’m afraid that these clichés are part of the reason that detective fictions are lovingly synonymous with “trashy beach novels.”

Raymond Chandler’s Rules include:

1.      A Hard, Shady, Disreputable City

Chandler argues that this must be the setting for the mystery because, naturally, this is where crime and murder live. The true realist author is tough minded and writes in a world where “no man can walk down a dark street in safety because law and order are things we talk about but refrain from practicing.” It’s true - the city is a place of anonymity, secrecy, and hostility, absolutely perfect for a good mystery. But it does lead to one of my absolute favorite clichés. What would a detective be without lots of misty streets, alley ways, and dim flickering light posts?

2.      A Mysterious Hero

The detective archetype is an interesting one. The detective is a man as mysterious as the mysteries he works on, it seems. As Raymond says, “he must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man.” (but most of all, he must be a MAN. Women are definitely excluded.) Although his dealings are with criminals and crooked men, he is a man of honor, instinctively. He does not “care much about his private life” and approaches things above all with cool detachment. Of course, the cliché of the enigmatic detective makes all the dames swoon.

3.      A Poor Hero

A huge change in detective fiction is that the Noir detective “is a relatively poor man, or he would not be a detective at all”  - very unlike previous stories, especially Sherlock Holmes, a mastermind who solved mysteries merely for the fun of it. This way, the mysterious, ruggedly handsome man can not only interact with rich clients who can afford his services, but is unafraid of roaming the mean streets of the city, the home to crime and murder (another reason why women just don't fit the bill). All I can think of with this is a detective with a thick New Yorker or Chicagoan accent saying something along the lines of “I’m just in it for the dough, baby.”

Although not a rule given specifically by Raymond Chandler, my scenario of detective clichés would be incomplete without the presence of a damsel in distress. However, what I’ve come to discover by investigating more detective stories, that yes, there is the presence of a helpless damsel, but there is also the much more interesting development of the Femme Fatale. My favorite example of this type of woman is Raymond Chandler’s own Harriet Huntress from Trouble is My Business. Tall, fiery, vengeful, and seductive, Miss Huntress is anything but diminutive and gentle. She knows her way around a gun and makes quite a likely and capable murder suspect. She has an intriguing backstory of betrayal and revenge, but yet, has much depth of character. She’s quite the dame.