Commentary
In the genre of film known as Film Noir—made in Hollywood during the late 30s 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.
The job of the one decent person is to outsmart the evil but he or she only maintains decency by never trusting anyone or anything, and presuming as a rule that all people and things are far worse than they seem. Cynicism is not a pose; it is a principle of survival….