Asia, Moral Duties, and American Films Noir
World for Ransom and Macao
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3971000 |
|---|---|
| Authors | William M Hawley (independent scholar, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 326-344 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The European Legacy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1084-8770 • E-ISSN: 1470-1316 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10848770.2024.2447189 |
| OpenAlex | W4406118176 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 11 |
Leading American film critics, including, among others, Tony Williams and Robert Miklitsch, have claimed that both World for Ransom and Macao reflect an orientalist, racist, and reactionary worldview. In this article I argue that, on the contrary, these 1950s films noir portray Asian and American characters alike actually carrying out their moral duties. To be sure, these American films employ aesthetic techniques to help illustrate the ethical ambiguities for which film noir is justly celebrated. Still, where the fulfillment of moral duties is concerned, the films’ resolutions are clear. This article enlists the thought of moral philosophers H.L.A. Hart and Daniel Statman to vindicate the ethical outlook of these works, which reward characters who fulfill imperfect, perfect, and/or supererogatory moral obligations. The American protagonists transcend their given circumstances by carrying out high-stake duties in an Asian setting, while forming amorous alliances tested by the aesthetics of film noir. Moreover, I show that none of the protagonists’ moral duties involves maligning Asia. Indeed, were these films noir to disparage Asia, they would diminish the very milieu breathing life into their finest characters
Aesthetics · Asian americans · Environmental ethics · Good moral character · Moral disengagement · Political science · Ransom · Reactionary · Sociology · Hannah Arendt's Political Philosophy · Law · Philosophy · Torture, Ethics, and Law · War, Ethics, and Justification
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |