Episode
DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir
- Published
- Dec 31, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 4972
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://draft-zero.com/2025/dz-123/
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Summary
Listen if you want to write morally compromised characters without endorsing their choices. In this two part series, Mel and Chas use Noir (the genre) as a lens to interrogate flawed characters. How can characters doing reprehensible things still engage audiences? How can you ensure representation isn’t endorsement? And whether these characters undergo transformative arcs, or simply reveal their true natures? Part 1 (DZ-123) focuses on two (now classic) noirs: DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE. While Part 2 (DZ-124) looks at two more contemporary examples DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS and WOMAN OF THE HOUR. Despite Chas claiming to have edited this episode it was, in fact, Chris Walker who saved the day and got this done by the end of 2025. Thanks Chris. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. LIKE THIS EPISODE? Discuss with our Patrons on Patreon . Watch and comment on YouTube . Send us feedback. Thanks to our Patrons, especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis and Khrob. → Read the transcript for this episode. ——— "This is the philosophical question, right? When you get drunk, do you change what you do or do you simply allow your inhibitions to fall and do what you would normally want to do?" — Mel Killingsworth @ 00:42:04 ——— CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open 00:00:17 – Flawed Characters and Noir 00:03:06 – › Writing morally compromised characters without endorsing their worldview 00:08:41 – › Defining film noir as genre, style, and worldview 00:14:27 – › Noir's reach across decades of screenwriting 00:16:40 – DOUBLE INDEMNITY 00:21:41 – › Diegetic confession and its structural function 00:27:17 – › Telling the audience the crime upfront removes justification burden 00:3…