There isn’t a whole lot of modern film noir, but sometimes you can find noir in the darndest of places. For instance, my interest in WINTER’S BONE was sparked the first time I heard a fellow blogger discuss the film in the early summer of 2010. It was the term he used to describe it that caught my attention – he called it “Hillbilly Noir”.

On the surface, Debra Granik’s film might not seem to have much in common with tales like CHINATOWN or THE MALTESE FALCON. But even without the fedoras or femme fatales, one can’t help but notice a lot of elements of noir in The Ballad of Ree Dolly.

The biggest difference where the film is concerned is the motive. Ree sets off on her investigation into Jessup’s disappearance out of self-preservation. Usually in noir, the quest begins because the protagonist is hired to solve the story, or has the mystery fall in their lap. In this instance, the puzzle must be solved by Ree because even if she could find someone to put the pieces together, she sure-as-shit can’t afford that person.

Thus Ree turns into an Ozark Nancy Drew and goes in search of answers by herself. Where the story goes noir, is with the surprising amount of resistance she gets. She lives in a tiny community, and the doors she’s knocking on aren’t just her neighbors – they’re often those of her relatives. But the family ties may as well be bound with twine, and the way of life is far too valuable. So over and over, she’s told to stop nosing.

Just like any great noir, there’s a morally compromised character to help our protagonist along, and in this case it’s Teardrop – a violent man who just so happens to be Ree’s uncle. He can see the trouble coming, and doesn’t feel like he owes Ree a thing, so even though she and her siblings have next to nothing, he begins the tale not wanting to help our hero solve the mystery. But in a noir, no character is completely black or white…thus Teardrop steps in a Guy Friday for Ree.

WINTER’S BONE sends Ree down a very dark and dangerous path, the sort of path where question after question is answered with a cold “Don’t ask”. She puts her own life in jeopardy, needs to work outside of the law, and has to decide for herself which unsavory people can be trusted long enough to uncover the truth.

The only thing that would make it more noir is if Jennifer Lawrence’s weary voice narrated the whole grizzly tale.

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