The unwinding storyline that reveals the fate of Oedipus Rex makes it one of the most celebrated tragedies of all time. What intrigued me most about the story was that its the narrative structure opens it up to much more. Each clue found within the labyrinth-like storyline twists and turns Oedipus about, until he finds himself face to face with his own fate. Oedipus’ ability to alienate himself and dictate his own fate keeps his character present in hardboiled film and literature stories even today. It’s with this common reoccurrence in, particularly in the Film noir genre that often leaves me wondering; is it possible for Oedipus Rex to function outside its conventional setting? Can the visual motifs that defined film noir as a genre show Oedipus in a new light? Conveniently, does crafting Oedipus into a Noir Detective story reveal something new about the genre?

"The noir world of alienation and angst is associated with the male protagonists, and hence it is seen as portraying a masculine problem of the time period. Film noir can be characterized by 'two key character motifs', obsession and alienation, of which the second is the most important."

"The darkness that fills the mirror of the past, which lurks in a dark corner or obscures a dark passage out of the oppressively dark city, is not merely the key adjective of so many film noir titles but the obvious metaphor for the condition of the protagonist's mind."