DZ-124: Making the Despicable Compelling

Listen if you need audiences to root for characters who do terrible things

Mel and Chas continue to explore what Noir (the genre) can teach writers of all other genres. In particular:

• How to keep the audience on side of characters doing reprehensible things;
• How to control your audience understanding of those reprehensible actions; and
• Distinguishing between characters undergoing transformative arcs against discovering their true natures

In finding the common craft tools of Noir over 100 years, this Part 2 looks at two modern noirs – DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) and WOMAN OF THE HOUR (2024) – after Part 1 looked at the classic DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE.

Despite Chas claiming to have edited this episode it was, in fact, Chris Walker who saved the day and got this done. Thanks Chris.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

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→ Read the transcript for this episode.

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"I think these films have got really strong control over the questions and that's how they get us to follow, compelling us to follow characters who are doing terrible things." — Chas Fisher @ 01:06:08

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CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 – Using noir as a lens
• 00:01:56 – DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS
• 00:07:06 – › Period setting, race, and noir's embedded worldview
• 00:10:30 – › Voiceover as access to morally compromised decisions
• 00:22:02 – › How the film justifies rooting for Easy's transgressions
• 00:29:09 – › Character worldview versus film worldview in noir
• 00:31:33 – WOMAN OF THE HOUR
• 00:37:15 – › Why WOMAN OF THE HOUR qualifies as noir
• 00:43:25 – › The system as collective villain enabling the killer
• 00:53:12 – › Depiction without endorsement, empathy without sympathy
• 01:04:30 – Key Learnings
• 01:08:50 – Thank you Patreons!

FILMS

• DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) — (w) Carl Franklin, Walter Mosley (d) Carl Franklin
• WOMAN OF THE HOUR (2024) — (w) Ian Mcdonald (d) Anna Kendrick

LINKS

• Shot Zero: Noir shots in WOMAN OF THE HOUR

EPISODES IN THE NOIR SERIES

• DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir
• DZ-124: Making the Despicable Compelling

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir
• DZ-03: Making Unlikeable Protagonists Compelling
• DZ-110: Voiceover

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Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2026/dz-124/