Introduction The topic this paper assesses is the use of certain themes in film noir of the 1950s; namely the themes of wealth and the ever-present strain on the protagonists to attain wealth or sustain financial stability and security. This topic is important because it explains the motivations of the characters’ actions in noir films. The plot is almost driven by the protagonists’ need to find some sort of sustainable income, whether it be legal or not. This drive for security or chase for wealth arouses hasty and irrational behavior that leads to a series of traumatic events. The dreadful circumstances the protagonists’ actions put them in is what gives film noir its niche. Assessing the theme of wealth and security, understanding the motives behind the characters is important because it helps the audience understand why the film ended the way it did- with an unfortunate finale. To helps define the films as film noir, I will be analyzing Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard (1950) and John Huston’s Asphalt Jungle (1950). Background and Review of Film …