Film Noir
Film Noir: Literally ‘black film’; a trend of ‘dark’ and black styles and themes that were used in many American crime and detective films released in France following the war; evolved in 1940s, became prominent in the post-war era, and a classic “Golden Age” period until about 1960
Influenced by the end of WW2 with almost a quarter of Noir protagonists as war veterans
Women exhibited qualities stereotypically associated with men (strong, emotionally tough, ambitious) due to them becoming more independent during the war; called The Femme Fatale
Combination of 1930s influences helped create it: German Expressionists and Hollywood gangsters as well as documentary filmmaking
Audiences were familiar with documentaries through wartime propaganda films, and Film Noir had to be shot on location to enhance the realism and style, so audiences were more accepting of the semi-doc and realist techniques being used
Concentrated on the darker side of human nature: many were B movies that were made quickly and cheaply
Most 1940s popular cinema focused on bright and happy themes such as romances and musicals
Coined by French film critics
Conventions
Difficulty is that it is a complex genre to define as it was initially just a style; has a certain look or feel to it, a particular tone and mood.
Mise-en-Scene:
Designed to unsettle, jar and disorient the viewer.
Visual style influenced by the dramatic and visual tradition of German Expressionist works such as ‘The Cabinet of Dr Caligari’
- Utilised sets built in false perspective, contrasting light and dark, titled angles and the foregrounding of objects. The production design in Film Noir was sparse; props and furniture were all simple and functional
Characters
The Detective/Male Hero
Displays stereotypical masculine qualities and has a relationship with the femme fatale.
Usually involved in the crime in some capacity and finds himself on a downward spiral.
Femme Fatale
She is unobtainable, untamed and dangerous; she used her sexuality to get what she wants.
Never seen in other films but were prominent in Film Noir.
Sexually promiscuous, erotic and manipulative; a threat to masculinity
Distinguishable by their blonde hair, tight clothing, long ‘talon’ nails and cigarettes; would often blow her smoke in the face of her potential victim
To create the impression of their control and dominance they were often show in a low angle.
However, Noir did inevitably punish the woman; perhaps for her independence in the social reality after the war
Locations
Instead of studio based sets, real cities were used; the urban jungle at night. The vast spaces were dramatic and maze-like which added to the realism and confusion of the plot lines.
Underground locations were frequently used such as dimly lit subways and dark alleyways; these manifestations of the secret underworld where criminals can hide in the shadows represented the ‘modern hell’ where the stories were based. These cold urban environments offered no safety
Interior locations were used frequently too, such as dimly lit clubs or hallways.
Characters were often ‘trapped’ in the frame by staircases; reflecting death and imprisonment or by light streaming through Ventician blinds creating both physical and metaphorical prison like bars around the character
Lighting
Light and shadow are used in extreme contrast representing the binary opposites, good and evil.
Light sources added layers to the film and were a prominent part of each scene, with bright hot sources and deep dark shadows with a backlighting of heavy smoke.
Often only a single light source was used such as a lamp or a window
The low key lighting offers no release and no escape from the situation and represents the characters as trapped. This effect was enhanced further by the frequent use of Venetian blinds. This lighting technique was effective as it threw patterns onto otherwise blank walls and created a psychological effect.
Camera angles/shots
Film Noir relies on a compositional balance that is off angle/disruptive with wide angled lenses
The extreme close-ups are obtrusive and suggest the closing in of fate on the character. However, much of the camerawork was impacted by the Hays Production Code. All films had to abide by the code which was in place to ensure that moral and ethical standards were upheld. Although this limited what could be shown, it forced writers and directors to be creative and allowed the audience’s imaginations to take over. Many believe the sexiness of Noir was because it couldn’t be shown.
- In a scene in the Big Combo (1955), Mr Brown and Susan Lowell engage in a passionate clinch. As the male character caressed the woman’s face and neck, the camera started to zoom in to a tight close up on the women’s face showing her expression. This eliminates the man from the frame and the audience had to sue their imagination instead
Voice-Over
Talking about flashbacks
Narrative
Film Noir introduces a narrative method that is twisted, implicit and often deliberately confusing
“Noir is a maze-like, many mirrored fun house” - The Pocket Guide to Film Noir
The genre uses complex plots centred on violence, deceit and corruption because Noir stories are designed to confuse the viewer: the use of anti-linear order and flashbacks enhance this
Enigma codes form the structure of Noir films as they hook the audience and keep them intrigued till the end.
Characters are often unidentifiable in the frame to add to the mysterious feel to the narrative; this effect was achieved with a backlighting of heavy smoke. The actin of solving the crime is central to the violent, dark plot line, along with the struggle and failure of masculinity