Background
The term 'film noir' meaning black film was originally applied by French critics to dark, doom laden Hollywood crime dramas from the 1940's. 'Black' is usually associated with things like death, mystery and despair and so we associate films noir with these themes too. Films noir usually involve money, murder and sex. We don't always know what's happening but we can tell that something bad will happen.
The term 'film noir' meaning black film was originally applied by French critics to dark, doom laden Hollywood crime dramas from the 1940's. 'Black' is usually associated with things like death, mystery and despair and so we associate films noir with these themes too. Films noir usually involve money, murder and sex. We don't always know what's happening but we can tell that something bad will happen.
The genre of film noir developed during and after the Second World War in the context of post war anxiety and cynicism. At the time when films noir were being made, there were lots of psychological discoveries being made and these had an impact on the films. By the early 50's the classic period of film noir had ended but there were still examples of the genre being made.
Conventions
Films noir have a distinct visual style and follow certain conventions:
Low key lighting/contrasts - This creates the dark setting that shows the audience something bad is going to happen. The contrast of light against dark can reflect the good against evil nature of films noir.
Skewed camera angles - Creates a sense of uneasiness.
Shadows from blinds/railings - Creates a sense of mystery particularly when obscuring a character's face.
Melancholy music - Helps create a sense of foreboding and despair.
Voice over narration - Helps the audience understand more about the setting and what's going on in a short amount of time.
Cigarettes/alcohol - Characters are usually seen smoking or drinking. The smoke can create tension and mystery and the drinking can make the characters seem sociable and sophisticated.
Dark streets/rain - The dark streets create a gloomy atmosphere and rain can be seen as pathetic fallacy, allowing feel a sense of foreboding.
Characters
The Protagonist - Usually a male anti-hero who is cynical and has a troubled past from which he is trying to escape.
"a character which is on a downward spiral from which he cannot emerge" - Kathryn Bigelow
Femme Fatale - A main female character who is beautiful and charming but also amoral and double-dealing. 'Femme fatale' translates to 'fatal woman' suggesting that this character is more dangerous than she may seem.
"She's very smart, she's very powerful and she's extremely sexual" - Janey Place
Detectives, police and villains are generally all as corrupt as each other. We are shown the dark side of human nature.
Conventions
Films noir have a distinct visual style and follow certain conventions:
Low key lighting/contrasts - This creates the dark setting that shows the audience something bad is going to happen. The contrast of light against dark can reflect the good against evil nature of films noir.
Skewed camera angles - Creates a sense of uneasiness.
Shadows from blinds/railings - Creates a sense of mystery particularly when obscuring a character's face.
Voice over narration - Helps the audience understand more about the setting and what's going on in a short amount of time.
Cigarettes/alcohol - Characters are usually seen smoking or drinking. The smoke can create tension and mystery and the drinking can make the characters seem sociable and sophisticated.
Dark streets/rain - The dark streets create a gloomy atmosphere and rain can be seen as pathetic fallacy, allowing feel a sense of foreboding.
Characters
The Protagonist - Usually a male anti-hero who is cynical and has a troubled past from which he is trying to escape.
"a character which is on a downward spiral from which he cannot emerge" - Kathryn Bigelow
Femme Fatale - A main female character who is beautiful and charming but also amoral and double-dealing. 'Femme fatale' translates to 'fatal woman' suggesting that this character is more dangerous than she may seem.
"She's very smart, she's very powerful and she's extremely sexual" - Janey Place
Detectives, police and villains are generally all as corrupt as each other. We are shown the dark side of human nature.
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