FILM NOIR

Film Noir

what are the conventions, and techniques of a film noir?

what is film noir?

• Film noir is a term used in cinema to describe a genre used in the film business.
• Its french, and literally translates as black film.
• Hollywood's film noir period spanned from the early 1940s to the late 1950s.
• It was highly influenced by the war, with plots often being metaphors for the evil and corruption of Hitler and his followers.
• Film noirs were often low key, as they had small budgets due to the depression after the war.

Film Noir directors:

• Howard Hawks who directed The Big Sleep
• Fritz Lang, Who directed The Big Heat
• Robert Wise, who directed The Set-Up
• Jules Dassin, who directed Night And The City

Conventions of a film noir:

Film Noirs typically have a male and female main characters. The female is sterotypically a femme fatale, whose sexuality is in someway exploited, by either the male lead, or by herself. normally dressed in a red or black revealing dress, her body is used to get what she wants. however she is not always in need of help and can sometimes be a strong character who in the end triumphs.

the male normally dressed in a suave suit, with slick hair, and smoking a cigarrette, always has something to prove, whether its his innocence or his love for the female character. In film noirs one of the male leads, tends to be a dective.

shadows are used throughout film noirs, to create suspense, or can often be used to represent someones inner darkness, as a characters shadow could be large and looming, or look like a gargoyle.

Lighting is a big part of film noir. Whether its ambient lighting, or a gbright spotlight focusing on a character, film noir is dependant on light and the shadows its casts.

Film noirs are always set in big amercian cities such as; chiacago, new york, and san francisco. the camera often pans out to show the city scape, representing the characters insignificance in the big city.

Film Noirs:

• Gun Crazy
• D.O.A