What is Film Noir?

By not knowing properly or exactly what Film Noir is, I went to do some individual research online in order to help me understand more about this theme before my group produce the one minute film.

What is Film Noir?

The Meaning of Film noir is a French term meaning “black film”, or film of the night. This was inspired by the Serious Noir, this was a line of cheap paperbacks that translated hard-boiled American crime authors and found a popular audience in France. Most of these films are filmed in black and white because this emphasises the shadows in the movie. It also suggests that there is no happiness in this movie by showing no colour.

Setting -The setting in film noir movies are usually urban scenes, such as apartment blocks and back alleys. These urban settings are usually filled with dark corners, shadows and little lighting, which shows us that there could be more than meets the eye.

Lighting -
The lighting is one of the biggest part of the film noir genre. This shows two other big parts which are shadows and darkness.• This creates the mode of the scene, either it be uncertainty or anger, this creates it. There is little lighting but it always faces the main character on screen.

Shadows -With the use of shadows, they suggest more mystery within the film. That there could be someone in those shadows watching, without anyone knowing. The shadows also create darkness, which suggest evil. This may suggest that there is evil everywhere in this movie, and that you can’t escape it.

Darkness -In film noir, darkness is used a great deal within the film. This suggests that there is someone or something out in the darkness, which creates a sense of the unknown and fear. Also this suggests that there is evil within this film and that it is all around.

Male Detective -
These are usually the main characters within the film, and usually have a downfall. These men are usually hard-heartened, cynical, morally ambiguous, a hero etc. There downfall is either a woman or alcohol.

Research Information - http://www.slideshare.net/LiamJamesHughes/key-features-of-film-noir


Visual Style -

- Tend to use dramatic shadows, stark contrast, low-key lighting, and black-and-white rather than colour.

- Typical film shot in a 10:1 ratio of dark to light.

- Many Films Noir's were shot on location in cities, night time shooting was common to get     that really dark look.

- Shadows of venetian blinds, dramatically cast upon an actor's face as he or she looks out a window, are a commonly used visual in film noir.

- Film noir is also known for its use of low angle shots and wide angle lenses.

- Other things common in film noir include shots of people in mirrors, shots through a glass, and multiple exposures.

Research Information -http://uffilmanalysisfive.pbworks.com/w/page/7284511/Visual%20Style

From researching and reading all of this information, it has given me a better understanding of the theme and it would also help my group as it would give us all ideas on what our lecture is expecting us to produce and hopefully all have some knowledge on the theme and ideas on the day we make the film.