Film NoirFilm Noir

German ExpressionismGerman Expressionism• Overly stylized• Wildly non-realistic set design• Geometrical designs embedded in sets• Highly contrasted colors

• “Intellectual” Topics• Insanity• Betrayal• Madness

• Overly stylized• Wildly non-realistic set design• Geometrical designs embedded in sets• Highly contrasted colors

• “Intellectual” Topics• Insanity• Betrayal• Madness

PlotPlot

• Crime viewed from within (POV of criminal—often story told using voiceover/flashback narration)

• Violence/plot twists to create anxiety

• Crime viewed from within (POV of criminal—often story told using voiceover/flashback narration)

• Violence/plot twists to create anxiety

PlotPlot

• Shifting alliances between characters

• Often no clear moral structure (crooked cops, bad court system, no sense of justice)

• Lack of clear plot resolution

• Shifting alliances between characters

• Often no clear moral structure (crooked cops, bad court system, no sense of justice)

• Lack of clear plot resolution

Character— “Protagonist”Character— “Protagonist”• Male (with few exceptions)• Alienated by society or obsessed

with something• Usually a figure on the fringe of

society/edge of the law (detective or corrupt/leisurely millionaire)

• Male (with few exceptions)• Alienated by society or obsessed

with something• Usually a figure on the fringe of

society/edge of the law (detective or corrupt/leisurely millionaire)

Character— “Femme Fatale”Character— “Femme Fatale”• Beautiful and dangerous, predator

and prey, sexually strong and smart• Driven, independent, selfish, shows

traits that are positive when shown in men

• Gets the protagonist “into bed and into trouble” (the Black Widow effect)

• Beautiful and dangerous, predator and prey, sexually strong and smart

• Driven, independent, selfish, shows traits that are positive when shown in men

• Gets the protagonist “into bed and into trouble” (the Black Widow effect)

Character— CriminalsCharacter— Criminals

• Often depicted sympathetically—victims of circumstance or fate

OR…• Driven by perverse desires which

they do not fully understand

• Often depicted sympathetically—victims of circumstance or fate

OR…• Driven by perverse desires which

they do not fully understand

Character— VictimsCharacter— Victims

• Often not innocent themselves, deserving their fate

• Often not innocent themselves, deserving their fate

Character—LawmenCharacter—Lawmen

• Ambiguous moral status—often corrupt

• Ambiguous moral status—often corrupt

Visual MotifsVisual Motifs

• Opposition of light and shadow (creates instability and claustrophobia)

• Low-key lighting (generates stark shadows)

• Opposition of light and shadow (creates instability and claustrophobia)

• Low-key lighting (generates stark shadows)

Visual MotifsVisual Motifs

• Deviation from traditional 3-point lighting*

*3-point lighting= key light, back light, and fill light

• Deviation from traditional 3-point lighting*

*3-point lighting= key light, back light, and fill light

Visual MotifsVisual Motifs

• Chiaroscuro—extreme contrast of light and dark, but with a 3 color palette

• Created by Venetian blinds, bars, grates; suggests imprisonment or entrapment

• Chiaroscuro—extreme contrast of light and dark, but with a 3 color palette

• Created by Venetian blinds, bars, grates; suggests imprisonment or entrapment

Visual MotifsVisual Motifs• Use of mirrors, shadows, and

portraits of women to create a duality

• The dark city setting often depicted as a labyrinth, or an external decay to match that of the characters

• Use of mirrors, shadows, and portraits of women to create a duality

• The dark city setting often depicted as a labyrinth, or an external decay to match that of the characters

Visual MotifsVisual Motifs

• Deep focus lens for greater depth of field (foreground dominates background)

• Wide angle lens accentuates “bulk”—creates visual grotesques in close-up

• Deep focus lens for greater depth of field (foreground dominates background)

• Wide angle lens accentuates “bulk”—creates visual grotesques in close-up

Visual MotifsVisual Motifs

• Use of props/framing to divide the visual field creates claustrophobia, alienation

• Use of vertical lines in architecture creates imbalance

• Use of props/framing to divide the visual field creates claustrophobia, alienation

• Use of vertical lines in architecture creates imbalance

Visual MotifsVisual Motifs

• Minimal camera movements—action is pushed by the actors’ emotions

• Often rapid cutting between different angles to create imbalance

• Minimal camera movements—action is pushed by the actors’ emotions

• Often rapid cutting between different angles to create imbalance

External Factors in the Popularization of Film Noir:External Factors in the Popularization of Film Noir:• German Expressionism (many

directors were German expatriates)

• Men returning from WWII came home to a changed country (imbalance/role reversal)

• German Expressionism (many directors were German expatriates)

• Men returning from WWII came home to a changed country (imbalance/role reversal)

External Factors in the Popularization of Film Noir:External Factors in the Popularization of Film Noir:• Influence of “pulp fiction” with

crusty detectives and slang-heavy dialogue

• Cold War politics, McCarthyism (“The Red Scare”)

• Influence of “pulp fiction” with crusty detectives and slang-heavy dialogue

• Cold War politics, McCarthyism (“The Red Scare”)