Table of Contents
Film Noir: Cinematography 1
Film Noir cinematography is often distorted, skewed and uncomfortable to look at, to put the viewer at unease. This reflects the tone of noir.
- Low & High Angles
Film Noir: Cinematography 2
- Extreme Close Ups
- Deep Focus (depth of field)
- Reflections, views & faces obscured through objects
- Use of Dutch tilts or irregular framing of shots
Film Noir: Mise-En-Scene 1
Film noir locations used the everyday urban settings to make what was happening seem even more real to the viewer. Moved from crime movies only happening at the wrong end of town and dodgy areas to everyday locations.
- Rain and damp streets
Film Noir: Mise-En-Scene 2
- Low Key Lighting (Chiarascuro) Use of venetian blinds.
- High contrast images. Dark blacks & whites (few greys).
Film Noir: Mise-En-Scene 3
- Everyday urban locations
- Downbeat hero often downbeat performances & scruffy
Film Noir: Sound
Film Noir sound was used to complement the feeling of pessimism and foreboding that was reflected in the films.
- Melancholy downbeat music (Jazz)
- Heavy breathing
- Use of quiet and silence
- Often discordant and grating music
- Sudden noises
- Voice over of protagonist
- Sound effects and ambience of the city & suburbia
Film Noir: Editing
Film Noir editing follows many of the traditional crime characteristics but they are generally told non linearly.
- Non –linear start at the end, then tell story in flashbacks
- Often shot day for night using filters. Cheaper
- Use continuity editing generally. Some montage
- Can and did use jump cuts and jarring juxtaposition
- Occasional use of CU then move out to reveal action
Film Noir: Narratives
“Which ever way you turn, fate sticks out it’s foot to trip you up”
| Crooks | Sin and punishment |
| Amnesia | Downward spiral |
| Black widow | One wrong decision |
| Psychological | Murder |
| Heists | Drugs |
| Double Crosses | Whodunnit |
| Gangsters | Sexual obsession |
Film Noir: Characters 1
Two Film Noirs characters that appear with regularity are the down at heel Private Eye and the deadly Femme Fetale.
Film Noir: Characters 2
Film Noirs have a variety of characters but here are some that appear time and time again in film noir.
| Detectives | Henchmen/Thugs |
| Sam Spade/Marlowe | Beautiful women |
| Gangsters | Police |
| Millionaires | Corrupt politician/govt |
| The ”Fall Guy” | Crooked police |
