Film Noir

Film Noir is French for "black film".

Film Noir was first shown in the 1950's.

They were filmed in black and white.

They are dark films.

They have evil/bad themes.

-Film Noir were the first thrillers in mainstream cinema.

-They have very good cinematography.

-They were hugely popular in their day.

-They have an extremely effective use of mise-en-scene and lighting.

-They were highly influential on modern cinema.

Conventions of Film Noir

-There is a hero with a past.

- A fatal woman (femme fatale).

-They were set in big American Cities.

-They were mostly popular immediately after World War 2.

Themes

-Sexual politics

-Deception

-Crime

-The past catching up to you

Hero with a past

-A middle aged man.

-Often brought into a situation he did not create.

-He can't resist the sexual advances of a female.

-He usually dies at the end.

Femme Fatale

-Sexually liberal woman.

-She gets the hero into trouble.

-Double Crossing.

-She is murderous.

-She tends to wear her hair draped over one of her eyes.



Film Noir is designed to indicate a darker side of life, this is done with the low-key lighting or black and white effect. Film Noir focuses around crime thrillers because they can make the criminals or detectives motives seem dark.