Two Classic Film Noirs:

Film Noir films:

1900s-1920s-

In the Watches of the Night, Through the Breakers, Underworld

1930s-

The Beast of the City, Scarface, Midnight, The thin man, You only live once

1940s-

They Drive by night, The letter, A womens Face, To have and to have not, The big sleep

A classic Noir film: Touch of Evil, 1958

Touch of Evil is an America classic Noir film which was released in 1958, directed by Orson Welles. It’s a crime thriller with a dark mystery plot to it; it involves murder, kidnapping and police corruption in Mexican border. The main theme of this film is a dark twisted thriller. The story line is basically about an American police chief that is investigating a murder that has happened in a Mexican border town. The beginning shot starts with a car blowing up containing a man (mike) and women (Susie) who are kissing. This is a typical classic noir beginning it leaves the audience in insipience making them wonder if what has happened and why the car has been blown up. It gives us the impression there’s going to be betrayal and murder; this is a perfect example of a story line which usual happens in typical classic noir film.

 As I have studied noir film e.g. storylines, sound and characters. As Touch of Evil is a classic thriller Noir it has the typical noir characters for example Susie she’s blonde and is showed to the audience that she’s innocent and users her beauty. She’s on her honey moon with mike and gets kidnapped and drugged and this is where the story becomes a thriller and drama happens and there marriage is destroyed as you see right at the beginning of the film with the car blowing up. Also a typical character in a Noir thriller film is an investigator in this film it’s the Chief who investigates the murder that happens in the Mexican border town.

Laura, 1944

Laura is a stylist, elegant and witty classic film Noir it was released 1944, the producer was Otton Preminger and he also become the director as well. The films main theme is romantic and lust it also says it could be described as kinky obsession, mystery, detective thriller. The story is mainly about the character Laura who is the character everyone’s in love with. This is why the film is called Laura as the film is pretty much about her. Her character is very elegant she’s classed as the upper class society but be hide the beauty she’s dangerous to know. As a quote about the films says “Never has a woman been so beautiful, so exotic, so dangerous to know” She also wears typical clothes to make her look flattering and the men want her for example red lipstick and dresses. Also they have made her look dangerous by using shadowy, dream like and high contrast black and white cinematography.  

Characteristics Of Film Noir:

The story line to a Film Noir is extremely important, as the storyline and plot tells the viewer that it’s a Film Noirs by the typical/classic story line its been giving . One of the most typical Film Noir stories is mainly developed around a hard-hearted, broken, unfriendly or unpopular male character. For example the Character Robert Mitchum who is in the film “The Night of Hunter” would be the main male who would run into a beautiful but promiscuous, lustful and seductive female character which Mary Astor or Lana Tuner could be an example of. She would normally use her feminine charm, skills and sexuality to control or force him into becoming the bad guy, often following by a murder or betrayal. The female character will also be destroyed as well often at the cost of the hero’s life. This plot is one of the most characteristic films that would be classed as a Film Noir.

Film Noir uses a lot of shadows, in matter of fact on all most every object that is within the Mise-En-Scene in the shot. The use of sharply defined shadows, inky block frames, titled camera angles and claustrophobia compositions. The main reason of using titled camera angles is to make the viewer feel uncomfortable to watch it as it gives it a strange feel to it and this is what the producer would want to achieve for a Film Noir, it can also add to the thriller and crime mood to it. The classical Film Noir angle shots are The Dutch angle, low angle shots to mainly make the character look powerful or in charge this is also a typical powerful character that would be in a Film Noir. The wide angle lens is used many times as it creates a sense of tension.  They also use low-key lighting which works well with the shadows they try make from objects in the scene. It’s also by watching a Film Noir you can tell they use different lighting to create the shadow look for example; lap posts and touches. Film Noirs setting and locations are shot in small closed off areas to create a scene of tension and that the audience can see what is happening when using the wide angle shot. Are also associated with an urban setting and also set in cities such as Los Angeles and New York.  It makes the film a bit more edgy, also Film Noirs should make the audience confused on why something has happened for example seeing someone dead on the first scene will make the viewers want to know what’s going to happen next, keeping them on their edge of their sets. Also a typical or classic Noir film has a bit of an unpredictable ending to the story but still maintains the plot of the storyline, a twist to the ending in Film Noirs are also very common.

Most Noir Films have a bitter or dark ending to give it more of a negative theme and to live up to its name “black” film which is classed as a dark twisted thriller. Noir films must have a strange plot line to make it a Noir film, as mostly every film Noir has this and it has a massive effect to making it a Noir film. Because film Noir is classed as a dark film its usually has a depressing, gloomy or bleak tone to it. Also films Noirs add a death scene, suffering, tragedy or unhappiness, the conclusion is mostly with a death or a tragedy in these sorts of films. The narrative involves flash back and a twist plot line. The main characters will be given cigarettes to smoke to make the stylist elements, also uses classical but simple costumes and set design. The main woman is likely to be wearing a sexy dress, make up/red lipstick and normally would have blonde hair to build up the character she is playing.

History Of Film Noir:



Film Noir literally means “black film” in French, it’s a type of style of a film but also some people would class it as a genre but it’s more to do with the mood, style, point of view and tone of the films. It described American thrillers or a detective film and some psychological thrillers in 1920’s-1940’s as this is when Film Noir began. Film Noir was developed during and after the World War II, because of these events going on its come across that it was influence from the German Expressionism and the World War II.  Therefore it has lead Film Noirs to using dark, violent crime and deaths to the storylines in the Film Noirs being produced.

Stylish Hollywood crime dramas would most likely be classed and described as Film Noirs like for example “Suspicion” (1941) a film involving a husband trying to kill his wife and “Scarlet Street” (1945) involves a lady’s fiancé who forces her to con a man which causes drama and crime. The themes to Film Noir’s are more negative then positive which normally ends in a bad situation or someone dying, also with an overall dark and shadowy out looking. Film noirs are normally filmed in black and white using visual style.

 

 

 

 

Many of the typical/classical stories and the attitude in the Film Noirs are mainly created from the Hardboiled School of criminal fiction. Crime fiction is a genre that deals with crime, criminals and the law that happens in the US. Many of Film Noir films started of with the storyline that involved crime, gangster and detectives. But in the 1940’s Noir Films become more modern and thriller like.  It combined with other genres like Western Noir, The films High Noon” (1952) and “Laura” (1944) are a good example of showing you how Film Noir’s become more modern.

Introduction About My Film Noir Coursework:

Hello my names Chantelle. For my Media AS coursework I will be blogging my research, information of film noir thrillers and the final project.

The final project is I am going to do is to produce a two to three minute film opening that will connect with "Film Noir Thrillers". I will be working in a group of no more then 4 and I will have to create my own story board, affects, sound etc to achieve the best out come to my final project. We will have our own roles to contribute as a group, from research, planning and actually filming the opening. Everyone will get a chance to do a bit of everything so I will be update everything I do to achieve the out comes of the final project: the film opening on to my blog showing each sections I do to achieve the outcome. I will be doing a lot of research of film noir to find out exactly what film noir is.

Also I’ll write what Noir Genre is and also include the values, traditions, narrative, mood and conventions of film noir to a new audience by using the styles and settings from Film Noir Films. I’ll add small things to my blog letting you know when the best television schedules and on which TV station to the would suit my opening sequence of the new Film Noir Thriller, and also what audience it will attract and why they would want to go see this time of film. I’m going to also analyse a few noir/thriller films so I can see how they have made it become a noir film for example using dark rooms using natural lighting to give it a thriller experience.

Before making the thriller/Noir opening we are going to do a Preliminary Exercise in a group of 4 and will have to do an evaluation individually and will put this all on my blog. This will also help us with our final piece as it will let us try out shots, the 180 angle line rule, sound, camera movement, storyboards etc.  This will give us a chance to make mistakes and realise how to prove it in the main project make the final project ever better because we will know 100% on how to use the camera, how to add sound etc, making our coursework as best as it can be.