2. In many film noir storylines, the male roles are given to the main villain and
members of the police and detective service. For example, in The Maltese
Falcon, the character ‘Miles Archer’ is one of the lead Private investigators,
along with ‘Sam Spade’ (Played by Humphrey Bogart – a reoccurring actor in
the Film Noir genre) who is another detective.
The murderer however isn’t always a male character, - In The Maltese Falcon,
the Femme Fatale character of the murdered husband turns out to be the
serial killer. This is typical as women are usually portrayed as temptresses and
back-stabbers. For example; In the Hitchcock film The Paradine Case (1947),
Alida Valli's character causes the deaths of two men and the near destruction
of another.
GENDER
3. Most of the characters in Film Noir movies are typically middle to old aged.
The killer is usually young however, with the victim being middle to older
aged. The main female characters are usually young as they are portrayed as
temptresses and are casted in a Femme Fatale stereotype.
E.g. Phyllis Dietrichson in“The Double Idemnity”
Old men and women usually feature, too.
Old women as innocent bystanders / witnesses, whereas old men usually serve
in the forces e.g. older detectives. Some old men are Mob Bosses as they are
stereotypically evil and criminal.
AGE
4. Because of the time that film noir movies were produced was around the
1940’s upwards to the late 50’s, there wasn’t much cultural diversity in the
Americas, where a lot of these films were made. Africans / Asians do not
prominently feature, but in films such as ‘Queen of Africa’ black men young
and old feature stereotypically and ‘racistly’ as animals and ‘tribal beings’.
Some features of Asian / Black minorities are show as the white man’s
employee. Often at gas stations and farms as farm-hands.
RACE
