Maltese Falcon As A Film Noir Essay

Maltese Falcon as a Film Noir Essay
Maltese Falcon as a Film Noir
Film Noir is a French word which means: dark or black film. This is very fitting as Film Noir and
the Maltese falcon are stories of dark deceptive people who often cannot be trusted. Film Noir is a
good example of this as the story is about a detective called Sam Spade who gets dragged into the
quest for the Maltese Falcon with a compulsive liar Kasper Gutman. The Maltese Falcon is a large
bird made of solid gold worth millions. The main six conventions of Film Noir as I can see are
The plot, lighting , dialogue, body language, stock characters and camera angles.
The film is about a group of 5 people fighting to find and keep the golden jewel encrusted ... Show
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In the shot Spade is on the right and Bridgid on the left. Spade is wearing a hat, the light is projected
so that the shadow covers his eyes. Eyes often show how a person is really feeling, with these
hidden Spade looks as he is the bad deceptive one, this is another twist to the plot. O'Shaughnessy is
on the left, the light on her face is very different. Her face is lit up so her whole face is visible, her
eyes are large and she looks very innocent. Light is often projected on the females faces as to make
them look vulnerable and truthful, when is this instance Bridgid is the opposite. Another example is
when Spade is being questioned by two investigators, in this scene Spade sits in the middle of them
both so his face is visible but only the back of the other two investigators. There is only one lamp in
this frame and all the rays are focused on Spade, this as with the others makes him look innocent,
which in this case he is, but with the twists you are not sure.
Outdoor lighting is quite similar, outside scenes are usually lit by headlights and street lamps. A
scene outside is a good place for someone to hide as the beam of light is often focused on one direct
spot. A good example is when Miles Archer
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Film Noir
"Film Noir" is a term that has been up for debate for an extended time period. Film Noir is French
for "Black Film", it was used to describe a proportion of American films that reached a French
audience for the first time after World War II. These American movies depicted or expressed the
feelings of this time period. The world was going through a dark and gloomy time. It analyzed the
social aspects and it was evident in films in various ways. The movies characterized as "Film Noir"
shared themes of social failure, fatal attraction, and criminal perversity. Casablanca, Double
Indemnity, and Postman Always Rings Twice are just a few films known as Classic Noir. Although
Film Noir can fit into many categories of genres like: crime genre, thriller,

Femme Fatale in Film Noir
The term film noir was coined by French critics for 1940s–50s American films that shared a dark
sensibility and a dark lighting style, such as Double Indemnity (1944), Out of the Past (1947), and
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). Many theorists related the common noir attributes and
aesthetic elements to a post war society characterised by insecurity about gender roles, the economy,
changing definitions of race, and nuclear technology. One of the cultural problems the term genre
attempts to address is the gender question. The familiarity of the femme fatale character across film
noir is the predominant cause for discussion amongst feminist theorists. Feminist theorists became,
and still remain, interested in the woman's portrayal in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The classic femme fatale in forced to resort to murder to free herself from an unbearable relationship
with a man who would try to possess and control her, as if she were a piece of property or a pet.
According to Sylvia Harvey, author of Women's place: The absent family, the women of film noir
are "presented as prizes, desirable objects" for the leading men of these films. The femme fatale's
unique power is her brazen willingness and ability to express herself in sexual terms. By this the
femme fatale threatens the status quo, and the hero, because she controls her own sexuality outside
of marriage. She uses sex for pleasure and as a weapon or a tool to control men, not merely in the
culturally acceptable capacity of procreation within marriage. Her sexual emancipation commands
the gaze of the hero, the audience, and the camera in a way that cannot be erased by her final
punishment. Attempts to neutralise the power and blatant sexuality of the femme fatale by
destroying her at the end are usually unsuccessful, because her power extends beyond death. Noir
films immediately convey the intense sexual presence of the femme fatale by introducing her as a
fully established object of the hero's obsession. Since the camera often represents the hero's
subjective memory, revealed

Film Noir: A Classic Film Noir
I have to say right from the word go that this is classic film noir in true Hollywood style, and as
detective films go might just be the best acted, best scripted and best directed whodunnit you will
ever have the privilege of watching. Bogart plays private eye Phillip Marlowe, hired by a dying old
man with two beautiful, but uncontrollable daughters.
One daughter is Carmen – played superbly by Martha Vickers – who is being blackmailed, which
Marlowe is hired to deal with the blackmailer. He hardly gets the chance though, because the bad
guy gets killed off very quickly, thopugh Marlowe senses that this is just the start of things. He is
attracted to, but also supicious of the other daughter Vivien – Lauren Bacall at her best – and the
film ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There are some who think that Hawks over–complicated things, but if you concentrate you can
follow it, even if it it is pretty convoluted at times.
The not incomprehensible story actually unfolds at a frantic pace, and you find yourself able to
forgive the odd strange occurrence like Carmen suddenly being inside Marlowe's apartment, and
though not the easiest of stories to follow, the occasional moments when Marlowe explains things
do make a big difference. To my mind, even though this movie is now 71 years old, modern
directors could take lessons from it in how make this genre of film edge–of–your–seat exciting.
Hawks makes perfect use of a tremendously droll dialogue, a fantastic adaptation job from the
Chandler book, and the two stars have some fabulous verbal jousts, including some of the most
memorable of verbal exchanges in which they talk about the sport of kings – horse racing – treating
the audiences to all kinds of hidden meanings behind their words, and one phone–call between the
pair that is truly

Film Noir: The Maltese falcon Essay
Film Noir was extremely trendy during the 1940's. People were captivated by the way it expresses a
mood of disillusionment and indistinctness between good and evil. Film Noir have key elements;
crime, mystery, an anti–hero, femme fatale, and chiaroscuro lighting and camera angles. The
Maltese Falcon is an example of film noir because of the usage of camera angles, lighting and
ominous settings, as well as sinister characters as Samuel Spade, the anti–hero on a quest for
meaning, who encounters the death of his partner but does not show any signs of remorse but
instead for his greed for riches.
All throughout The Maltese Falcon the camera angles change with the character. Camera angles and
lighting affected the mood of the scene; scenes in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There were only a few inhabitants on the sidewalks at one point in time; creating a deserted and
mystifying scene; when characters walked on the rain–slicked ground, their footsteps could be hear
echoing through the vacant city. When the characters were not outside they were in shabby and
dimly lit apartments and hotel rooms. Spade spent the majority of his time in hotel rooms and
apartments gathering his information about the Maltese Falcon, by visiting the people who knew
anything about the falcon. The eerie settings added to the mystery of where the falcon could be.
The Maltese Falcon contained many different types of characters. Spade was a protagonist. While
on the other hand Kasper Gutman, Joel Cairo, and Wilmer were antagonists and Brigid
O'Shaughnessy was a femme fatale. Each of the characters portrays characteristics of Film Noir.
Spade is known as an anti–hero, "a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as
nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose." (dictionary.com) Spade
plays by his own rules and is tough and a bit radical, he doesn't seem to be upset that his partner is
dead. But instead tells his secretary to remove his name from the window and put Samuel Spade,
instead of Spade and Archer. A hero would not do remove the name because brings suspicion

The Evolution Of Film Noir
The film noir genre first appeared in the early 1940s and has grown since their first appearance on
screen. While there are various definitions and aspects that can define this genre, it is usual depicted
as having an anti–hero set in a realistic setting while trying to fight inner demons and the outer
world surrounding problems simultaneously. As any genre, it has noticeable tropes that can place it
within this spectrum. Over the years, since the first decade of film noir, society has changed, causing
the genre to adapt. The changes are not limited to being on film, but also to those within other forms
of media, such as television and literature. Rather than focusing upon one area, it is better to look on
it as a whole. Headhunters is a more ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This is an idea similar to that of the butterfly effect, any action can lead up to affecting not only one
person, but to a whole group of people, which is a concept that is widely known. Broadchurch, a
British television series, "employs its complex narrative structure to reveal the hidden connections
that are at play in society, but hints that those connections may sometimes work on a level beyond
all human rationality." While this series may not be a Nordic series, it does have the Nordic noir idea
of including the broader audiences. The crime television series intends to include the big picture; all
individuals are apart of this life and have a connection to it. Nordic noir just so happens to be a
genre that manages to capture this within a television

Essay on Film Noir Features in Blade Runner and The Matrix
Film Noir Features in Blade Runner and The Matrix
"The Matrix" has a main science fiction theme but also includes features of film noir films. It is
directed and written by Andy and Larry Wachowski. Other than Science Fiction and film noir the
film can also be classed as a Hybrid.
"Blade Runner" is more of a film noir film than "The Matrix". Although it does include action and
fighting scenes but these have film noir features in them. Most ideas about the film are connected
with film noir such as the mystery, the low key lighting and symbolic objects. It was directed by
Ridley Scott and written by Phillip K. Dick, Hampton Fancher and David Webb Peoples.
The main characters in "The Matrix" ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"The Matrix" and "Blade Runner" both include strong female characters. In "Blade Runner" the
strong female characters are Rachael and Zhora and in "The Matrix" it is Trinity. Audiences demand
strong characters because it is like a role – reversal, in most films men are the hero and leading
characters, which makes it unusual for women to be strong and powerful. The world war influenced
film makers to make films which had strong female characters to encourage women and make them
feel appreciated for all of the jobs that they were doing during the war whilst men were on the
battlefields.
In "Blade Runner" the main character, Deckard, is an ex–policeman and ex–blade runner. He is
found and reassigned as a blade runner to find some rogue replicants who have gone 'On the run'. In
"The Matrix" the main character Thomas A. Anderson is found by a group of people who have
found out that he is 'the one' who will stop "The Matrix", he is bought in to 'The real world' to stop
agents and make the world 'right'.
I feel that in "Blade Runner" the main issues and ideas that the film considers are that the society in
the future is very separated and there are no longer family structures, also that 'real' is a difficult
term to understand as there are replicants in their time and they are made to

The Postman Always Rings Twice as Film Noir Essay
The Postman Always Rings Twice as Film Noir
Tony Garnett's The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) seems a quintessential film noir. The title
suggests a fateful conclusion for the two main characters–a flawed drifter named Frank (John
Garfield) and his restless female conspirator, Cora (Lana Turner). Garnett's crime drama is crafted
with the stylish devices usually characteristic of the film noir genre–low–key lighting; a flawed,
inept hero; and an archetypal femme fatale. Certain thematic codes are also persistent: psychological
conflict, paranoia, fate, and moral ambiguity. Three telling scenes communicate the noir stylistics
effectively–where nearly all of the devices converge simultaneously: (1) Frank's first meeting ...
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Then Cora's lawyer, Arthur Keats, joins them in the hospital room. Frank watches as the D.A. bets
Keats $100 that Cora will be convicted for the murder of her husband. Frank, with a pale, sweaty
face, watches with shame while the lawyers hastily look over his signed statement and exchange
niceties. Keats approaches Frank, who squirms with agitation, blurting out, "I know I shouldn't have
signed it that letter." Keats just rubs it in his face and says, "Shut up...The less you know the
better...I'm handling it...you don't count now." Frank is helpless.
On the day of Cora's arraignment, Frank is wheeled into municipal court in a wheelchair. His head is
bandaged and his arm is in a sling, and the court procedure and lawyer tactics dismay him. He sits
ashamedly as Cora reacts with a furious face–realizing that Frank has betrayed her. After the
arraignment, Frank is wheeled into an antechamber where the criss–cross of shadows are again
present. Frank's wheelchair and bandages are very real physical confinements, but the criss–crossed
shadows seem to symbolically express his mental paralysis.
He is quiet and his face is full of numb shock. He does not seem to trust anyone now and is
smothered with feelings of helplessness and inadequacy. When Cora and her lawyer join him, Frank
is further alienated. Cora walks circles around Frank as she scolds him as a liar and a "so–called
man."
Here Frank's psychological conflict seems to peak. Frank

Film Noir: A Style Spanning Genres Essay
The classification and cataloging of items seem to fulfill a basic need in human beings, whether it is
vegetable, mineral or animal. It seems that this basic need to analyze and categorize items applies
also to objets d'art, including film – and the recognition or dismissal of film noir as a genre has been
argued since the term was coined. While the term itself is valid, film noir as a genre is a misnomer.
More properly, film noir should be considered a style unto itself, but definitively not genre, defined
by the very definitions of the words "style" and "genre". We will limit our subject matter here to the
classic film noir period of 1941–1958, recognizing that all modern noir variants seek to emulate this
period. These modern ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
While there is no decisive list of these films, and critics tend to add or remove films from their own
personal lists of films noir, those that are commonly classified as such share a common theme
perhaps best described by Paul Schrader in his 1972 "Note on Film Noir":
There is a passion for the past and present, but a fear of the future. The noir hero dreads to look
ahead, but instead tries to survive by the day, and if unsuccessful at that, he retreats into the past.
Thus film noir's techniques emphasize loss, nostalgia, lack of clear priorities, insecurity; then
submerge these self–doubts in mannerism and style. In such a world style becomes paramount; it is
all that separates one from meaninglessness.... (5)
This moral ambivalence and relentless cynicism, the overall tone of hopelessness and bleakness is
one of the defining features of this class of films. Mark Conard, in "Philosophy of Film Noir",
references critics Raymond Borde and Étienne Chaumeton as defining noir as a film which creates a
state of tension by removing psychological reference points, in order to create a feeling of alienation
(34). This illustrates that the earliest critics who began to define the body of films noir placed
emphasis on mood and tone, rather than subject material. Nathaniel Rich identifies this tone as
dread, stating that it is "The sense that everything is going to go badly, no matter what happens, and
it's usually going

Noir Film Analysis
American film noir didn't start as a genre but a visual style of film as depicted in 1940s American
films like This Gun for Hire, but following the coining of the term by post world war II french
scholars film noir especially from the 70s to the present day through films like LA Confidential has
evolved to a very recognizable and full featured genre . We are able to recognize films within the
noir genre as with any genre films for their distinct syntactic and semantic qualities, the same
theories/concepts Rick Altman uses to define the difficult concept of genre remain very similar
between the 1940s noir and today's contemporary neo noir. In talking about the syntactic and
semantic list of film noir its pretty helpful to know and understand what these elements are. It's
difficult to say that there is a sole formula for every noir film, but there are many recognizable
commonly occuring traits that remain constant from the genre's inception over 70 years ago going
forward into contemporary neo noir. In terms of syntactic elements as identified in the Belton text's
noir chapter the most universal elements would be the complex narrative structure, the violent
nature and involvement with crime, fem fatales, arbitration of justice, tough guys, and loneliness.
These are really what drive the film non visually whereas the semantics contribute to the visual
stylings of the film. Noir films share the common semantic elements of low key lighting, dark and
rainy nights, sequencing,

Essay on Chinatown as Film Noir
'Chinatown' as Film Noir
Films that are classified as being in the film noir genre all share some basic characteristics. There is
generally a voice–over throughout the film in order to guide the audience's perceptions. These
movies also involve a crime and a detective who is trying to figure out the truth in the situation. This
detective usually encounters a femme fatale who seduces him. However, the most distinctive feature
of the film noir genre is the abundance of darkness. Roman Polanski's 1974 film, 'Chinatown',
revolutionized the film noir genre. Aside from the absense of voice–over, the film shares all the
same characteristics with earlier noirs. That is, of course, except for the fact that ?Chinatown? is ...
They take up the entire screen, so for the first minute or so of the film, the audience does not realize
that they are, in fact, photographs that detectives are examining. The darkness of the photographs
also references the genre. It is as if Polanski is immediately trying to convey to the audience that
regardless of the fact that it is a color film, it is still a film noir.
While the film is in color, sometimes it appears to be in black and white. There are no bright colors
in the film. Most of the colors are either browns, beiges, whites, blacks, and grays, so that even
when the characters are outside or in daylight, there are contrasts between lights and darks. For
example, at the beginning Mr. Gettes is seated in a somewhat dark office, yet he is wearing an all–
white suit. Later, when he goes to examine the dried up river bed, his black suit contrasts with the
bright sunlight and light colored sand.
Also, the makeup used on the women in the film is not bright or colorful. One might expect for the
femme fatale to wear red lipstick or some type of makeup that makes her look more michevious.
However, Mrs. Mulwray does not appear to be wearing much makeup throughout the film. Her lips
are a brownish color and the same for her eyes. Her hair is brown as well. This makes it more
difficult to realize that Mrs. Mulwray is the femme fatale. In fact, in the first half hour of the film the
viewer is unsure to whether or not Mrs.

Film Noir Conventions
What is Film Noir? Film Noir literally means "Black Film" in French, the French coined this after
World War 2 when they were finally able to view American films again after the war and they found
that these films were quite different than what they used to be. These films had a completely
different atmosphere, a different emotion that was displayed. Film Noir had a very distrustful air
about its nature, lacking integrity. Every scene was cloaked in darkness and the plot had a looming
sense of despair (TheBook). The war left America in dark times and Film Noir was one of the ways
from them to express it. Film Noir was extremely popular in America through the 1940's to the
1950's. Hundreds of American films were under the Film Noir classification. But what was Film
Noir? Was it a Genre, a style, a period in time? Paul Schrader, in an article about Film Noir said,
"Film Noir is not a genre. It is not defined, as are the western and gangster genres, by conventions of
setting and conflict, but rather by the more subtle qualities ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
There are several key characteristics that are easily seen in Film Noir. Most of the film has minimal
lighting. Many of the scenes are at night or in a room with a singular dim light source. The actors
and the environment receive the same amount of light, blending them in a way. The audience only
sees what they need to see, the rest is in a shroud of mystery. Film Noir also used lines and shapes to
convey feeling in the film. They would use oblique and vertical lines, oblique to give the feeling of
instability and vertical to evoke tenuity. They would also use jagged shapes such as triangles and
trapezoids to make the audience feel uneasy and tense. Film Noir also had an obsession with the use
of water. Characters were often by the sea or lakes, many scenes would be shot in the rain, and even
if it had not rained the roads would commonly be glazed with the glossy sheen of wet pavement and
pothole

The Characteristics Of Film Noir As A Fiction?
Film Noir is a term used to describe a collection of films ranging from John Huston's The Maltese
Falcon in 1941 to Orsen Welles's Touch of Evil in 1958 (Naremore 14). There is much argument
whether film noir is to be classified as a genre, style, or period; however, there is little disagreement
when it comes to the characteristics of film noir. Many are adapted from hard–boiled detective
novels and share similar visual and narrative traits (Naremore 14). One of the most popular film
noirs is Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity, which tells the story of Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara
Stanwyck), a woman who purchases a life insurance policy for her husband from insurance
salesman, Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), with the intent of murdering him to collect the claim.
After seducing Neff to help her, the two carry out an elaborate plan to stage her husband's murder as
a train accident, evoking the double indemnity clause in the insurance claim allowing them to collect
double the money. The plan succeeds but Neff's boss, Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson),
manages to figure out the murder with the only wrong detail being the man who assisted Phyllis.
Neff also begins to grow suspicious of Phyllis after her step daughter Lola (Jean Heather), with
whom he spends a great deal of time after the murder, reveals to him that she believes Phyllis killed
her mother. The pressure caused by their crime getting figured out, along with the reveal that Phyllis
was just using Neff, leads to the two

Bud Film Noir
Film noir is a style of crime drama movies from Hollywood that are often focused on sex, crime,
and corruption by using techniques like: compromised heroes and contrasting characters; camera
shots with objects that have physical properties of reflectivity, transparency and translucency; a
femme fatale; and specific setting. Film noir movies were during the period of early 1940s to the
late 1950s. Film noir means 'black film.' Other films that integrated film noir techniques but were
not during films noir era were known as Neo–noir, meaning 'new black.' Neo–noir incorporates
elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content and modern media of motion pictures. For
example tradition film noir films don't use of dull and muted colours while ... Show more content on
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Confidential like most film noir movies is set in an urban city at night and the story takes place
mostly in bars and cheap hotels. This makes film noir movies look very dark, because the scenes are
shot at night, inside dark places like a bar or hotel and with people doing morally ambiguous
activities. A favourite tool employed in film noir is chiaroscuro lighting that create a strong contrast
between darkness and light; which creates a suspenseful surreal atmosphere that shrouds the film
like when Jack arrested the kids who were doing drugs. Curtis Hanson often has a lot of dark
shadows in certain scenes; even on the faces of the actors. These shadows imbue a sense of darkness
and thus give the film a mysterious and suspenseful note. Also locations like the nite owl have a lot
of alleys, of the back doors of fancy places. They also include shabby residential hotels with a neon
sign blinking through the window like the hotel in which Jack tried to stop the

Film Noir Research Paper
Film Noir's Effect on Modern Cinema
High heels click on wet pavement, shady detectives stand in the shadows, shots ring out through the
cold, dark city night–just another moment in film noir. These seedy, almost underground films are
considered to be some of the best and most influential pictures in the history of Hollywood by
anyone's standards, most certainly some of the darkest. Even though the glory days of film noir have
long passed and given way to big budget productions, their influence and effect on the industry can
be felt and seen throughout the movies of today.
The term film noir is a French term literally meaning, black cinema. During the second world war
occupying Germans would control what pictures the people of ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Such as the character of Sam Spade (played by Humphrey Bogart) in The Maltese Falcon (1941),
who is himself being pursued by police after the mysterious death of his partner. In pursuit of a gold
encrusted statue of a falcon, the woman who asks him to go after turns out to be his enemy the entire
time, using her fierce sexuality to lure him along and manipulate his actions [3]. In the end, instead
of the classic ?getting the girl? scenario so common in Hollywood, Spade simply turns her over the
authorities, condemning her to prison and possibly even death. There are rarely happy endings in
film noirs, especially with characters such as these.
The other most noted character to be birthed from noir is that of the femme fatale, or spider woman.
She is often extremely sexual, and tries to control men (often the private eye/anti hero) to do their
bidding [2]. In 1944?s Double Indemnity, Barbara Stanwyck plays Phyllis Dietrichson the wife of a
wealthy man with a hefty life insurance policy. Throughout the film she coerces and manipulates the
film?s main character, an insurance salesman named Walter Neff (played by Fred MacMurray) into
carrying out the murder and disposal of her husband to gain the money from his life insurance
policy [3]. However, she only wants to kill him in the end to have the money to herself?but alas this
is film noir and the film ends

Chinatown Film Noir
The genre of film noir was first acknowledged in France for its distinguishable darkness and its
critic of social norms through nontraditional narratives. In Chinatown, Roman Polanski effectively
utilizes many of the thematic and stylistic devices commonly associated with the neo–noir film
genre. The objective of this essay is to critically discuss these devices employed by Polanski in order
to reveal some of the subtle complexities that are embedded within the cinematic fabric of the film,
Chinatown, that makes it undoubtedly apart of the neo–noir film genre. The genre and style of film
noir was first made between 1941 and 1958 (Spicer, 2002). This timeframe is considered the classic
film noir period. The sub–genre of noir film is neo–noir ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Mulwray and as he proceeds to investigate Hollis Mulwray. As Jake stalks Mr. Mulwray in search of
evidence there is an interesting composition of camera angles and frames used by Polanski. Mr.
Mulwray is framed within a frame a few times in Jake Gittes' rear view mirror, binoculars, and
within the lens of his camera. This creates a sense of confinement and entrapment. It poses the
question, what is Mr. Mulwray confined by? It could be that the fact that he is the only one that truly
knows the truth and in turn he is bound by that truth. It could also be that Polanski is suggesting that
we are confining Hollis Mulwray by imposing our preconceived notions of what he appears to be
doing as Jake seemingly uncovers that Mr. Mulwray is having an affair. Mr. Mulwray may be
considered the only "good guy" as the plot develops. As the truth unfolds, he is portrayed to
blameless in all of the sinister drama that is revealed, but yet he ends up dead anyway. This is a
direct counter narrative to the traditional narrative that insists there can be a faultless hero that saves
the day or that a good guy can come out on top. Roman Polanski is exclaiming, "No he can't!" He
creates this ambiguity by using this stylistic device of oblique camera angles to get our attention.
Mr. Mulwray has no lines in this film, yet from this we get the sense that he is important beyond the
fact that his death prompts this trying investigation. He is in fact, our

Film Noir Essay
Rich blacks, dark shadows spread across the detectives face and dark roads slicked with rain. These
are the hallmark elements of film noir but what is it? Merriam Webster dictionary defines film noir
as, "A type of crime film featuring cynical malevolent characters in a sleazy setting and an ominous
atmosphere that is conveyed by shadowy photography and foreboding background music; also: a
film of this type. (Merriam Webster). But, it goes a little bit deeper than that. Why, Encyclopedia
Britannica defines it as "style of filmmaking characterized by elements such as cynical heroes, stark
lighting effects, frequent use of flashbacks, intricate plots, and an underlying existentialist
philosophy" (Encyclopedia Britannica). Film critics and theorists ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Their deep, rich blacks only truly accomplished in black and white film and through low–key
lighting characterized Noir films. J A Place and L S Peterson discuss low–key lighting in their piece
"Some Visual Motifs of Film Noir." They state:
Noir lighting is "low–key." The ratio of key to fill light is great, creating areas of high contrast and
rich, black shadows. Unlike the even illumination of high–key lighting which seeks to display
attractively all areas of the frame, the low–key noir style opposed light and dark, hiding faces,
rooms urban landscapes–and, by extension, motivations and true character–in shadow and darkness
which carry connotation of the mysterious and the unknown. (Place, Peterson p. 1)
Chinatown and Polanski use this lighting to give the impression that it was shot in the 40s but in full
color. Truly the lighting is what sells Chinatown as noir and not just a detective story from the 70s.
Examples of this lighting can be found in Gittes office when he talking with the imposter Mrs.
Mulwray and on the street when is nose is slit by the henchmen sent to shut him up. The world of
Chinatown is a dark place and the lighting of the film helps illuminate that noir style despite the fact
that the film is shot in color making by definition

Film Noir Fiction Analysis
How to Write Noir Fiction
The Merriam–Webster Dictionary (n.d) defines noir as "crime fiction featuring hard–boiled[,]
cynical characters and bleak[,] sleazy settings." However, it could be asserted that "claustrophobic"
would be a better descriptor, in place of "sleazy." Noir comes from "film noir," which means "black
cinema," and was a term coined in France in reference to a particular subset of Hollywood films that
were permeated with previously unseen levels of cynicism or disillusionment (Hoerneman, n.d.),
this cynicism is generally attributed to post–war dynamics, after the end of World War II. Noir tends
to refer to the claustrophobic, gritty atmosphere and intense shadows of the 40s film noir classics as
much as it refers to the cynicism and almost inherent heaviness of the storylines that those classics
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
As a writer, it is subgenres like noir that fascinate me. There's this set of defining features, and
within that set of defining features there's this limitless variance and potential. The quickest way to
gain an overview, of any genre, is to watch movies that fall into that genre, and in that vein, my
forays into the noir genre have been primarily to the tune of noir that had been immortalized on
film.
A classic example of film noir is Tay Garnett's 1946 film, The Postman Always Rings Twice, which
employs a plot driven by a wife's affair with her husband's newly hired employee, and follows the
wife and her lover as they plot the murder of her husband. Some examples of movies that fall inside
the classification of "noir" –– but which aren't 40s era film noir –– are Ridley Scott's 1982 science–
fiction noir, Blade Runner, Doug Liman's 2002 action/adventure noir, The Bourne Identity, and
Richard Williams' 1988 urban–fantastic noir, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. On first glance, none of
these films are related, in fact, they don't seem to have much in common (except for

Memento Film Noir
Film noir. Classic and neo Noir
A black and white phenomenon known as film noir was a style of cinematography introduced by
French critics in 1946. The popularity of the style was inevitable. The style started to introduce just
before U.S entered World War II but it didn't developed fully until the late stages of World War.
In the 1940s during the release of the style, the world was facing a difficult time, World War II and
the great depression prior to baby boom had given the society a depressed and bleak view of the
world. The classic films noir manage to mirror the theme as the society and use of dark theme was
indeed matching the situation in that era.
One document that had a tremendous influence on the way films were produced in the ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is found later in the film that she had done the same thing before to Mr. Dietrichson's wife. The
femme fatal character is portrayed in film noir and uses her beauty and sexuality to take advantage
of the male protagonist in the film.
Looking back at Memento Natalie, the femme fatal, takes advantage of Leonard's condition and
used him. Leonard has short memory loss and forgets everything after the death of his wife. Natalie
uses him by taking advantage of his condition and makes him to kill her husband.
Similar characteristics can be seen in the movie The Third Man 1999 and L.A Confidential 1997.
Characteristics like the use of voice–over narration, complex plot and femme fatal.
The audience positioning has also changed from the classic period to the more recent period. For
instance looking at the character femme fetale in the classic film Double Indemnity", the audience in
positions to view the character as an evil and hated person, however in the more recent film noir L.A
Confidential, the audience is positioned to view the character as a very caring and nice person. Neo–
noir films have changed some elements of the films noir for the good, and they are trying to extend
the

Movie Noir : Film Noir
#1
Film Noir is a film genre that has a very distinct style and mood. But what exactly this style and
mood are seems to vary from scholar to scholar. Like all genres, different people have different
feelings about what makes or does not make a film noir. In this essay, I will be analyzing film noir
definitions from Naremore, Harvey, and Borde and Chaumeton; to understand how each party views
film noir in their own subjective way.
In Naremore's book, he describes film noir as a genre that is very hard to define, as it was named by
film critics instead of film–makers, and the name was established well after the most definitive noir
films had been made (11). Naremore seems to have a very fluid definition of noir. But for the sake
of this ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Naremore does speak of the social and political elements of film noir in his book, but the definition
he underlined for us in the introduction was about style and period.
Fortunately, Sylvia Harvey touches on the social aspects of film noir. She especially points at how
film noir comments on working culture in America and its dark side. People went from working for
themselves, to working for corporations, and thus became isolated which led them to risky behavior
to escape the mundanity of their day to day lives (26). Double Indemnity, she writes, follows this
thought process well. Walter Neff, she says, began his non–business relationship with Phyllis
Dietrichson as a "means of escape from the boredom and frustration of a routinised [sic] and
alienated existence" (27). Usually women were the scapegoat in the working man's quest for
liveliness.
I think Harvey has a valid point about film noir's commentary on American working culture, and a
deadly form of escapism. But, I think her saying that it is the fault of the women in the films is
erroneous. Perhaps in Double Indemnity, it is fair to say that Walter Neff would not have turned to
the dark side had it not been for his infatuation with Phyllis. But with film noir as a whole? In
Detour, we have a

Film Noir Film Analysis
Film Noir is a style that first originated during the early 1940s, influenced by the tumultuous social
and political environment of World War II. These style of films was a subversion from the
conventional gangster films of the 1920s and 1930s. The resurgence of Noir style films in the 1970s
retained the themes of crime, vice and moral ambiguity, but updated the content due to the
relaxation of the Production Code. In this dissertation, the origins of film noir and its techniques will
be examined, with the films The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949), and L.A Confidential (Curtis
Hanson, 1997) contrasted to highlight the impact of the Production Code. According to Paul
Schrader's "Notes on Film Noir" (1972), there are four catalysts that spawned the film noir style:
Post–war disillusionment, a desire for realism, Germanic influences and the "hardboiled" tradition1.
During World War II, the prominence of dark, brooding Film Noir was overpowered by the
American propaganda produced, but changed after the tragedy of World War II, as American
audiences accepted a less optimistic view of society. This desire for realism is highlighted by the
artificial optimism of previous films pre–World War II. Furthermore, The "hardboiled" narratives of
the 1930s influenced Film Noir through their "tough", defeatist attitude of characters who reside in a
cynical atmosphere. In terms of cinema, Film Noir borrows cinematic techniques and style from
German Expressionism, which refers to a film

The Classic ‘Lighting’ of the Era of the Film Noir
It seemed fitting to choose a bold font to write this assignment up in, as it correlates with the classic
'lighting' of the era of Film Noir.
Sunset Boulevard:
The film begins with police and reporters surrounding a dead body in a pool. This initial opening
scene of a dead body in a pool creates an investigative mood for the audience essentially.
Throughout the film, Wilder constantly uses a low–key lighting to emphasize the style
(characteristic) of Film Noir. Norma's house has clearly been thought through thoroughly as each
room, especially living room, involves an immensely cluster of arrogant paintings. The rooms are
congested and dimly lit, constantly keeping the mood of Film Noir. The relationship between the
lighting and setting of house (clutter) emphasizes that Norma is suffocating her own life (ironic as
she is suicidal).
There is a presence of German Expressionism that Wilder uses in the geometric set–up of the house,
the lines that are used share a similar relationship with the lines used at the time and era of the
German expressionism.
Norma is the femme fatal of this film, and is always shown in dark colors. Norma desires herself as
a queen in her head and reality with the usage of her wealth, this passion is emphasized. Max, the
butler & ex–husband will protect the queen. When Joe and Norma are dancing on New Years Eve,
Norma's veil irritates Joe. Norma tosses it aside but Max is quickly to retrieve it from the floor (Veil
= Crown). Another thing that I

Film Noir Analysis
With its tone and specific style, Film Noir has become one of the prominent elements that helped
shape the American cinema. Within film noir, drama, romance, thriller, and crime are the main
genres that can be seen in noir films. From all this amalgamation of genres, the topic of whether film
noir is a genre or not does seem interesting, but it is particularly the themes and the style that seems
to generate this conversation. Film noir itself can be seen as more of a film movement than a genre.
Paul Schrader mentions how it presents a "specific period of film history, portraying the world of
dark, slick city streets, crime, and corruption." If this were to be about genres, this description would
generally belong in the crime category. Noir ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
These include cars, cafes, offices, and trains, and the films would typically come up with public
places in order to emphasize how crimes can happen to anyone at any time and place. The intro of
Robert Siodmak's 1946 film "The Killers" places two hitmen in a diner with a customer and two
workers, and the intensity ensues right when the hitmen warn them of their violence, until Swede is
killed. In "Detour," the café was presented as a place of reflection for the main character, but "The
Killers" presents it as a more dangerous place. The movie does not start straight from the diner, but
the outdoor area just right outside the diner, and that establishes the tone and the state of that part of
town, with obscure lights, silhouettes of the hitmen, night setting, and fog. Even in such a confined
space like a diner, certain imagery like the hitmen and their guns would elicit feeling of intimidation
and tension from the rest of the characters and also the audience, especially when one of the hitmen
hides behind the window and sticks his gun out, just in case Swede enters. The imagery of places
and characters thus reminds the viewers that the outward appearances are not what they actually
seem, and one would have to look deeply to understand the full

American Film Noir Essay
American Film Noir
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
American Film Noir
There have been several debates over a long period of time concerning the validity of film noir as a
distinct genre. Essays and books have debated the term for years using various criteria and rubrics to
back up their respective positions on the subject. As the 21st century brings new and creative trends
from screenwriting to post–production and everything in between, the boundaries of noir become
even less certain. One may even find a fitting parallel between the noir protagonist's ambiguous and
perilous quest with that of the hapless and naïve academic in search of an unequivocal definition of
noir itself. This essay aims at summarizing the evolution of American film noir to present day, by
using seminal works to determine how these films have become influenced by American cinematic
trends of postmodern narrative structures and subjectivity.
History of Noir
The argument to be made is that, with the emergence of cinematic technological advances coupled
with postmodernism's abandonment of meta narratives and traditional socio–cultural identities,
filmmakers are digging even deeper into the dark recesses of the human consciousness and using
noir as a platform. It is not very surprising that to date no other genre relies more on the fragility and
temperamental nature of the human condition more. Oftentimes characters in a noir narrative are
either vindicated or condemned based

Neo-Noir In Film Noir
According to Todd Erickson, he states that neo–noir is a genre exhibits a self–consciousness about
its indebtedness to the earlier noir films. Neo–noir has emerged notably in the 1980s, with such
films like the 1982 film "Blade Runner," that incorporates familiar narrative and stylistic elements
from the noir films into a science–fiction genre. With its tone and specific style, Film Noir itself has
become one of the prominent elements from the 1940s and 50s that helped shape the American
cinema, and internationally to a certain extent. Fast forward 1994, an English–language French film
titled "Leon: The Professional," written and directed by Luc Besson, has been released. It exhibits
noir traits from the characters, their interactions, and the overall environment, but still provides a
distinct genre of neo–noir by updating the traits in a contemporary setting.
"Leon: The Professional" subverts the character expectations with the switch of the characters' roles.
Leon and Mathilda can be considered as outsiders, when compared to the characters in traditional
film noir films. When it comes to Leon, the viewers would be asked to identify with the character,
but his character itself would make it difficult for them to do so, since he is a strict hitman. His
hitman character does evoke hitman characters in other noir films such as "The Whistler" (1944) and
"New York Confidential" (1955). However, it is after he encounters 12–year–old Mathilda for the
first time that tests his

Memento Film Noir
whatever it draws upon evolution or some other conceptual model, the history of any genre cannot
be written without regard to broader historical processes
A black and white phenomenon known as film noir was a style of cinematography introduced by
French critics in 1946. The popularity of the style was inevitable. The style started to introduced just
before the U.S entered World War II but it didn't developed fully until the late stages of World War
Plot complexity is an important characteristic element of neo–noir film. An example of neo noir film
with a complex plot is The Memento by Christopher Nolan 2001. The film has a very complex plot
and a series of flash back. The story of the film is told backwards and the flashbacks are moving
forward. In a way that the black and white flash back scenes and the coloured backward scene
become one at the end of the film. The protagonist has an objective view of the world around him
and has a disability that makes his ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Another characteristic elements of film noir used in this film is the backward story telling. When the
film start with the end of the story and we then find out how it all happened as the movie retells the
story. Then at the end we return to the finals usually, usually a death which in Memento is the death
of Teddy another John G. this is a circular structure in film noir which became very popular.
These elements and characteristics in classic noir and neo–noir much remains the same.
Characteristics such as complex plots, complex mise–en–scene, first person voice–over narration,
the existence of femme fatale.
In fact in the classic film noir Double Indemnity 1994 same elements can be viewed. The film has a
complex plot which, starts with the ending of the film when Walter Neff, is shot in the chest and is
explaining what had happened on the phone. The voice–over narration is used by the male

Low Key Lighting In Film Noir
Film noir, directly translates as "black film" from French due to the dark nature of the film which
includes its use of low key lighting in all films in this particular genre. Inspired by German
expressionism, the genre developed around the time of World War II when musical and comedies
were in bloom. But due to the war, people grew weary of the optimism and humour in these films,
thus causing the popularity of film noir to slowly grow. Film noir reflected the issues people at the
time were going though; fear and paranoia took over the hearts of these people. The story often
revolves around an anti–hero, whom usually is a wise cracking tough guy. He would encounter a
femme fatale, who is more often to be seductive and promiscuous; she is never who we would think
she is. The dynamics between both characters often balances out each other. For example in Double
Indemnity, Walter Huff, an insurance agent meets and falls in love with his client's wife Phyllis
Dietrichson. They both plan a murder together to get rid of Mr. Dietrichson. Unlike Hollywood's
musical and comedies, happy endings don't exists in film noirs. Low key lighting plays a huge part
in film noir. It's a major element that represents the film and its style, with the help of shadows, it
creates a shroud of mystery surrounding the characters, for example, whenever we are around
Phyllis, there will always be a slight shadow around her face and yet the shadows around her eyes
are less visible.
Neo Noir
Film noir

Noir Film Analysis
In Paul Schrader's "notes on film noir" essay, he was carefully to describe a very vagueness to the
almost genre of film noir. He made it clear that it is a genre that cannot be specifically pinned down
to a single black and white definition. For example he very wisely described it by saying, "It is a
film "noir", as opposed to the possible variants of film gray or film off–white". This explains how
there is this subtle thing, or a je ne sais quoi, that belongs to film noir that makes it film noir. While
this "thing" that belongs to film noir is a feeling, it is something that also is very specific to a era in
time. Schrader says how it is "period of time in film history", which goes to show how strange film
noir is. How can something that is so nonspecific belong to something so specific at the same time?
Charles Higham and Joel Greenberg's essay "Noir Cinema" takes a liking to Schrader's essay in the
sense that it has the diversion to subject film noir to a hard definition. Though while Schrades like
taking a stab at film noir through tones and influences, Higham and Greenberg seem to describe film
noir in characters and images For example they say film noir lives in a world that is "always night,
always foggy or wet, filled with gunshots and sobs, where men wear turned–down brims on their
hats and women loom in fur coats, guns thrust deep into pockets". These images that are described
by Higham and Greenberg are the visual manifestation of Schrader's je ne sais quoi of film noir.
They are all of the different shades of black that make up film noir. Both of these descriptions of
film noir take a compliment to each other, though they differ greatly in their categorization as
Schrader says film noir is not quite a genre while Higham and Greenberg say it is. Higham and
Greenberg like to focus on the effect of the female character, or femme fatale, of film noir. They
seem to suggest that the tone of the film noir, which could be a good case, is dependent on the
actions and character of the femme fatale of the film. The world of the films seems a little less
corrupt and negative in general, when the femme fatale or female's plot ends on a happier note. In a
way, there definition of the film noir's world is

Chinatown: Above The Film Noir Genre Essay
The viewer sees a private eye and beautiful client. First thought, "It's definitely another Hollywood
crime drama." On the surface, Chinatown has all the elements of a film noir: the presence of a
beautiful but dangerous woman, otherwise known as the femme fatale, a gritty urban setting,
compositional tension (highly contrasting light and dark colors or oblique camera angles), and
themes of moral ambiguity and alienation. Chinatown, however, is different. Polanski shot
Chinatown with color film, and though his colors do appear especially vivid, color film precludes
the contrast intensity that black and white film offers. In addition, Evelyn is not the classic femme
fatale. Though Jake mistakes her for her husband's killer at first, Mrs. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
It shows how Jake is persistent and dedicated to his job, even if it always seems like he is in over his
head. Jake, however, also departs from the film noir tradition when he lets his emotions get the best
of him. The greatest example of this is seen during the exchange between him and Evelyn when he
is trying to find out the truth about Katherine. Resorting for the first time to violence against a
woman, the near desperation with which Jake pushes Evelyn to confess is an expression of his fears
and anxieties about being completely lost amidst the lies that surround him. The result is the
humanization of Jake Giddes' character. He simply is not perfect, and ultimately fails to see the
bigger picture of what he is involved with until .
While classic film noir is characterized by high compositional tension, or low lit black and white
cinematography, Polanski managed to infuse Chinatown with that sense of corruption and nihilism
so prevalent in noir in bright Southern California despite employing a photographic element
previously thought antithetical to film noir style: color film stock. The dominant colors of
Chinatown are brown, gray, and black, which can be seen as an indication of the film's allusion to
the noir tradition of black–and–white. The various hues of brown and gold can be seen throughout
the film, from clothing to homes

Elements Of Film Noir
Problem Statement The element of film noir is widely often misinterpreted, and it confuses audience
with the genre of these films. According to Andrew Spicer (2010),
Film noir has always been problematic because it is a retrospective category, not applied to the films
whose characteristics are not so obvious or clear cut as comedies or westerns or even crime thriller
with which film noir is sometimes conflated. (p.xxxvii, line 6)
From there, it shows that film noir sometimes lead audience could not define the genre because
story may appear unclear and sometimes this genre can be confusing as crime thriller since most of
the films centered in crimes fiction. Thus it is important to study the element of film noir as these
elements play the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
So researcher will work on the philosophy of film noir to define the element in film noir. By the
way, the researcher will also compare the difference of noir element used in film between Martin
Scorsese and David Fincher. In the contemporary era, both directors have their own style to present
in film noir. The researcher will analyze their movie to compare the difference between Martin
Scorsese and David Fincher whom came from different era. The movies used by the researcher are :
Martin Scorsese, ( Shutter Island 2010 and Bringing out the dead 1999) while David Fincher, ( Fight
Club 1999 and Seven 1995) to compare the element used in their film to complete the

Film Analysis Of The Film Noir, By Billy Wilder
Film Noir is a style or genre of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and
menace. The term was originally applied by a group of French critics to American thriller or
detective films. The film noir genre generally refers to mystery and crime dramas produced from the
early 1940s to the late 1950s. Movies of this genre were shot in black and white, and featured stories
involving femmes fatales, doomed heroes or antiheroes, and tough, cynical detectives. One of the
most famous film noir film's of all time is Double Indemnity, made in 1944 which was directed by
Billy Wilder. The film, uses darkness, tones, and moods to propel the story of the film.
The film is considered film noir because of the use of shadows that are portrayed throughout the
film. To start off, the opening scene of the film uses shadows to be mysterious of Walter Neff's
personality. As Neff walks into his office, the audience knows from the beginning that he is guilty.
The room surrounding him is filled with bars and shadows. This gives the audience the
understanding that Neff is trapped. He has done something illegal and will be caught for his crime.
To continue, as Walter Neff is on the train after the murder of Mr. Dietrichson he feels guilty of the
crime he just committed. As Neff sits on the train he begins to become nervous and worries someone
will find out about the murder. When Neff is outside on the balcony of the train there are bars all
over him showing that he is trapped

Comparison of Noir and Neo Noir Themes in the Films Double...
The attempt of this overview is to discuss the similarities, differences and influences of Noir Film
and Neo Noir Film and analyzed how they have evolved taking Double Indemnity and Chinatown
and as generic examples.To achieve this attempt, first of all. It is important to know what it is
considered Noir Film, when it began and how this was developed into the Neo–Noir cinema. It is
considered Noir Cinema those made between 1940 and almost 1960 in which very inner
characteristics were the individual against the whole, nihilism, dark environment, unusual
prospective, shadowed protagonist... The main character use to make a bad choice that would mark
him forever like gangster activities (antagonistic behavior) or getting trapped by a femme fatale as is
another classic element (like in Double Indemnity). Not all of these elements are always involved
but surely some of them. Noir Cinema was developed under a particular style of high contrast dark–
light too that was very identifiable. Some examples of this period are Touch of Evil or The big
Sleep. Some European Directors of Photography like Michael Curtiz or Fritz Lang helped out in the
early grown up to develop this shadowy lighting cliché that still inspires dark stories. Classical Noir
Lighting *The Maltese Falcon is considered the first Noir film (1941) *John Allton is considered the
main Director of Photography of Noir Film

Film Noir Themes
Film noir, as part of the distinct branch of the crime/gangster saga, creates a world that consists of a
dark, shadowy setting, a pessimistic perspective on life among the characters, and the typical private
investigator paired with a femme fatale.These characteristic later evolved to create what is now
called a neo–noir film; a distinct twisted film that leaves the viewer with bittersweet outlook. An
example of the contemporary film noir is Kiss Kiss Bang Bang directed by Shane Black. This film
plays to film noir themes: it looks at the unsuspecting hero, the unscrupulous tough–guy role model,
and a love interest who is idealised but somewhat blemished. In terms of the structure, the breaking
of the fourth wall is used, the film's setting is in the city of Los Angeles and most of the scenes are
played out during the night. However, there is a twist in every theme presented as the film turns to a
more demoralized, comedic take on the characters' stories. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
On example of this is when he is telling the story and he realizes he started off wrong, pauses, and
then continues again, like in this scene of the movie:
Harry: And that's how she got to the same party as me. Oh shit. I skipped something. Damn it. This
whole robot bit. I made a big deal, then I like totally forgot. Fuck, this is bad narrating. Like my dad
telling a joke. "Oh, wait back up. I forgot to tell you the cowboy rode a blue horse." Fuck. Anyway, I
don't know if you want to see it now, but here's the fucking robot stuff for your viewing pleasure.
Can I say "fuck" more?' (Kiss Kiss Bang

The History of Film Noir Essay
The History of Film Noir
Film Noir literally means 'Black Film'. This term was first coined by French film critic Nino Frank,
who noticed a trend in the darkness of themes in many American films that constituted wartime
cinema.
Classic film noir developed during the 1940's during and after World War two, taking advantage of
the post war zeitgeist of anxiety, pessimism and suspicion. Mistrust, fear, paranoia, and bleakness is
obvious in noir, it reflects the cold war period when the threat of nuclear annihilation was ever
present.
The categorisation of noir is very difficult to propose, The term 'Film Noir' was not recognised in the
industry or by the audiences in the 1940's, for example it ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The classic characteristics of a Male personality in a film noir is moody, melancholy, cynical and
hard hearted. He will almost always fall for the heartless, double crossing, mysterious and
manipulative 'Femme Fatal'
He will also be involved with the other classic noir characters including : petty criminals,
sociopaths, gangsters, villains and the innocent 'girl next door' character.
Some of the first film noirs are as follows
Ÿ Maltese Falcon (1941)
Ÿ Murder, My Sweet (1944)
Ÿ Double Indemnity (1944)
Ÿ Laura (1944)
Ÿ The Woman In The Window (1944)
When Kathie Moffett (Greer) shoots her admirer, Whit Sterling (Douglas), a big time gambler, and
absconds with $40,000 of his money, Sterling hires a private detective Jeff Bailey (Mitchum) to find

her. Bailey leaves New York and catches up with Kathie in Mexico. Kathie denies taking the money
and after falling for her charms, Bailey notifies Sterling that he could not find her.
The film has a fair amount of double crossing Bailey double crossing Stirling and Kathie double
crossing both men. She is the classic 'Femme Fatal'
I have decided on a ten minute scene in which Jeff Bailey meets Kathie Moffett for the first time.
The scene begins with a voice over from Bailey, he tells us (the audience) that he will wait in a café
until he finds her. The café he chooses

L.a Confidential Film Noir Essay
The Key Conventions Of Film Noir In L.A Confidential
L.A Confidential (Curtis Hanson, 1997) is a neo–noir film about a shooting at an all night diner and
the three Las Angeles policeman who investigate in their own unique ways. It is based on the book
by James Ellroy and after a very well adapted screenplay, won nine academy awards. It starred
actors with big names like Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and Danny Devito, which made it a very high
earning film. The Narrative or storyline is much the same as any other film noir movie. It has a
‘hard boiled' cop (Russell Crowe) who we grow attached to. The narrative of any film must have
certain ‘key conventions' which are apparent for the audience to tell the genre of the film. The ...
Danny Devito is perfect in this role because he has quite a seedy voice this is good to illustrate the
sleaziness of film–noir, it shows the real voice of L.A. The setting of film noir is usually quite
cheap. This is used effectively to actually show the dark tacky parts of society where film–noir
usually takes place. There is not a lot of light in these films and they are often set on location. A
seedy underworld is often present in film–noir movies, where all the bad or undesirable parts of
society are exposed. Things like drugs, alcohol, murder and corruption. In my analysis I will be
looking at a scene near the end of the film where Bud White and Ed Exeley take part in a shootout at
the victory motel. The narrative conveys very common noir aspects here; the shootout takes place in
a very dark room. The only light comes from outside. This shows the mood of the scene to be
sinister and bleak. It puts the audience in a scared state as the shadows can conceal anything. It is
also hard to see what White and Exeley are doing. The shadows are very menacing because they use
a chiaroscuro lighting effect. This means that the rooms, people and settings are hidden from view
by shadows. The blinds over the window cast strong grid shadowing over the characters showing
uncertainty and anxiety. This lighting is very common in film–noir films as it shows the seediness of
the settings. The

Laura Film Noir
Music had a number of distinctive characteristics for film noir and especially played a huge role in
Laura, a classic film in 1944 that was directed by Otto Preminger with music by David Raksin. The
hauntingly beautiful Laura theme was composed by Raskin which became one of the most popular
melodies of that decade. The melody was played in the opening credits with such rich materials that
it provided essentially all of the musical material for the rest of the film. The film follows a
detective, Detective Mark McPherson, in his investigation in the murder of a beautiful advertising
executive, Laura. There are quite a few characters that come into the film, one notable character
being Waldo Lydecker, Laura's old mentor and ex–boyfriend who at ... Show more content on
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Laura's theme played in a lower version of the melody represented Waldo's unhealthy obsession for
Laura. It showed Waldo's jealousy of Laura's other lovers as well as how desperate he was in getting
rid of them. Also, Laura's theme foreshadowed the revealing that Waldo was the murderer all along
and wanted to kill Laura for the reasoning that if he couldn't have her, nobody else could either.
Laura's theme was played to convey the high tension in a scene with Waldo when he walked to
Laura's apartment and discovered that she ditched her plans with him while she pursued an affair
with Jacoby. The haunting theme is heard from a lonely flute, until a dark clarinet sound comes in
and a violin plays a lingering high note, representing Waldo's anger over the affair. There were lower
toned string instruments that filled the melody with Waldo's narration that gave way of his negative
views of Laura's other lovers and the steps he took to get rid of them such as when he published a
story that discredited Jacoby and when he told of Shelby's infidelity and untrustworthiness to Laura
to end Laura's relationships with the men. Towards the end of the film, we see how Laura's theme
becomes even more haunting when it plays showing Waldo's wild thought process after Laura
denies him. We can see his resentment of the unrequited love from Laura and his plans to kill

Essay on The Hays Code in Film Noir
The Hays Code in Film Noir
The Motion Picture Production Code, commonly known as the Hays Code, was adopted in March
1930, though it was not truly enforced until four years later in 1934. This set of rules had
tremendously influenced the way Hollywood movies were made for a number of years. This code
was based on the ethics and norms if that time. There were three main principals of the Hays Code.
The first was no picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standard of those who see it.
What was meant by this was that sympathy should not be portrayed towards crimes, wrongdoings,
evil or sins. The second stated that only a correct standard of living could be presented that are only
subject to the requirements of drama and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
One of the main things they had to work around was that there could be no implicit sex between
Brigid and Spade. This restriction has to do with the second application which regulates the presents
of sex. It was required that the sanctity of the institution of marriage and the home should be upheld.
Since the two were not married, the code restricted them from inferring that any sort of sex
relationship was a common and an accepted practice. Spades relationship with Effie, his secretary,
needed to be kept to a level that would not imply that he had any sort of sexual relationship with her
as well. Although the Hays code acknowledges that adultery type situations are acceptable only if
they are necessary to the plot material, it should in no way be explicitly treated, justified, or
presented in an attractive way. All the regulations regarding sex in the Hays Code, made it extremely
difficult for film noir since one of the main themes of film noir involves sexual motivation. In
particular it held back the notorious femme fatale from exuding her sexually upon men with the
intent of making her own personal gains.
One of the staples of the film noir is the hardboiled detective that is utterly out of control in many
aspects of his life. Several elements of Spade's character had to be altered to meet the code
consequently and ultimately weakened his character. His drinking had to be kept to

Dames, Coppers, and Crooks: A L:ook At Film Noir Essay
Dames, Coppers, and Crooks: A Look At Film Noir
Film noir is a style of black and white American films that first evolved in the 1940s, became
prominent in the post–war era, and lasted in a classic "Golden Age" period until about 1960. Frank
Nino, a French film critic, first coined the label film noir, which literally means black film or
cinema, in 1946. Nino noticed the trend of how "dark" and black the looks and themes were of many
American crime and detective films released in France following World War II. In fact, only French
critics used the term film noir in their work until the era of noir was over. The French label did not
become widely known until the 1970s. The term film noir is now a more ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Then along came the baby boom, a high increase in marriages, and a high increase in new house
owners.
Another phenomenon was the explosion of suburban communities. This created a need for building
new houses and a demand for cars and highways. Many people moved to the suburbs because they
had a longing for more spacious homes, greater security, and better education for their children.
Some people also moved to the suburbs for racial issues, because the suburbs were mainly
segregated. The suburban life encouraged uniformity. All the surroundings were similar and there
was a need for a sense of belonging. The conformity of suburban lives gave way to a drastic increase
in memberships in social institutions. The religious participation was especially renewed. Religion
was set in bloom partly because of the Cold War where communists were seen as anti–God.
Therefore, religion became an expression for patriotism.
In corporate life, big businesses grew bigger, and this had an effect on the workingman. He went
from a hard–working individual to being a person within a cooperation and achievement. The
women were led back to the roles they played before the war. Campaigns were led to lead the
women back to the kitchen. They were considered obliged to leave their jobs in the workforce so
that the veterans could get "their jobs"

Movie Noir : Film Noir
Many people from different countries across the world have been coming to United States, including
Austrian director Billy Wilder. He directed many film with different genres including Film Noir.
Film Noir translates to "Dark Film," the name was given by the French after watching Hollywood
crime thrillers that began to show after World War II. These films typically had dark lighting style
closely related to those in German Expressionist films. However, Film Noir borrows its form from
influences of major Hollywood popular genres, using themes that were related to social context and
civilian life in the United States. Two films that demonstrate how Film Noir was influenced by
Hollywood and the social context in America include Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Ace in the Hole
(1951) both directed and written by Billy Wilder.
Film Noir came to be because of several aspects in the film industry like low budgets, low key
lighting and self–indulgence. Going to the movies during the depression in the late 1920's, was an
escape from reality. Technology advancements like sound on film and Technicolor brought more
people to the movies, increasing the number of movie theatres in the United States. Studios like
Paramount saw the opportunity to make more money using Block Booking; a system that allows
studios to sell "A–list films" with "B–list films" to independent theater companies. Studios were
able to guarantee a profit from B–list films because they were being charged a flat rate with

Maltese Falcon As A Film Noir Essay

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