Chiaroscuro lighting uses strong contrasts between light and dark areas to create a low-key lighting style characteristic of film noir. This technique highlights key elements like a character's face while leaving other parts of the scene in shadow. Both The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) and The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) effectively employed chiaroscuro lighting, such as highlighting a male character's face while shadowing his body in Hunchback or using window light to cast dramatic shadows on the floor, symbolizing psychological entrapment which was a common theme in detective films noir of the time period.

1. FILM NOIIR CHIAROSCURO LIGHTING

2. CHIAROSCURO LIGHTING Chiaroscuro is a term used in cinematography to indicate extreme low-key lighting to create distinct areas of light and darkness. Characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark. Classic examples are The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) and The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)

3. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939) The male’s face is highlighted through strong lighting. In contrast to this, the rest of his body is in shadow. The effect of this is that the audience really focus on the male’s face, especially his eyes which make us wonder what he is thinking.

4. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939) The light coming through the window is creating a strong shadow on the floor. This is a popular Film Noir technique that is usually used to symbolise how a character is trapped within themselves or has a psychological feeling of being trapped within the mind. (Therefore, this technique was often used in detective movies).