Classic film noir from the 1940s is characterized by dark films featuring morally questionable protagonists and ambiguous narratives. A typical noir plot involves a man being persuaded by a sexually manipulative woman to commit a crime, often ending in death or imprisonment. One example is The Postman Always Rings Twice, where a drifter helps a woman kill her husband after becoming attracted to her. Noir films use lighting techniques like chiaroscuro to create high contrasts between light and dark, representing the mysterious and unknown. Iconography like cigarettes, trench coats, and urban settings further establish the gritty noir style. Neo-noir films from the 1970s onward hybridized noir with other genres and included

1. CONVENTIONS OF NOIR
By David Marriott

2. BASIC INTRODUCTION TO NOIR
• A simple definition of noir comes from the French word for ‘black film’ or
‘dark film’
• Believed to have started in the early 1940’s noir is known for its use of
expressive lighting, complicated or ambiguous narratives and morally
questionable protagonists.
• Regulation was still present due to the existence of the Hays Production Code
which limited what the directors were allowed to put on screen.This meant
that the sexual relations between the male and female characters were often
restrained

3. TYPICAL NOIR PLOTS
• Typically Classic Noir: A man meets a woman who persuades him to commit a
crime through sexual manipulation.The crime is plotted and committed. As a
consequence the man and the woman are often killed or imprisoned.
Or
• Typically Neo-Noir: A private investigator becomes involved in a crime involving
a sexually manipulative woman. Often the woman presents herself as the
victim and the private eye is attracted to her. In these seeker hero noir films
however, the private eye usually wises up in time, solves the crime and
survives.

4. PLOT
• One significant early classic noir is ‘The Postman
Always Rings Twice’, directed by Tay Garnett. It
features the basic plot structure that was contained
in many noir films.
• The simple plot is that Frank Chambers is a hobo
who begins to work at a diner. He meets the
manipulative Cora Smith who persuades him to kill
her husband Nick.
• Whilst the two initially get away with this crime,
when they run away together. Cora is killed in a car
crash when Frank is driving, who is charged with her
murder- proving that there is not always a happy
ending.
• A man meets a woman who persuades
him to commit a crime through sexual
manipulation.The crime is plotted
and committed. As a consequence
the man and the woman are often
killed or imprisoned.
CLASSIC NOIR PLOT
THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE

5. VISUAL CONVENTIONS - VISUAL
MOTIFS OF FILM NOIR (1974)
JANEY PLACE AND LOWELL PETERSON
• Film noir often features low-key lighting.
• ‘Noir cinematographers placed their key, fill and back light in every
conceivable variation to produce the most striking and off-beat schemes of
light and dark.’
• More commonly, directors will use what is known as Chiaroscuro
lighting– where there is a high contrast between light and dark
• ‘The low-key noir style opposes light and dark, hiding faces, rooms, urban
landscapes - and, by extension, motivations and true character - in shadow
and darkness which carry connotations of the mysterious and unknown.’
• ‘Noir heroines were shot in tough, unromantic close ups of direct, undiffused
light, which creates a hard, statuesque surface beauty that seems more
seductive but less attainable, at once alluring and impenetrable.’

6. THREE POINT
LIGHTING SYSTEM
• The ‘Three Point Lighting’ system is commonly used
in filmmaking.
• High-key lighting is believed to give an impression of
reality.
• Light #1:The Key Light – This is the main light used
on your subject.
• Light #2:The Fill Light – The purpose of this light is
to fill in the shadows created by the key light, to
prevent them from being too dark.
• Light #3:The Back Light – This is used to separate
the subject you’re filming from the background

7. CINEMATOGRAPHY
• ‘Mise-en-scène designed to unsettle, jar and
disorient the viewer in correlation with the
disorientation felt by the noir heroes.’
• Bizarre, off-angle compositions to make
the subject of the shot appear more
unnatural
• Claustrophobic framing to create tension
for the audience
• Objects seem to push their way into the
foreground of the frame to assume more
power than the people, particularly with
the dominant male characters

8. ICONOGRAPHY
• Cigarette smoke- connotes the seductive nature of
the femme fatale.Also had connotative undertones
of mystery
• Trench coat- worn by the fall guy during their
investigation
• Red lipstick- connotes the sexuality or danger of the
femme fatale
• Venetian Blinds- used to create shadows within a
shot
• Urban Settings- combined with the idea of crime to
give the film a grittier feel
• Iron Bars- used to create shadows within a shot

9. TYPICAL THEMES
• Inevitability, destiny or fate (the policeman and District Attorney feature in Clip 1 even before Frank has met
Cora and Nick – forebodes the events to come)
• Crime (usually involves a murder plot – Cora wants to get rid of her husband)
• Greed (there will usually be some financial incentive to the crime – Cora wants to own the diner)
• Manipulation (the femme fatale will usually target a ‘fall guy’ to commit her crimes for her – Frank helps Cora
kill her husband)
• Corruption and downfall (a morally good man falls victim to a woman’s seduction and inevitably pays the
price through death or imprisonment – Frank is given the death sentence)

10. TRANSITION TO NEO-NOIR
• By the mid 1970’s, the Hays Production Code had been
abolished, giving directors a lot more freedom with what
they could create.This combined with a proliferating liberal
culture show a shift in the tone of the noir genre
• The Neo-Noir genre is known for being a hybrid (including
elements of other genres) such as:
• Sci-Fi
• Teen Dramas
• Action
• Thriller

11. SPECIFIC NEO NOIR ELEMENTS
Within a Neo-Noir film, one can expect the following elements
• A world weary protagonist with his own moral code
• A more sexualised femme fatale character
• An modern, urban setting
• Corruption
• More complex plots
• An ambiguous ending
• Venetian blinds
• Iron bars
As you can see, there are many overlapping elements between
neo-noir and classic noir; this just acts as a continuation of the
genre.

12. WITHIN MY PIECE
Within my piece that I will create
over this year, I will apply this
understanding to a more advanced
level and undertake more in-depth
research into the genre to
produce a trailer that conforms to
these codes and conventions.At
the end, I could maybe reflect on
what I have learnt about the genre
since producing this presentation.