Film Noir: Settings & Costume and German Expressionism and their conventions

1. FILM NOIR CONVENTIONS
By Emily Ore

2. Setting

3.  Set in big cities to give the feeling you are lost
in a maze.
 Urban places like New York or San Francisco.
Used because they revolve around crime and
action, but also gambling and drinking.
 Small alleyways produce a sense of being
trapped and can accentuate long sharp
shadows.
 Rain creates an effective atmosphere and
makes pavements shiny like mirrors, which are
common in thriller movies to create a sense of
disorientation and confusion.
 Mafia or gangster areas are common to create
a world of disruption and fear.

4. Costume

5. Male Costumes
 The 1940’s style of a business is a big impact on
film noir. Both protagonist and antagonist wear
similar costumes.
 Very smart with a trench coat, hat and suit
 The more expensive the suit or how flashy, usually
the more corrupt the person wearing it is.
 The suit symbolises power, wealth, superiority and
intelligence.
 Usually the protagonist will have jobs like a
detective to give a more mysterious look to the
character.

6. Female Costumes
 Femme Fatal: Red lipstick, low neckline and
short skirts, high heels, cigarettes, fur coats and
long gloves
 Sexy, and allures men into her trap of
attractiveness
 Good girl (Damsel in distress): Knee length
dress, simple make up and hair, low heels,
simple coat, covered and modest.
 Traditional woman in 1940’s

7. German Expressionism
(1920-1930)

8. Background
 After WW1, the Germany most people had
known before had changed.
 The country had been left in a economic
state with social and political problems.
 Both left and extreme right parties wanted
to take over the government.
 At the turn of 1920, expressionism grew
and more conventions were being shown
of this new genre of film.

9. Themes & Conventions
 The bad side to urban modern life.
 Never-ending depression relating to culture and
religion.
 The need to confront the disturbing war and its
aftermath.
 Use Chiaroscuro lighting to create shadows and
mystery in the darkness.
 Reflective surfaces to create disorientation.
 Anthropomorphism.