Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles

Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles


The primary moods of classic film noir were melancholy, alienation, bleakness, disillusionment, disenchantment, pessimism, ambiguity, moral corruption, evil, guilt, desperation and paranoia.
Heroes (or anti-heroes), corrupt characters and villains included down-and-out, conflicted hard-boiled detectives or private eyes, cops, gangsters, government agents, a lone wolf, socio-paths or killers, crooks, war veterans, politicians, petty criminals, murderers, or just plain Joes. These protagonists were often morally-ambiguous low-lifes from the dark and gloomy underworld of violent crime and corruption. Distinctively, they were cynical, tarnished, obsessive (sexual or otherwise), brooding, menacing, sinister, sardonic, disillusioned, frightened and insecure loners (usually men), struggling to survive - and in the end, ultimately losing. Storylines were often elliptical, non-linear and twisting. Narratives were frequently complex, maze-like and convoluted, and typically told with foreboding background music, flashbacks (or a series of flashbacks), witty, razor-sharp and acerbic dialogue, and/or reflective and confessional, first-person voice-over narration.

Amnesia suffered by the protagonist was a common plot device, as was the downfall of an innocent Everyman who fell victim to temptation or was framed. Revelations regarding the hero were made to explain/justify the hero's own cynical perspective on life.
Film noir films (mostly shot in gloomy grays, blacks and whites) thematically showed the dark and inhumane side of human nature with cynicism and doomed love, and they emphasized the brutal, unhealthy, seamy, shadowy, dark and sadistic sides of the human experience. An oppressive atmosphere of menace, pessimism, anxiety, suspicion that anything can go wrong, dingy realism, futility, fatalism, defeat and entrapment were stylized characteristics of film noir. The protagonists in film noir were normally driven by their past or by human weakness to repeat former mistakes.
Film noir films were marked visually by expressionistic lighting, deep-focus or depth of field camera work, disorienting visual schemes, jarring editing or juxtaposition of elements, ominous shadows, skewed camera angles (usually vertical or diagonal rather than horizontal), circling cigarette smoke, existential sensibilities, and unbalanced or moody compositions. Settings were often interiors with low-key (or single-source) lighting, venetian-blinded windows and rooms, and dark, claustrophobic, gloomy appearances. Exteriors were often urban night scenes with deep shadows, wet asphalt, dark alleyways, rain-slicked or mean streets, flashing neon lights, and low key lighting. Story locations were often in murky and dark streets, dimly-lit and low-rent apartments and hotel rooms of big cities, or abandoned warehouses. [Often-times, war-time scarcities were the reason for the reduced budgets and shadowy, stark sets of B-pictures and film noirs.] Some of the most prominent directors of film noir included Orson Welles, John Huston, Billy Wilder, Edgar Ulmer, Douglas Sirk, Robert Siodmak, Fritz Lang, Otto Preminger, Henry Hathaway and Howard Hawks.




Femmes Fatales in Film Noir:
The females in film noir were either of two types (or archetypes) - dutiful, reliable, trustworthy and loving women; or femmes fatales - mysterious, duplicitous, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory, tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative and desperate women. Usually, the male protagonist in film noir wished to elude his mysterious past, and had to choose what path to take (or have the fateful choice made for him).
Invariably, the choice would be an overly ambitious one, to follow the dangerous but desirable wishes of these dames. It would be to pursue the goadings of a traitorous, self-destructive femme fatale who would lead the struggling, disillusioned, and doomed hero into committing murder or some other crime of passion coupled with twisted love. When the major character was a detective or private eye, he would become embroiled and trapped in an increasingly-complex, convoluted case that would lead to fatalistic, suffocating evidences of corruption, irresistible love and death. The femme fatale, who had also transgressed societal norms with her independent and smart, menacing actions, would bring both of them to a downfall

Possible Shooting Locations

This is the area of where we shall be doing the filming for our thriller film. These images were taken at dusk on 'Horns Lane' off of 'Ber Street' in Norwich City centre.

The lighting on the street is ambient and would fit the genre of Noir/Psychological thriller. At dusk the streets have a wet look which is a generic signifer.

In the distance in the background is a large block of flats, dominating the skyline.

This is the stairway leading to my sister's flat here is where certain generic shots such as close-ups.

The area where the flat is situated is somewhat worn and scruffy. Suggesting that the area is somewhere that no-one would like to around at certain times.

The ambient lighting from behind the stairs utilise a eerie feeling to the scene also creating shadows in the foreground.

The angle from the top of the stairs looking down, the angle could be used to represent characters within the thriller film.

The stills image here is that of

the view of the flat were most of the important shots will be

made.
the lighting on the wall is bright, which we can take advantage of the possible. With this it lights the flight of steps.

The pathway is made from a thin material, likely to be coated with tar, giving it a rough look. The rain water settles on the pathway which is a generic signifier of thriller films.

This shot shows a overview of the pathway from under the

steps. It gives the impression as though leaning over the pathway balcony, if used in our thriller

The shot would conceal the identities of the characters which is something we are aiming to achieve in the film so that it fits the genre of film we are producing.

This shot was taken down an alley leading from the back of The 'Toni and guy' barber shop on Ber street. Continuing this way would take you to the bus station in the city centre, a possible escape route for the murderer.

Again the path is generic with a shine on the pathway (generic signifier), this area is also poorly lit at night as there are only 3 lights down the stretch of pathway.

This location is rather long, so if used in the film then a lot of editing would be needed top cut down the shot. The disappearing point could possible connote no escape or a never-ending guilt.

This is the alleyway that we will use in the film. It, whilst dark gives the impression of a dark, claustrophobic space. The poor lighting comes from a worn down lght above one of the entrances to the alleyway.
















The other alleyway which could be possibly used for filming is that of this one, just past one of the many entrances of 'Marks and Spencer's' Norwich. This location, just off of St. Stephens is perfect for the noir thriller film genre with it's dark and dingy scenery.

The high walls could connote entrapment.