FILM NOIR
Codes and Conventions
Cinematography
• The cinematography in film noir is often skewed and distorted.
• They’re also often uncomfortable to look at in order to make the viewer feel uneasy.
Shot Types Used
• Low/high angles• Close ups/extreme close ups• Deep focus (depth of field)• Dutch tilt/canted angles• reflections
Location
• Often in film noir, everyday urban settings are used as opposed to dodgy, unusual settings.
• This is done to make the film appear more ‘real’ to the viewer.
Mise en Scene
• Rain/damp streets• Low key lighting (chiaroscuro)• Venetian blinds• High contrast images• Urban locations
Editing
• Often, the editing is similar to that of traditional crime films but in film noir.
• They often start at the end, and then tell the story in flashbacks. This is referred to nonlinearly.
• They are often shot in the day, and night filters may be used.
• Jump cuts and juxtaposition may also be used.
Sound
• Film noir uses sound to compliment the feeling of foreboding and pessimism presented in the film.
• Sound effects are often used to reflect the atmosphere of the location.
Examples of Sounds Used
• Heavy breathing• Sudden noises• Use of quiet and silence• Voice over (of the protagonist)• Discordant and grating music, used
to make the viewer feel uneasy.
Narratives
• Murder• Drugs• Whodunit• Sin and
punishment• Downward spiral• Heists
• Psychological• Crooks• Wrong decisions• Sexual obsession• Gangsters• Amnesia• Smoking
Characters
• Detectives• Femme fatale• Anti hero• Gangsters/thugs• Police• Crooked police
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