Film Noir – Hollywood

Crime Drama

Characters

Narrative

Setting

Style

Iconography

Themes

Melancholy, Alienation, Bleakness, Disillusionment, Ambiguity, Moral

Corruption, Evil, Guilt, Desperation, Dark and Inhumane, Side of Human Nature,

Cynicism, Doomed Love

Anti Hero – Main Character, no typical heroic traits but audience relates to them.

Femme Fatale – attractive woman who leads men to destruction, (Hard boiled detectives, Corrupt policemen.)

Villains – Gangsters, Killers, Corrupt Politicians, Jealous Husbands/Wives

Main Character – Driven by their past or weaknesses

Back Story – Refers to the story that happened prior to the beginning.

Flashback – An alteration of story that moves back in time to show events that have taken place earlier than already shown.

Voice Over – Recorded dialogue, usually narration that comes from an off scene voice of a character heard by the audience, not by other characters.

Urban America

Back Lighting – Lighting in the shot is directed towards the camera.

Expressionism – Distorts physical reality in order to ‘express’ a strong feeling about something.

Shot in gloomy greys or black and white.

Storylines are usually elliptical, non linear and twisting.

High angle and canted angle camera shots.

Guns, Urban settings, Cigarettes, Smoke, Neon Lighting, Trilby’s, Cars, Police, Alcohol