film noir

The style of film noir began in the 1930's and remained as a strong cinematic medium until the early 1960's. Film noir literally means "black film" in French and features themes which are more negative than positive, with an overall dark and shadowy outlook--being filmed in black and white. This film genre takes in detective and crime noir as well as many gangster films of the 1930's.


stylistic elements of film noir

»   narrative stylistic elements:

narration:

       subjective point of view
       flashback techniques
       subjective camera
       shifted cause/effect pattern

figures:

       male figures: investigator, victim or psychopath
       female figures: femme fatale and nurturing woman
       family: dysfunctional; the significance of the family as
         a patriarchic model loses importance

topics:

       existential topics
       psychologic motivated behavior
       pessimism, desillusionment
       close to crime and force
       sexual desire, sexual addiction


»   visual stylistic elements:

lighting:

       low key lighting
       Chiaroscuro-effect
       night-for-night-shooting
       day scenes staged as night

camera work:

       extreme view from below and up
       disorted perspective
       close-up and close-up view
       "framed" screen layout
       seldom tracking shots
       mercurial montage

settings:

       the city as central motive
       later antitheses to the city too
       bare interiors, offices, hotel rooms, night clubs, flats
         with mazelike architecture
       dark, estranged terrain